Dream Catchers
2006-07-17 18:44:46 - By
The Dreamcatcher—Sorter of the Dream
The dreamcatcher has become an icon in Native American tradition—so much so, that many different tribes from many different geographies have adopted it as their own. It is easy to understand why. Imagine a lovingly created, delicately woven piece of art whose power can allow your good dreams to slip through the web, while stopping your bad dreams in their tracks. Or conversely (depending on who’s telling the story), your bad dreams slip through the dreamcatcher’s center, and your good dreams are caught in the web.
The earliest dreamcatchers—commonly called "Sacred Hoops"—were crafted by parents to protect their children from nightmares. Newborns were given charms that were woven in the form of spider webs to protect their dreams so their innocence would not be harmed by the tricksters of the night.