When I see American movies,I always see a
dream catcher hanging from a tree in the movie. Now,there is an important
problem, what are dream catchers?
Dream catchers are usually made from wooden
hoops that are about three anda half inches in diameter. The hoops were
originally made from willow branches.The inside of the hoop is strung in a
spider web-like design with twine or sinew.The webbing was originally made from
plant fibers or sinew string that had beendyed red. One or more feathers was
always hung from the netting. The feather isa symbol for breath or air.
Dream
catcher for sale today, however, dream
catchers are much more American than Native American, often oversized and made
of cheap plastic materials. Many Native Americans still consider the
dreamcatcher to be a symbol of unity and identification among the many Indian
Nations and First Nations cultures. Still, many other Native Americans have
come to see dream catchers as an symbol of cultural appropriation,
over-commercialized and offensively misappropriated and misused by non-Natives.
So, there is another problem, where to buy dream catchers? I can see dream catchers in a souvenir
shop.The shape of the dreamcatcher is a circle because it represents the circle
of life and how forces like the sun and moon travel each day and night across
the sky.
Have you ever had dreams that frightened
you? Have you ever had dreams that you enjoyed? Native Americans believe dreams
are important. Dreams are said to play an important role in Native American
spiritual and religious beliefs.Native Americans believe dreams come from the
spirit world. Native American
dreamcatcher is said to have
originated with the Ojibwa/Chippewa tribe. It was created to catchand separate
the good dreams from the bad. The dream catcher web catches the bad dreams
during the night and dispose of them when the day comes. As for the good
dreams, the feathers act as a fluffy, pillow-like ladder that allows them to
gently descend upon the sleeping person undisturbed. There is some contention
when it comes to the meaning of the beads that often decorate the dreamcatcher.
According to some American Indians, the beads symbolize the spider—the web
weaver itself. Others believe the beads symbolize the good dreams that could
not pass through the web, immortalized in the form of sacred charms.
Authentic native American dream catchers
were originally created by American Indians, dreamcatchers today come in a
variety of different sizes and styles. They usually consist of a small wooden
hoop covered in a net or web of natural fibers, with meaningful sacred items
like feathers and beads attached, hanging down from the bottom of the hoop.
Real authentic, traditional dream catchers are handmade and crafted only from
all natural materials, measuring just a few small inches across in size. The
hoops are usually constructed of a bent Red Willow branch covered in stretched
sinews. Wrapping the frame in leather is another common finishing touch for
"real" dream catchers.
There are many Native American legends about
the origins of the dream catcher.Ancient legends about the history and origin
of the dreamcatcher exist among several Native American tribes, but chiefly
through the Ojibwe and Lakota nations. While many cultures find spiders to be
creepy crawlers, the Ojibwe people found them to be a symbol of protection and
comfort. In one version Asibikaashi, or Spider Woman, was its creator. The
legend says that at one time the Ojibwa people lived together in a placecalled
Turtle Island. An Ojibwa spirit called Spider Woman took care of her people
there. Legend says that she brought the sun to them each morning. Before long,
the tribe grew. They soon moved away from the island andbecame "scattered
to the four winds." Now there was no way Spider Woman could bring the sun
to her people every day, so she spun a web to catch the sun's rays for her
scattered people. Later, mothers and grandmothers helped her out by weaving sun
catchers. The circular webs were placed above the heads of sleeping children.
The sun catchers were said to also chase away bad dreams. Because of this, the
webs were eventually to become known as dream catchers.
You can make your own dream catcher using
some twisted paper for a hoop, string or jute for the webbing,and a feather.
Perhaps your dream catcher will bring you many happy dreams.