Many people know about the mysterious talisman of a round shape, decorated with threads and feathers, invented by the Indians. What are dream catchers for? Their main task is to protect human sleep from the invasion of unfriendly spirits.
About the Talisman
It is believed that a bad dream will be entangled in the ligament of the web and will not be able to penetrate the mind. The hole in the center allows for pleasant and harmless dreams. What is needed for a dream catcher?
The basic material for its manufacture are deer veins, strong threads and a circle of willow branches, on which they are pulled. Feathers are added for beauty. The talisman should be hung at the head of the bed.
You can buy it in many souvenir shops, but it is much more interesting to make it yourself. The most important thing is to follow the instructions and make the right dream catcher, and not just a fake like him.
The Ojibwe Indians claimed that such a product helps to get rid of anxious dreams, to see only good and favorable dreams. Entangled in a web of evil spirits scatter, illuminated by the dawn rays of the sun.
Legend of lakota
What are dream catchers for, you can find out by reading the legend folded by the Lakota people. It is believed that their elder ascended to the top of the mountain, where he had a vision.
In the form of a spider, a wise teacher of ancient times visited him. A conversation ensued between them, during which he took a willow branch into his clutches and bent it into a ring, then he added a bird feather to it. Then, inside of it, a web was woven by him.
Along the way, the elder heard what the dreamcatcher means. This is a symbol of the life circle. A man is born a child, grows, grows up, and then a new generation ages and grows. A closed cycle is formed, personifying the rebirth and death of people.
Symbol Meaning
In the course of the story, the sage completed the work, leaving a small hole in the middle. He explained his action. At every moment of his life's journey, a new choice appears before a person, and only he decides which way to turn, to go for passion or reason.
It is worth giving in only to light impulses, and to shun greedy and thoughtless ones. The web represents the ideal circle. It eliminates evil thoughts, while favorable ones seep through the hole. Finding out what is needed for a dream catcher and what is the effect of its use, it is worth equating it to a filter for thoughts.
Not everyone is able to control their mental activity. Remaining in silence, we cannot just stop thinking. Scattered fragments of different paintings are constantly swarming in my head. Being interested in what dream catchers are for, we learn that they facilitate the process of “sifting grain from the chaff” for a person, help to leave only bright and pacifying pictures in the mind. This is a kind of barrier to negative and depressive moods.
The Spider Legend
Lakota is not the only nation whose sages have answered the question of what the dreamcatcher means. There is also a legend of the Ojibwe living on Turtle Island (Native American name for America).
The main character of this legend is also a spider, however female. Asabikashi's grandmother took care of people whom she considered her children. However, this was prevented by the resettlement of the Ojibwe on different edges of the north of the present United States. It was not so easy for an elderly spider to go to visit everyone. In order to protect her wards from evil spirits, she told the women why they needed dream catchers and how to make them. Together they wove a magical web and threads of plant origin on a bent willow rod and tendon, with which they protected themselves and their children.
What does the mascot mean
The round shape of the product represents the journey of the sun's disk across the heavenly expanses. The web touches the hoop eight times, indicating the number of legs of the spider. Thanks to such an adaptation, bad dreams did not fall into people's minds, and only through a small hole did favorable dreams seep. Thanks to her mind was filled with bright thoughts.
Many do not know why in everyday life it is forbidden to kill and drive away spiders, treat them with respect and reverence. The reason for this is precisely this priceless gift to humanity. A feather tied in the middle is a symbol of breathing, because life is impossible without air.
Ojibwe made dream catchers for children and adults, did not use them for long. The fact is that the willow dried up, tension was created, because of which the hoop burst. This was perceived as a kind of personification of the transience of young years. In different tribes, the appearance of the products and the legends associated with them differed, however, the common features and significance remained the same.
Nowadays
Today, talismans of this type are popular in almost the entire globe. Their distribution occurred within the framework of the Pan-Pandean movements of the late 20th century.
Today this souvenir is available in most shops. Often it is bought for beauty, not completely believing in magical power, in order to decorate the home with a product of a recognizable Indian form. New Age followers often prefer this talisman.
If you are interested in the opinion of modern Indians about the commercialization of this symbol, you can find out that very little remains of the meaning of ancient legends. Such an example of the use of cultural property cannot be called favorable.
Do it yourself
However, people who do not find it acceptable to just blindly hang an unfamiliar symbol in their home, still bother finding information about its meaning, and sometimes they make a dream catcher with their own hands.
The instruction is not too complicated. As a basis, use a hoop made of wood. Of course, the best option is the generally accepted, described in Indian legends, willow twig. If you don’t want to complicate your life too much, take the inner part of the hoop with a diameter of 15 centimeters. The cord is used with a thickness of 2 millimeters and 12 m in length. Threads are needed thick in various colors. For beauty add beads and beads, feathers.
The bonding agent is colorless glue. The cuts are carried out with scissors or a breadboard knife. All this is enough to make a dreamcatcher with your own hands. The scheme, as well as detailed instructions are available in kits for the independent manufacture of a talisman. With their help, you will spend a minimum of time and easily make a talisman.
Procedure
The hoop is tightly wrapped with a cord or braid so that it looks aesthetically pleasing and the wooden base does not open. Leave 15 cm for the tail. Feathers are subsequently attached to it. After winding, the ends are held together. You can use threads of different colors. Then the composition will come out even more fun. Craftsmen weave ornaments and patterns, but this requires experience.
For starters, a monophonic dream catcher is enough. The starting thread is tied near the cord assembly. Here, the beginnings and the beginning of the web are formed. Do circular weaving. The first row is laid throughout the hoop, after which, with the help of half-nodes, at equal intervals, they pass to the next.
At the same time, beads are planted on the thread, which will organically complement the overall composition. Further manipulations are carried out according to a similar scheme. In the course of work, the radius becomes smaller. It turns out a web. The last of the knots is tied as tight as possible. The ends of the thread are cut as close to it as possible so as not to hang out. Then, ponytails with feathers are added, and your author's dream catcher is ready!