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ARE THEY REALLY CATCHING DREAMS??

Dreams

If you are someone with a curious head who is always keen to know the facts then there are 90% chances you might have come across this one too, something extremely beautiful and mysterious to our dreams known as “Dream Catcher”. And people who own it are most of the time left astonished with frequently asked questions like, Why are they called dream catchers? Are they really catching dreams? Do they just catch bad dreams or good dreams are trapped too? So Knock, Knock! people it’s time to know the legend behind the beautiful web-designed rings because it’s worth owning and knowing the dream catching Dream Catchers !!

Origin of the idea of catching dreams

Dream Catcher
Source: Amazon

Most of us believe that dreams say a lot about our life or are an indication of good or bad things to happen in the future that bothers us in our present. When it comes to dreams we either want to have good dreams or no dreams at all. So, the idea of dream catchers was originated with the Ojibwe people- a group of natives of North America. Ojibwas used to hang dream catchers above the bed like a charm to protect sleeping people, usually children, from nightmares and evil spirits. Legends held that the spider web design of the dream catcher would allow good dreams to pass through and float down the hanging beads and feathers to sleeping children while the bad dreams trapped are perished by the first ray of sunlight.

The Legend

Authentic, Native American Handcrafted Dream catcher
Source: Pinterest


Storytellers speak of the Spider Woman, known as Asibikaashi. She took care of the children and the people on the land. Eventually, the Ojibwe Nation spread to the corners of North America and it became difficult for Asibikaashi to reach all the children. So, the mothers and grandmothers thought of a solution, which was a dream catcher. They weaved webs for children and called them the ‘magical webs’ using willow hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants and had a feather in the center of the dream catcher; which means breath, or air and is essential for life. It is in the shape of a circle to represent how giizis (sun )travels each day across the sky. They believed that these magical webs would protect their children from negativity and evil thoughts by filtering out all bad dreams.  
You will see a small hole in the center of each dream catcher where good dreams may come through. With the first rays of sunlight, the bad dreams would perish. In honor of their origin, the number of points where the web-connected to the hoop numbered eight for Spider Woman’s eight legs or seven for the Seven Prophecies.

Every dream catcher has its own story

Traditional means of handcrafted dream catchers later found the means of mass profit. But this is not how it should be. They were meant to be handcrafted using willow hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants. A dream catcher should be made of products that are a part of the circle of life and not produced from metals and man-made textiles. Each dream catcher should have its own story and must have different meanings too. Dream catchers made of willow and sinew are for children, and they are not meant to last. Eventually, the willow dries out and the tension of the sinew collapses the dream catcher, representing the temporary period of youth. Adults should use dream catchers of woven fiber which is made up to reflect their adult dreams.

Modern days Dream Catchers:

Nowadays, dream catchers come with more attractive designs and shapes using materials like led lights, laces, beads, and feathers. Apart from what is said about dream catchers, I believe that their beautiful appearance is filled with positivity that soothes and calm our mind, letting us forget the negative impact of the things we came across in the daylight. This somehow affects what we dream while sleeping because it is said, most of the time whatever we dream are consequences of negative things that stuck to our mind. So I guess next time if somebody questions about the existence of dream catchers you will have a lot to tell.

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