Origins and History of the Dream Catcher

The Ojibwe's are the originators of dream catchers. Dream catchers were first popularized by the Ojibwe people, and as time went on, other tribes, civilizations, and even nations embraced them.

This adoption was made possible either by trade, intermarriage, or both. As a result of the Pan-Indian movement, dream catchers were extensively adopted by Native Americans in the 1960s and 1970s.

Many of North America's indigenous peoples now use dream catchers as a part of their traditions and cultures. As varied as the tribes who employed them, the origin and function of the dream catcher are told in a variety of ways, but the following is the most popular one:

A long time ago, Spider Woman (whose name and description are different depending on the tribe) taught her people how to make a web to collect their dreams. She grabbed a hoop and started weaving, moving inward until she reached the middle. She made a hole in the centre of it. She assured her population that the web would capture their dreams.

Dream Catcher's symbolic meaning

Each component of the dream catcher had associations with the real world. The dream catcher's circular shape, which symbolizes the spherical nature of the world, is one significant interpretation.

Bad dreams are absorbed by the web at night and released during the day. The baby or adult who is sleeping is able to have wonderful dreams because of the feathers, which function as ladders.

Traditionally, dream catchers are made out of natural materials, preferably red willow and animal sinew. Native Americans hang them above their beds and smaller dream catchers are often hung above babies cribs.

Placement of the Dream Catcher

The dream catcher should be hung above the sleeping area, where it would be hit with the first morning light. While her people slept, the dream catcher would catch their dreams.

The helpful and positive dreams could easily find their way via the web and drop to the dreamer below. The nightmares would get caught in the web and disappear when the sun came up.

Today's Uses

Dream catchers have more recently been employed as a universal sign of healing and hope.

Today, decorative dream catchers are made from many kinds of materials, traditional and non-traditional. Dream catchers are a beautiful object of art to add to your home. They come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, and fit into nearly any style of decor. You needn’t have a southwest style home to have a dream catcher. There are red, white, and blue dream catchers for a country americana look, and black and brown dream catchers for the modern earth-tone look.

Simply choose a dream catcher that coordinates with the colors in your home. Enjoy the beauty, history, and tradition of a dream catcher by adding one to your home.

Dream Catchers

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