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DREAMCATCHERS 3 Ring Set

Crafts with Beads

Thompson,   Manitoba, Canada

 

LEGEND OF THE DREAMCATCHER
Long ago when the world was young, an old lakota spiritual leader was on a high mountain and had a vision. In his vision, Iktomi, the great trickster and teacher of wisdom, appeared in the form of a spider. Iktomi spoke to him in a scared language that only the spiritual leaders of the Lakota could understand.

As he spoke Iktomi, the spider, took the elders willow hoop which had feathers, horse hairs, beads and offerings on it and began to spin a web. He spoke to the elder about the cycles of life....how we begin our lives as infants and we move on to childhood, and then to adulthood. Finally, we go to old age where we must be taken care of as infants, completing the cycle.

Iktomi said, "In each time of life there are many forces and different directions that can help or interfere with the hawrmony of nature, and also with the great spirit and all of his wonderful teachings." Iktomi gave the web to the Lakota elder and said, "See, the web is a perfect circle but there is a hole in the center of the cirlce. If you believe in the great spirit, the web will catch your good dreams and ideas - - and the bad ones will go through the hole. Use the web to help yourself and your people to reach your goals and make good use of your people's ideas, dreams and visions."

The Lakota elder passed on his vision to his people and now the Lakota's use the dreamcatcher as the web of their life. It is hung above their beds or in their home to sift their dreams and visions. The good of their dreams is captured in the web of life and carried with them...but the evil in their dreams escapes through the center hole, and are no longer part of them.

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