DREAM CATCHER : MYTHS AND LEGEND

 

                     The beliefs surrounding dreamcatcher originates from Native American cultures. Native Americans believes that dreamcatcher protect people from nightmares and bad dreams. They believe that during night time both good and bad dreams fill in the air. The dreamcatcher act like a filter and it trap bad dreams and allowing good ones to filter through. The bad dreams blocked in the dreamcatcher destroyed when the sunlight hit the dreamcatcher while the good dreams filter through the dreamcatcher and reach the sleeping person. Dreamcatcher was usually hang above the cradles or beds of young children to protect them from bad dreams or night mares. Dreamcatcher were initially created by Native Americans , Legends about the origin and history of dreamcatcher exist among various Native American tribes, especially among the Ojibwe and Lakota countries. More specifically the Ojibwe tribe. The Ojibwe called dreamcatchers 'asabikeshiinh' which means 'spider'. According to Ojibwe , a spider women called 'Asibikaashi 'protect new born and young children. But as the tribe to spread and migrate further and further , it became harder for her to personally watch over all the new, young members of the tribe. So she created the first dreamcatcher. She gave the dreamcatchers to the mothers to hand them above every child's bed to trap bad dreams and nightmares. Thus she continue to protect the families remotely via the dreamcatchers. 

                             The Lakota tribe have a different legend about the origin of dreamcatchers. In the Lakota Legend , a spiritual leader had a vision of Iktomi , a great trickster and a teacher spirit , who took the form of spider. Iktomi took the spiritual leader's willow hoop and began to weave a web over it as he spoke. He spoke about the circle of life and told the leader that in life there are good and bad forces, you should listen to good forces and avoid bad ones. After he finished the web he showed the spiritual leader that  it was a perfect circle with a hole in the middle. He stated that the good forces would get caught in the while the bad would go right through the hole. Till then people began to use dreamcatcher to filter their dreams and capture all the good ones and let the bad ones go. 

                             Each section of the dreamcatcher's form holds specific meaning. The circular frame symbolizes mother Earth and everything that sustains life. The web or net of the dreamcatcher is look of a spider's web. The circle in the center of the web is its  heart and is where the good dreams and vision are filtered through. The number of points on the woven web of the dreamcatcher is also significant and holds different meaning. 13 points represents the 13 phases of moon, 8 points symbolizes the spider women in Native American legends , 7 points refers to the seven prophesies,6 points represent an eagle and 5 points symbolize a star. 

            Authentic native dreamcatcher consist of a wooden round hoop( often made from a Willow branch),in which a web of wire is stretched. Real dreamcatchers are made by hand and made 100% natural materials. Today there are many variations of dreamcatchers and are made with plastics and other artificial materials. Many Native American cultures believe that they become commercialized and their meaning has been lost.