The dream catcher tattoo and its meaning
What is a dream catcher? A dreamcatcher is a protective amulet that was originally made by the Indians of North America. He is supposed to catch bad dreams and keep them away from the sleeper. A fine thread net with a hole in the middle is woven into a round wooden frame. Nice dreams fly through the hole in the sleeper's head, while nightmares remain trapped in the web. A dream catcher tattoo is not only loaded with a deep meaning, but also fascinates by its
- Versatility. Origin of the dream catcher
Today the dream catcher is generally associated with Native American culture, but it is often believed that dream catchers are from the Ojibwa Chippewa tribe. The Lakota tribe also have their own legend about the origins of the dream catcher, told by the god Iktomi (the great trickster and wisdom teacher). Most ethnographers believe, however, that the dream catchers were passed on from the Ojibwe. The Ojibwe word for dreamcatcher asabikeshiinh actually means "spider". The patterns of the dream catcher are similar to those that these Indians also used to make snowshoes.
While many cultures perceive spiders as creepy crawling animals, the Ojibwe Indians saw them as a symbol of protection and comfort. According to the Ojibwa legend, a mystical and maternal "spider woman" was the spiritual protector of the tribe. According to legend, the spider woman created the first dream catcher for a mother whose little daughter was haunted by bad nightmares at night.
The ancestors of the Indians created the protective amulet from willow branches and sacred herbs. To increase its strength and as an ornament, feathers of an eagle (courage) or an owl (wisdom) were used. Sometimes they also drew the paw print of a bear or a wolf in the center of the circle. Some Indian tribes used pearls to mark eight contact points in the web - corresponding to the number of spider legs.