Do dream catchers (those things made of bits of string and feather) actually have any connection to any Native American people, and if so which ones?
“As the legend goes, the Dream Catcher was used by the Woodland Indians and was hung in the lodge (near the window). Its use was to catch all dreams, good or bad. The bad dreams would get caught in the webbing and be held there till first morning light, then burned off. Now, the good dreams were caught and knowing their way to the hole in the center, would filter down into the feathers and be held there, only to return another night, to be dreamed.”
Taken from http://www.dreamcatchergallery.com
Kat,
Thanks for the info. The thing is I’ve similar stories before from people selling these things, usually with subtle variations. What I’d like to know is if this is real, made up to promote the sale of junk to the gullible or something in between.
Is there actually any evidence from anthropologists that Indians ever made these things before they found they could sell them to Europeans if they spun them some story to go with them?
Blake,
As I recall, the original dreamcatchers were used by the Ojibwe nation. The dreamcatchers were originally not intended for adults, but as something to hang over a baby’s bed to ‘catch dreams’. The two feathers generally attached to the dreamcatcher were an owl feather (to represent the mother and wisdom) and an eagle feather (to represent the father and strength). Mainly, a dreamcatcher acted as a ‘mobile’ to keep the kid occupied when going to sleep.
E-Train
I had another quick look, and basically I found the same as E Train, plus another load of “Speil”
One thing you could try is http://www.Ancientsites.com I havent been able to check this site as it seems to be down, and I honestly cant remember if the cover Native American Indians.
Might be worth a try though.