My Dream Catcher

Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan
31
So I got myself a dream catcher.
A what, you ask?
Allow me to explain.


Dream catcher : Origins

The origins of the dream catcher trace back to the traditions and craftsmanship of the Native Americans, more specifically the Ojibwa nation.

A dream catcher is a protective charm that used to be placed above the cribs and beds of infants and children. It consisted essentially of a hoop filled with an imitation of a spider's web. The original hoop was formed using twigs from the red willow with stalks from the stinging needle as the thread. This would then be finished by decorating it with objects of everyday life - back then, it was feathers, beads et al.


As with everything related to the native Americans, there was a lot of significance attached to each element of their creation.
  • The web showed us how we were all connected to each other on this world.
  • The feather that moved in the night represented the ever-flowing air that kept us all alive.
  • The bead in the middle reminded us of the one creator in the web of life.



Dream Catcher : The Legends


The Ojibwa believed that the night air contained both good dreams and bad. The dream catcher - hanging above your bed as you slept - would trap all the dreams before they reached you. The good dreams being pure and calm knew the way through the web and would slide gently down the feathers and on to you while the turbulent nightmares would get ensnared within the dream catcher's web and be vanquished with the first rays of the morning sun. An alternative version of the Lakota tribe speaks of the converse: how the good dreams get trapped and stay with you while the bad dreams pass through and move on.

My own personal Ojibwa was my fellow blogger, the mystical Zainab of Chimerical Creativity (How cool is it that we are connected to each other by another web, the internet!). After discussing and debating on everything from the number, the size, the colours and the inner designs of the web, she finally made me this real beauty that now hangs above my cradle bed.

Of course, she ain't perfect. I mean she did not agree to some of my awesome suggestions.
I tried convincing her to replace feathers with objects that were more relevant to me - you know, cupcakes, danishes & muffins. I figured even if the muffins fell, they would fall in my mouth so that would be a win-win, right? She called me the dumbest ignoramus she had ever met politely declined. I personally think she was just trying to save on the frosting required for my cupcake dream catcher. Hmmph.

Anyway, you can check out plenty of other designs and models made by her here, including some lovely variations on the dream catcher with earrings, necklaces and keychains.



I personally love my dream catcher and think it lends a lot of character to the room. More than that, I loved the concept behind it - there is something truly mystical and spiritual about an object that stands guard, filtering out the bad and passing on the good dreams to you as you sleep.

And of course, I've only been dreaming of dancing gulab jamuns and shawarmas being served to me by Scarlett Johansson and Alia Bhatt ever since so I know my dream catcher is working just fine.  


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31Comments

Let me know what you think.

  1. That is a beautiful dreamcatcher. Love the vibrant color. Good its doing its job of getting you yummy dreams! ;)

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    1. You get confused wondering what colours to use and add to the dreamcatcher seeing all the lovely options. In the end, my choice was partly influenced by the room colour. You can see even more vibrant shades at Zainabs site page.

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  2. Oops..I took these dreams catchers as just showy objects n never knew the real idea behind these. Thnx fr the detailed post :)

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    1. I too had a vague idea at best, partly from the Stephen King Novel of the same name :)
      But I really wanted to know the whole story and similarly, share it with others like me who didn't know much about it.

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  3. Nice guide to everything one may wish to know about dream catchers.

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    1. Thanks Ankita. That was very much part of the plan. To make it am easy "know it all" guide for all those who were curious.

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    2. Thanks Ankita. That was very much part of the plan. To make it am easy "know it all" guide for all those who were curious.

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  4. Roshan I read this piece with my son as he had been asking me what a dream catcher was a few days ago. Well, this post sure answered his question besides putting a wide smile on both our faces! I think the concept is such a simple yet beautiful one, makes for a personalized great gifting idea. Still smiling....imagining cupcakes (heavily frosted) on the dream catchers ;)

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    1. Glad to help. I too wanted to know more about it. That was why I read up, then decided to share with others.
      And yes, I am still waiting for a frosted cherry topped dreamcatcher-cupcake hybrid

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  5. Ahaa...now that is something new for me. The idea behind it is lovely. I am sure gonna buy/make one of these. All I am worried about is what happens when the dream catcher doesn't find either good or bad dreams. :-P Off to check out your friend's space for designs. :-)

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    1. Hope you checked it... lots of lovely designs. Plus, you can suggest your own designs, colour schemes etc

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  6. hahahaha I am still laughing at the muffin and cup cake refernce,.. You should be dreaming about Wodehouse :P Love dreamcatcher... think I should try making one for myself :D

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    1. Quite a coincidence. I am actually watching Pg Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster series as I watch this. :D

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  7. Very interesting . What are the chances of your dreams coming true ? May you continue to have such pleasant dreams!

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    1. Yes, I should have asked for a "good dreams only" warranty card too :D

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  8. I did not have any idea about dreamcatchers till I read this post... This one is beautiful.... Have fun with the gulabjamuns :)

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    1. Glad to provide the info... that was part of the idea behind the post. And believe me, those gulab jamuns are facing a massacre!

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  9. How lovely! I've been meaning to get myself one. Thanks for the nudge and the link!

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    1. You will get lost choosing which colour and design to go with... I know I did. :D

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  10. I didn't know the concept behind dream catchers. Thank you for such a detailed post, Doc! And that is one beautiful dream catcher :)

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    1. Thanks Aathira, I made it myself.
      Okay, fine. I didn't. She did. But I designed it.
      Okay fine. I didn't. She did. But I liked it too! :)

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  11. You know what - up until we met Zee, I had no idea what Dreamcatchers were. I mean, I know of them, but not about them. And so thoughtful of you to get Zee to make you one.
    PS. Let me know if those dreams come true - I could do with some cup cakes :D

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    1. I wanted something to add some pizzazz to my bedroom after a recent renovation. This seemed perfect. The fact that it is so customisable means you have lots and lots of options and designs and colours to try out.
      As for the cupcake dreams, that's for Tuesdays only. Today is semiya payasam Thursday. We are very strict in following rules and regulations in the dream catcher land.

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  12. Such an interesting concept. I had heard of them, but never knew what was the significance or the origin. Thanks for sharing, Roshan. This was an interesting read. :)

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    1. Glad you liked it. I like to fill my head with lots of trivia which may not mean a lot to others but which intrigues me. This definitely fits the bill

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  13. Great post - fun to read;.) I have one just above my bed - and it works too:-) Just blogged about it actually:-)

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  14. I have one too, gifted by an Inuit friend. I love how it looks. I guess I'd dream of books since cupcakes are out of my realm. Perhaps Simon Baker will read them to me...or maybe even Jeff Goldblum. Sigh.

    Roshan- you always make me laugh!

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    1. You have Inuit friends?? Wow! I don't even have normal friends and you get varieties!!

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  15. I have a dream catcher phone case. Does that count? :D

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    1. It does :) She also makes dream catcher earrings and pendants, keychains and bookmarks too :)

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