A dream catcher was an ingeniously constructed mesh by the Native American culture. This mesh was believed to drive away bad dreams and allow you to be left alone with the good ones. This mesh has been adapted into various tattoo designs that are believed to perform the same function. Read on to discover the mythology behind these incredible tattoos.
As stated, the dream catcher originated in Native American culture. The Anishinabe people created the device and stated its purpose. These people lived on the border between the North Central US and Canada. Anishinabe means “original people”. In the United States, they were also known as the Chippewa people, while in Canada, they were also known as the Ojibwe people.
The dream catcher evolved from an object to a tattoo. Native Americans considered tattooing an important part of their culture. It was seen as a ritual and a cultural activity. The dream catcher tattoo design is one of the most popular designs that Native Americans and other people choose for their tattoos. It can be monochrome or feature many attractive colors. Composed of a beautifully patterned circle, the dream catcher is an iconic Native American tattoo. It also has a feather or a number of them in the circle.
The dream catcher was originally woven by the women of the tribe. They decorated it with beads, precious stones, leather and shells. After weaving it, they would hang it over the baby’s bed, the door or in the room. It was seen as a protective amulet and has also become a protective tattoo.
Nowadays, people place the dream catcher tattoo on various places on their bodies. Some of the popular places to place these tattoos are the upper arm, upper back, and shoulders. Women prefer to have them as small decorative tattoos on the upper part of the shoulders or on the neck. Their size and placement make these tattoos elegant on them.
Some legends about the Dreamcatcher tattoo
One of the legends related to the Dreamcatcher tattoo is that of the Spider Woman. She was a magical woman who traveled the lands of the Anishinabe people. Her purpose was to visit the cribs of newborns and weave webs with her magical powers. She would place these cobwebs over the cribs to protect small children from bad dreams and allow only the cute ones to enter.
As the Anishinabe tribe grew and expanded, people began to migrate in search of more land. As a result, the lady was unable to reach all the newborn babies on time. To help her do her work, the women of the tribe began to make these webs like Spider Woman would. They made these web dream catchers to make sure their babies only had nice dreams and not bad ones. If the dream catcher wore out, the women would make new ones to ensure that their children had peaceful dreams at night.
Another legend is that of Nokomis the grandmother and the spider. A spider was spinning its web in a space right next to where Grandma slept. She would look out and see the spider spin her house. she every day she watched him in amazement as she took steps to complete her web.
One day, while he was looking at the chandelier, his grandson walked into the room. After seeing the spider, he yelled “Nokomis-iya” and rushed over with a shoe to kill the spider. Grandma stopped him by saying “No-keegwa, don’t hurt the spider.” The boy wondered, “Nokomis, why are you protecting the spider?” Grandma smiled and was silent.
After her grandson left, the spider decided to thank the old woman. She went to her and spoke to him saying: “For many days you have seen me weave my web. You admire my work and today you have saved my life. In return, I will give you a gift.” After saying that, the spider smiled and weaved her web. She wove a beautiful web across the window and when the moon came out the web shone silver.
When the spider saw that Nokomis was in awe of this web, the spider told her, “Look at this web, it will only let good dreams through. Bad dreams will get entangled in it and cannot reach you. This is my gift to you. Use it to have only good dreams and prevent bad dreams from reaching you.”
Why are they so popular in the United States?
These tattoos are so popular among the Americans. One of the reasons why they are is the beauty of the tattoo. The circle with a mesh inside that is only found at eight points is a beauty to behold. Also, these special features are essential for this tattoo. They have been passed down through centuries of Native American lore. Therefore, when people get this tattoo, they feel like they have part of a rich culture with them at all times. Therefore, the dream catcher tattoo is popular for this reason.
It is also popular due to its meaning. The dream catcher prevents negative energy and bad dreams from entering the wearer. As such, the tattoo filters out the negative from all the energies that enter the person. In Native American culture, good dreams drip along the feathers and access the children sleeping under the dream catcher. This is an interesting part of the dream catcher. Therefore, to keep it alive, people get this tattoo and make sure that the feathers are long and full or brightly colored to ensure that the positive energy and good dreams flow to them properly.
The Native American people are a creative culture. The dream catcher is one of the expressions of this creativity. As such, people who value creativity, such as artists, poets, and musicians, get dream catchers tattooed. They celebrate the creativity of Native Americans. Also, people who are descended from the Native American community often get this tattoo to celebrate their culture. It gives them a sense of belonging when they are among their own people. Furthermore, when they are with other cultures, they are able to retain their identity.
Are you thinking of getting a dream catcher tattoo? Then check out the best dream catcher tattoo images.