Early one Sunday morning, around six o'clock, I passed by the Cave in Kungsparken and saw a peculiar scene. Sitting curled up was a boy, and above him, on the roof and wall, watched John Blund, in English, 'the Sandman'. I don't think the lad belonged to the homeless who often use the Cave for overnight stays, whether short or long-term. Instead, the boy hadn't dared to go home after a drunken party and found the Cave a better alternative to heading home and breathing out alcohol fumes on his mother.

The cave walls suddenly became a fresco of John Blund from the story room in Stockholm City Library by the artist Nils Dardel (1888-1943), where the sleeping boy resembled Dardel's earlier work 'The Dying Dandy'. The vivid projection of the boy's dream onto the wall was remarkable. The boy slept peacefully, so John Blund was doing a good job. Dreams travel swiftly as thoughts, faster than the trains between Stockholm and Malmö, and I don't think anyone at the library noticed the nocturnal borrowing. As soon as the boy woke up, the fresco would be back in its place.

John Blund, or "The Sandman" in English, is a mythical figure in European folklore who gently lulls people to sleep and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand into their eyes.

The Sandman is known as John Blund or Jon Blund in Scandinavian folklore. He sprinkles sand or dust into children's eyes at night to bring sleep and dreams. The "grit" or "sleep" (rheum) in one's eyes upon waking is believed to be the Sandman's work from the previous night. The first written record of Jon Blund in the Nordic region is found in Olof Verelius's 'Index lingvæ veteris scythoscandicæ sive gothicæ' from 1691, where he is called Joen Blund and compared to the Edda's Blundur and the Latin Somnus (Greek Hypnos). By the 18th century, he was described as a bringer of sleep, which came primarily to children. The name Jon Blund appears in a 1710 text by Swedish poet Johan Runius.

The Sandman character has been interpreted in various ways, from gentle to sinister. In 1816, E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776–1822) wrote a short story titled 'Der Sandmann', which explored the darker side of the Sandman. According to the protagonist's nurse, the Sandman throws sand in the eyes of children who don't sleep, causing their eyes to fall out. He then collects these eyes and feeds them to his children in his iron nest on the Moon. This nightmarish interpretation contrasts with the more benign versions of the Sandman in other folklore.

Danish author Hans Christian Andersen gave the Sandman a more charming persona in his 1841 fairy tale Ole Lukøje. In this story, Ole relates dreams to a young boy over a week by sprinkling dust into children's eyes. "Ole" is a Danish first name, and "Lukøje" means "close eye."

Nobody knows as many stories as Ole Lukøje or can relate to them nicely. In the evening, while the children are seated at the table or in their little chairs, he comes up the stairs very softly and walks in his socks. He opens the doors without the slightest noise and throws a small quantity of excellent dust in their eyes, just enough to prevent them from keeping them open so they do not see him. Then he creeps behind them and blows softly upon their necks until their heads droop. But Ole Lukøje does not wish to hurt them, for he is very fond of children and only wants them to be quiet so that he may relate to them pretty stories, and they never are silent until they are in bed and asleep. As soon as they sleep, Ole Lukøje sits on the bed. He is nicely dressed; his coat is made of silken fabric; it is impossible to say what colour, for it changes from green to red and red to blue as he turns from side to side. Under each arm, he carries an umbrella; one of them, with pictures on the inside, spreads over the good children, and then they dream the most beautiful stories the whole night. But the other umbrella has no pictures, which he holds over the naughty children so they sleep heavily and wake in the morning without having dreams."

In H.C. Andersen's illustrated version, John Blund is equipped with two umbrellas: a colourful one for good children and a black, pictureless one for naughty children. He also carries a syringe filled with sweet milk to spray into children's eyes, making their eyelids heavy so they fall asleep.

In Romanian folklore, a similar character known as Moș Ene (Ene the Elder) also puts children to sleep. Hoffmann's sinister version of the Sandman is identical to the French Canadian character Bonhomme Sept Heures, who throws sand in children's eyes to blind and capture them.

In the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of southern Africa, he is known as Klaas Vaak. The character features prominently in the Dutch musical 'De sprookjesmusical Klaas Vaak', a TV series called 'Fairytales of Klaas Vaak', and as an entertainer at the amusement park Efteling.

The Sandman is a recurring character in popular culture, appearing in various forms in film, television, comics, and music. The East German stop-motion children's show' Unser Sandmännchen' (Our Little Sandman), based on Ole Lukøje and Hoffmann's story, has been broadcast since 1959, along with a West German version discontinued after reunification. In the 1990s, the Canadian TV show' Nilus the Sandman' portrayed the character for a new audience. In contrast, the French show 'Bonne nuit les petits' featured a bear, Nounours, caring for two toddlers, Nicolas and Pimprenelle, alongside the Sandman ("Le marchand de sable").

In the animated series 'The Smurfs', the Sandman makes appearances in the episodes "Darkness Monster" and "Lazy's Nightmare," while in 1991, Paul Berry directed a stop-motion short film titled 'The Sandman', based on Hoffmann's story. The Sandman also appears as a Council of Legendary Figures member in 'The Powerpuff Girls' episode "Dream Scheme" and in the movies' The Santa Clause 2' and 'The Santa Clause 3'. The demon Der Kindestod in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' is a version of the Sandman, and the ninth season episode "Sleep No More" (2015) of 'Doctor Who' explores the character in a science fiction context. In 'Rise of the Guardians', the Sandman is one of the Guardians, while Netflix's 2022 series 'The Sandman' adapts Neil Gaiman's comics.

Marvel Mystery Comics' Sandman lives in the Land of Dreams, while Neil Gaiman's 75-part comic book series 'The Sandman' for Vertigo Comics (DC Comics) tells the story of Dream of the Endless, also known as Morpheus, the Shaper of Form.

Songs based on the figure of the Sandman include the 1950s classic "Mr Sandman" by The Chordettes, Roy Orbison's "In Dreams," Metallica's "Enter Sandman," Lordi's "Blood Red Sandman," Ed Sheeran's "Sandman" on the album = (Equals), and "Mein Herz brennt" by Rammstein. The Sandman also appears in songs like "Sandmann" by Oomph!, "Morningtown Ride" by The Seekers, and "Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet" by Fall Out Boy.

Morpheus ('Fashioner,' derived from Ancient Greek meaning' form, shape') is a god associated with sleep and dreams. In Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', he is the son of Somnus and appears in dreams in human form. From the Middle Ages, the name began to stand more generally for the god of dreams or sleep.

The Sandman, whether called John Blund, Ole Lukøje, or Klaas Vaak, continues to be a fascinating mythical character that transcends cultures and time. From Hoffmann's nightmarish interpretation to Andersen's charming storyteller, the Sandman remains an enduring figure in folklore and popular culture, gently sprinkling magic into our dreams.

Marvel Mystery Comics, the Sandman lives in the Land of Dreams, located in the Realm of Fairies within the potentially imaginary world of Nowhere. The Sandman ruled over the realm and would place a blanket over it daily. Those who grabbed a dream from the dream tree would have a dream based on whatever they grabbed and awaken again when the Sandman removed the blanket over his land. Anyone who did not grab a dream would end up in an eternal, dreamless sleep. Several fictional characters named Sandman have appeared in comic books published by DC Comics. 'The Sandman', the original series, tells the story of Dream of the Endless, who rules the world of dreams. He is an anthropomorphic personification of dreams. He possesses three symbols of office: a helm, an amulet known as the Dreamstone, and a sand pouch.

Morpheus ('Fashioner', derived from the Ancient Greek meaning' form, shape') is a god associated with sleep and dreams. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, he is the son of Somnus and appears in dreams in human form. From the Middle Ages, the name began to stand more generally for the god of dreams or sleep.

Nestled in Malmö's most central park lies the Cave, a charming and intriguing landmark that captures the spirit of Kungsparken. Initially, the land where Kungsparken stands today was built until the 1660s, when the structures were demolished to create a clear line of fire for the nearby fortress. In 1869-1870, the park was established on what had once been part of the fortifications surrounding Malmöhus Castle. Danish landscape architect Ove Høegh Hansen was commissioned to create a romantic park inspired by the English garden style, which developed in the 18th century as a reaction against the rigid formalism of the French Baroque garden.

Kungsparken opened in 1872, initially called Slottsparken. Its current name, "King's Park," derives from King Oscar II, who inaugurated a restaurant there in 1881 during a significant agricultural meeting in Malmö. The park was subsequently named Kung Oscars Park, later shortened to Kungsparken.

Located in central Malmö, not far from Gustav Adolfs Torg and Stortorget, Kungsparken features the classic Kungsparken building, which has housed a casino for several years. Surrounded by a canal near Slottsgatan, the road leading to the casino, Slottsparken embraces Kungsparken, and the two now appear as a single park. Nearby lies Malmöhus, which served as Malmö's castle in the 17th century. As Malmö's oldest public park, Kungsparken embodies the romantic ornamental style of the 1870s. In a romantic park, nature is imitated, with trees planted to appear as if growing naturally. The paths are winding and natural, while lakes and ponds enhance the atmosphere. Visitors are meant to experience different moods as they wander through the park.

Kungsparken covers an area of 8.4 hectares. At its heart lies a cast-iron fountain erected in 1882, while a bust of Gustaf Rydberg (1835-1933), a royal painter, adds a touch of artistic heritage. The Cave, a popular attraction near the fountain, is built of stones primarily covered with vegetation. At its entrance stands a pedestal with a drinking fountain. Over time, the decorations have varied, including wall paintings and a drinking fountain. In 1987, the Cave underwent a restoration, crowned by the copper snakehead' Ormet,' which sprays a thin stream of water from its mouth into a granite bowl. The artistic theme draws from Snorri's Edda, telling the story of Loki's punishment for Balder's murder.

The park boasts 120 types of trees from three continents. During the Bo 86 housing exhibition in Malmö, trees were comprehensively replanted. The exhibition also presented several theme gardens in Kungsparken.