We explain what a dreamcatcher is, its history and what its characteristics are. Also, how to do it according to different versions.
What is a dream catcher?
It is known as a dreamcatcher or dreamcatcher to a certain type of talismans made by hand, which consist of a wooden ring decorated with feathers, stones, seeds or other hanging objects, and woven as a net inside. According to popular tradition , its function is to capture nightmares and promote good dreams during rest.
Today, dream catchers are very popular as a form of tribal decoration, as a lucky icon or even as key chains, but originally these objects were intended to be hung from a thread directly above the head of the bed, or in its immediate vicinity. . This is because they had to act as dream filters, capturing the sleeper's nightmares so that they "burn" in the sunlight of the next day.
It can serve you: Oneiric
Dreamcatcher features
Dreamcatchers are characterized as follows:
They consist of a ring , usually made of willow or some other wood, the interior of which is woven with fibers (and sometimes beads in the fibers) like a spider web, according to various patterns and shapes that can be more abstract or figurative. At the center of the web is the "heart" of the talisman, which is where the dream filtering work is supposedly carried out.
They are usually hung in strategic locations , and decorated with feathers, seeds, and other colorful items, which can be found in a variety of colors and patterns. Their sizes can vary between about fifteen centimeters and other large ones of almost one meter in dimensions.
They are generally made by hand , and follow a certain mystical, religious or mythological imagery, associated in its contemporary versions with the New Age and the imagery of pagan cultures. However, its origins are Native American (Ojibwa).
Its interpretations can vary enormously, but it is generally accepted that its original meaning was to serve as protection during sleep, and that it mimicked the patterns of the cobweb.
Dreamcatcher history
The dreamcatchers are the creation of the North American native peoples, it is thought that of the Ojibwa ethnic group , one of the main ones along with the Cherokee and the Navajo. However, it is difficult to specify these issues, due to the loss of the cultural heritage of these peoples at the hands of the European colonizers.
Initially, the Ojibwa dreamcatchers were woven from plant fibers dyed red, and it was they who gave them their ritualistic meaning as a filter for bad dreams. However, this type of handicraft was soon adopted by other neighboring towns and adapted to their particular motives, imagination and legends .
Two of these founding myths survive to this day:
In the original Ojibwa myth , the dreamcatcher alludes to the legend of Asibikaashi or the spider woman, responsible for placing the sun in the sky each morning, and who instructed the grandmothers and mothers of the numerous human tribes in the art of weaving, given that the increasing number of people made it very difficult for him to bring the sun's energy to the whole world.
In the Lakota myth , on the other hand, it tells the story of a tribal leader who ascended to the top of a mountain, seeking enlightenment, and was received by a deity called Iktomi, who in the form of a spider taught him about the life cycles and how individual decisions affect the world around them. To do this, he wove on a wooden circle with his own cobweb, and in the end he gave the man the first dreamcatcher, so that he could instruct his people with it.
The dreamcatcher became popular in the 1960s and 1970s as a symbol of the pan-Indian movement , that is, the attempt to unify and organize the surviving Native American peoples into a single great social and political force. However, since then their manufacture for commercial purposes has distorted their original meaning for many, turning them into a trinket to sell to tourists.
How to make a dream catcher?
The following are some guides on how to make a dream catcher with our own hands:
- How to make a dreamcatcher in Talleres Infantiles Barcelona. An easy guide to using few inexpensive fabric materials.
- How to make a dream catcher at Tortuga Art Academy. In this case, it is aimed at a product with a better finish, but more elaborate tools and products are required.
- Perfect Dream Catcher (English) in Globe Studio One. Step-by-step guide designed to knit at home, with high-quality results.
