Dream catchers are a mythical item that dates back to over 700 years ago, when the Ojibwe tribe used to use them for their children to hang above their beds at night when they sleep to prevent any bad dreams from occurring. Dream catchers are webbed and beaded circles hung with feathers from the base of the circle. As one might suspect, the purpose of a dream catcher is to catch dreams—that is, to trap bad or evil dreams and channel good dreams to the sleeper. Dream catchers are usually placed in a window or above the bed, allowing the good dreams to drip down. The purpose of a dream catcher is to supposedly catch dreams—that is, to trap bad or evil dreams and channel good dreams to the sleeper. People usually place them in a window or above their bed, believing that it will allow the good dreams to drip down the feathers onto the sleeper below. Sep 15, 2016 - The Dream Catcher comes from a Native American Indian Tradition. You hang them by the window in your bedroom or at the head of your bed. Bad Dreams get caught in the web, while Good Dreams work their way through the web to the hole in the centre and float down the feather like a dewdrop on a blade of grass. The Meaning of Dreamcatchers The meaning of dreamcatchers and the beliefs surrounding their construction originate from Native American cultures. The dreamcatcher is a protective talisman that is used to protect people from nightmares and bad dreams. The charm was usually used for young children and hung above their cradles or beds.
Dream catchers are a mythical item that dates back to over 700 years ago, when the Ojibwe tribe used to use them for their children to hang above their beds at night when they sleep to prevent any bad dreams from occurring. The idea that hanging a dream catcher above a child’s bed at night would keep away the bad spirits that cause nightmares is something that still lives on in today’s modern world.
The original myth
To understand where to hang your dream catcher you first have to look at the legend surrounding dream catchers and what they ancient Ojibwe tribe used to do and why. It was said that the elders of the village’s children were plagued with a curse that made them have very bad dreams and will eventually lead to everybody dieing. What they elders of the village did was development a dream catcher that looks something like the picture below.
Once these began being used, pretty much all the bad dreams disappeared. It was then that not only did the children begin to use the dream catchers, the whole village did and it become enshrined in their culture. The dream catcher has been passed down from generation to generation and even though the tribe doesn’t exist today, people all over the world still use dream catchers
Where should you hang your dream catcher and why
Going back to the myth, a dream catcher is meant to be used by hanging it a foot or two above your head whilst you sleep. It works as a net to trap in all the bad dreams that come from the outside spirit world and traps it in the centre of the net. However the net also traps your good dreams, however these are said to leak down onto the persons head so they can actually have good dreams. This is the reason why you have to hang your dream catcher above your head when you sleep and not make the mistake of just having it in the room as it will not be effective.
Dream Catcher Over Bed
Also dream catchers can get full, so it is important to take it outside once or twice a year and leave it in the sun to get rid of all the bad dreams trapped inside of it.
Dream Catcher Above The Bed
Dream catchers are one of the most fascinating traditions of Native Americans. The traditional dream catcher was intended to protect the sleeping individual from negative dreams, while letting positive dreams through. The positive dreams would slip through the hole in the center of the dream catcher, and glide down the feathers to the sleeping person below. The negative dreams would get caught up in the web, and expire when the first rays of the sun struck them.
The dream catcher has been a part of Native American culture for generations. One element of Native American dream catcher relates to the tradition of the hoop. Some Native Americans of North America held the hoop in the highest esteem, because it symbolized strength and unity. Many symbols started around the hoop, and one of these symbols is the dream catcher.
Dream Catcher Lore:
Native Americans believe that the night air is filled with dreams both good and bad. The dream catcher when hung over or near your bed swinging freely in the air, catches the dreams as they flow by. The good dreams know how to pass through the dream catcher, slipping through the outer holes and slide down the soft feathers so gently that many times the sleeper does not know that he/she is dreaming. The bad dreams not knowing the way get tangled in the dream catcher and perish with the first light of the new day.
How the Dream Catcher is made:
Using a hoop of willow, and decorating it with findings, bits and pieces of everyday life, (feathers, arrow heads, beads, etc) the dream catcher is believed to have the power to catch all of a person’s dreams, trapping the bad ones, and letting only the good dreams pass through the dream catcher.