Eater of Dreams

# Summary

The website content describes the "Eater of Dreams," a creature from Japanese mythology known as Baku, which is depicted as a benevolent being that consumes nightmares but also has the potential to devour hopes and dreams.

# Abstract

The "Eater of Dreams" is a poignant exploration of the mythical Baku, a chimeric entity pieced together from disparate animal parts. Baku is portrayed as a weary creature, tirelessly feasting on the nightmares of humans while also thirsting for their abandoned dreams. The text delves into the dual nature of Baku, acknowledging its ability to ward off bad dreams, yet also hinting at its capacity to consume an individual's aspirations and wishes, leaving one to ponder the creature's own dreams and experiences as it seeks rest at dawn.

# Opinions

- The Baku is depicted with a sense of empathy, as a creature burdened with an insatiable hunger for nightmares and dreams.
- There is a notion of the Baku's existence as a consequence of divine indifference, created from leftover parts without a clear purpose.
- The creature's ability to consume both dreams and nightmares suggests a complex moral ambiguity, blurring the lines between protector and destroyer.
- The author seems to express a fascination with the Baku's inner world, questioning what the creature itself might dream of after consuming the dreams of others.

Eater of Dreams

Sad creature, Baku-san, composed from a stewpot of body parts, leftovers picked over and discarded by indifferent gods.

Tired creature, Baku-san, exhausted by an unquenchable hunger for humanity’s nightmares, thirsty for a child’s forgotten dreams.

Sometimes I wonder as you curl your elephant nose around mottled paws, lying down with the light of dawn — what do you see, Baku-san, when you close your eyes?

From Japanese mythology, a baku is a powerful creature created by the gods from the body parts left over after they finished creating all the other animals. Like most mythological creatures, baku have two sides — if called upon, they can devour nightmares, and so can be a beneficial creature. But they can also eat one’s hopes and wishes, too.