The Legend of the Dream Catcher

For as far back as I can remember, my family on my grandfather's side always had a dream catcher hanging over every bed in the house. I remember my grandfather showing me one that had been made by my great great grandmother. It was very old by that time and too delicate to be used, but grandpa could not bear to throw it away.

The dream catcher originated in another Native American tribe; that of the Ojibwe. Unfortunately, I know very little abput their people other than that particular fact.

The dream catcher has been a part of Native American culture for hundreds of years. Virtually everyone agrees that it began with the Ojibwe people. But as is true with all myths and legends, stories about how the dream catcher came into being differ slighty from tribe to tribe. There is also some disagreement regarding how the device is meant to work. What does not change, however, is its overall purpose.

Some say that the dream catcher was woven by the Spider Woman herself (see my article on "The Myth of the Spider Woman" for more details) in order to protect her children from night terrors. Others believe that Iktomi, the wisdom spirit, appeared in the form of a spider to explain the life cycle to his believers. He choose a hoop offering that had been made to him to symbolize the circle of life.

As he spoke, he spun a web within the hoop, explaining that there were various pathways in life. Some would lead to good things while others led to bad. And he emphasized the importance of remaining on the "true path." He said that the dream catcher he wove would catch and hold onto evil spirits to keep them from harming those among the people that were most vulnerable; children and the elderly. Good spirits would pass through the fine web without problem and bless the dream catcher's owner.