Delirium: The Youngest of the Endless


Delirium is the youngest of the Endless.

She smells of sweat, sour wines, late nights, and leather.

Her realm is close, and can be visited; however, human minds were not made to comprehend her domain, and those few who have made the journey have been incapable of reporting more than the tiniest fragments.

The poet Coleridge claimed to have known her intimately, but the man was an inveterate liar, and in this, as in so much, we must doubt his word.

Her appearance is the most variable of all the Endless, who, at best, are ideas cloaked in the semblance of flesh. Her shadow's shape and outline has no relationship to that of any body she wears, and it is tangible, like old velvet.

Some say that the tragedy of Delirium is her knowledge that, despite being older than suns, older than gods, she is forever the youngest of the Endless, who do not measure time as we measure time, or see the worlds through mortal eyes.

Others deny this, and say that Delirium has no tragedy, but here they speak without reflection.

For Delirium was once Delight. And although that was long ago now, even today her eyes are badly matched: one eye is a vivid emerald green, spattered with silver flecks that move; her other eye is vein blue.

Who knows what Delirium sees, through her mismatched eyes?


By Neil Gaiman, the wonderful person without which I'd never even heard of Del cuz she wouldn't have been imaginated by him. Yay Neil!

You have two choices. You can...

Go all fishies

Or...

Go all butterflies

I haven't made an actual Sandman page yet, so I'll just stick this here until I can find a better place


Follow the other butterfly to my nifty new Death Page

Email: delirium1479@hotmail.com