Mein Sandmaennchen

Don't ask me why, I just suddenly wanted to draw my OC Klaus (DDR/East Germany) with the Sandmännchen

Some facts:
Sandmann/Sandmännchen is a actual mystical creature, that was probably inspired by Morpheus (god of dreams) of the greek mythology who was responsible for bringing the dreams to the people and also had the plant "Opium Poppy" or "Papaver Somniferum" as his symbol. The seeds of the plants as well as the juice can both be used as drugs or relaxation medicament (the juice is still used to produce Opium, hence the name).
In north-west europe, the creature Sandmann was a frightful figure. Various stories and legends excist around him, from slightly scary to totally terrifying, with the most extreme version being of a creature of the night that pours sand in the eyes of bad children, making them scream from the pain until their eyes fall out, just for the creature to collect them and feed his offspring with the eyes.
It took till 1800 for the Sandmann to become a positive figure, thanks to Hans Christian Anderson. He created a fairytale around the creature "Ole Lukøje", who visits children in the evening, tells them a story and then "closes their eyes with sweet milk".
The german version is called Sandmann or Sandmännchen, he comes to the children, tells them a story and then pours dream sand into their eyes. The motiv of sand stayed, but it was no longer a painful act. According to this belief, the "dirt" that can be rubbed out from the eyes after waking up (hardened eye secret that collected in the eye corner) is the sand and thus prove of the excistance of the Sandmann.

Some more facts:
The TV of DDR had a program called "Abendlied", evening song, moderated by Ilse Obrings. Around 1958 she got the idea to change the poems and songs to a evening program for children to enjoy, by bringing dolls into it. She, Gerhard Behrendt (who created the doll) and Johanna Schüppel soon finished the plans and settings for the first episode of "Unser Sandmännchen - Nachtgruß" (Our sandman - evening greeting). They wanted to send it in December, but (for reasons I don't know) the West Television channel ARD also suddenly had a Sandmännchen program and aired it in October, making East TV put the day forward by showing the first episode in Novembre.
The first episode was a gigantic hit (despite many protest mail by both adults and children, because the Sandmännchen looked so old and actually fell asleep on a street during a cold winter night, making the children sad) and - after the design changes that created the final Sandmännchen, it went on air.
Both the west and east Sandmännchen were extremly popular, almost every child could descibe it as well as sing their theme song.
With the reunion, the big question came up about which Sandmännchen would stay and which one would have to disappear.
The Sandmännchen of the East was allowed to stay, as well as his song (even though the song became shorter, since it made relation to the DDR).
Even today, the show "Unser Sandmännchen" is one of the most well-known and popular children shows in german television. It also still is often the last show that will be aired on a children channel before the adult program will start, thus sending children officially to bed.

Even more facts:
1)
It is almost totaly isolated from any non-german country.
Most countries never even saw a picture or heard something about it.
Except for Arabia.
The arabic news channel "Al Jazeera" bought 78 episodes in 2006 and translated them to be aired. The purchase of more episodes only stopped when the east-west controversy started with the anti-islamic comments of Pope Benedict XVI, who totally ruined Germanys reputation in arabian areas.

2)
Sandmännchen is VERY good in controlling vehicles. According to Wikipedia, he and his west-version used around 300 vehicles since their creation. A few examples would be Cable Cars, Helicopters, Boats, Zeppelins, Snowplows, Bycicles, I even saw something that could resemble a UFO once.

3)
This is actual more personal then a fact.
Despite my age, I still own a Sandmännchen-CD. It is filled with 5 stories and 5 lullabies and I actually still listen to it sometimes (even though not to sleep, but just because I enjoy it xD).
Friends at first look weird at me (because it IS a show for kindergardeners), but when they hear such lovely stories like the one from the goat "Emma" who starts to eat paper, because she doesn't have a partner, then you just can't stay cold

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A picture of both West-Sandmännchen and East-Sandmännchen:
CLICK


Music of West-Sandmännchen:
CLICK
Lyrics:
A cloud flies by
flying oh so quiet
and the moon up there in the sky
he is already watching over everything.
It will soon be night again,
everything goes to sleep.
And all the children on earth
soon close their eyes.
But before that, from far and near,
calls it: "the Sandmännchen is here!"



Music of East-Sandmännchen (and todays Sandmännchen):
CLICK
Lyrics:
Sandman, dear Sandman,
the time hasn't come yet.
We first watch our evening greeting
before every child has to go to bed.
You surely have enough time (meaning: You can surely wait a bit)

Children, dear Children,
I had a lot of fun.
Now hurry into your bed and sleep well,
after that I will rest, too.
I wish you a good night.



A example episode:
CLICK