Post by Totems4jt on Jul 25, 2008 15:05:13 GMT -5
Chris
Aug 13, 07 - 12:53 PM Q about dreamcatchers.
I need to pick your brains, I am getting ready to get a new tattoo and have decided on a dreamcatcher, something I have always been interested in even back when I still lived in England and knew next to nothing about the AI culture. What I am trying to find out is, do the feathers placement and quantity mean anything or is a dreamcatcher basically just a dreamcatcher, I've tried to find info but even after extensive research on the web all I come across is a basic description and what they were once used for which I already knew. the most common one I have seen has 3 feathers, one in the middle and one on each side but there are lots of variations out there. Any info would be appreciated.
Jay Tavare
Aug 14th, 2007 - 10:19 AM A personal choice.
Jay Writes
Hi Chris; the Dream Catcher, like most Indian art is an expression of the artist's soul and each one is unique and different. Real Indian art carries within it prayers and a part of the artist soul, and is considered sacred. The Dream Catcher's net usually has a hole in the middle which only allows good dreams to pass through. All bad dreams are caught in it's net. I have a few and I have seen them with all kind of feathers, but 4 is the sacred number to the Indians as it stands for the 4 directions and more. I would look at as many pictures or diagrams and find one that fits the areas you want to tattoo it on. Make it a personal thing. As in Indian tradition you customized everything to express who the individual was.
Hope this will be of help to you.
Have a great summer
JT>
__________________________________________________
Turquoise
Aug 13th, 2007 - 7:42 PM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hi Chris,
The one I have at home is a tiny version of a dreamcather and has eight feathers on it (it is kind of a 3D version) but I have also noticed many different versions of it and would love to get insides from people who knows about it. Other than it's being a dreamcatcher it always catches my eyes as lovely art pieces
T.
__________________________________________________
Turquoise
Aug 13th, 2007 - 9:06 PM Oooops my bad
I meant "insights" when i wrote "love to get insides from people"
T.
__________________________________________________
Chris
Aug 14th, 2007 - 4:03 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hi Turquoise,
Sounds like a beautiful dreamcatcher you found yourself. I have a small leather one with the three feathers myself.
__________________________________________________
Blue Angel
Aug 14th, 2007 - 5:36 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
According to Wikipedia and other sites such as www.nativetech.org, www.native-languages.org and http://www.american-native-art.com: Dreamcatchers originated in the Ojibwa Nation, during the pan-Indian movement of the 1960s and 1970s they were adopted by Native Americans of a number of different Nations. In Ojibwa (Chippewa) culture, a dreamcatcher (or dream catcher; Ojibwe asabikeshiinh, the inanimate form of the word for "spider")is a handmade object based on a willow hoop, on which is woven a loose net or web. The dreamcatcher is then decorated with personal and sacred items such as feathers and beads.
I believe and from what seen and read most dreamcatchers are made with 3 feathers. The one in the centre means breath or air. Probably, the best would be to print a photo out from one of the sites as mentioned above, and take it to your local tattoo shop. You then would make sure to get the 'right' image tattooed.
Hope it helped a little a bit
andrea.parker@moeller.co.uk
__________________________________________________
Claudia
Aug 14th, 2007 - 5:47 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
I have also seen a lot with 2 feathers and yesterday on the internet, I even found 1 with 1 feather in the middle of the web.
The netherlands
galadriel_lotr3@hotmail.com
__________________________________________________
Turquoise
Aug 14th, 2007 - 10:43 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
I think mine is most probably an untraditional one but I got it in New Mexico. Thinking that most of the indian tribes are there I thought that would be a good place to buy one . I also think size might be a factor in design. Because the bigger it gets you mostly see a large circle as center then couple of small circles coming down from the sides with feathers around. I am of course just saying these according to my observations. Maybe these are variations of the most original /traditional one which has just one circle with three feathers.
In a book I have it says that although dream catchers originated among the Ojibwe, (oh maybe here, because I know there are reservations of Ojibwe here)
some Navajo say that Spider Woman's spinning activities inspired them. Dreamcatchers web filters out bad dreams while the small hole in center allows only good thoughts to enter the sleeper's mind. There is one page info on Spider women's blessing but it says" Spider Rock soars nearly 800 feet above Arizona's Canyon de Chelly and in a cave atop the rock is said to reside Spider Woman, one of most revered Navajo deities".
T.
__________________________________________________
Turquoise
Aug 14th, 2007 - 10:46 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Well there you go. While I was trying to copy from the book Jay wrote his reply . Thanks for the info Jay.
T.
__________________________________________________
Running Red Fox (Forum Hostess)
Aug 14th, 2007 - 11:48 AM Q about dreamcatchers - Thank you Jay
Hi Jay, thank you for responding. We just love when you share your knowledge
Chris, best wishes with the tattoo.
RRF
Forum Hostess
__________________________________________________
Chris
Aug 15th, 2007 - 5:36 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Thank you so much for all your help and of course a special thanks to you Jay for giving me the exact information I was looking for. I know you have some personal things going on after yesterday but if you have time could you let me know at some point where the 4 feathers would be placed on the dreamcatcher.
krissmatt5@comcast.net
__________________________________________________
Julie3002
Aug 15th, 2007 - 7:40 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hello Chris, How are you?
I just had to put my two cents in, I hope you don't mind. I, myself have a tattoo of a dream catcher that is very special to me. The one I have has three feathers, but only because I used them to represent myself, my son & my daughter and represent our native heritage. It also has a rose & pink "flowing" ribbon which represents my mother who passed on in 97 from breast cancer. The circle for me, represents the "circle of life" It contains thorns in some some areas, thus representing the "trials & tribulations" I've had to go through. Basically, I guess what I am trying to say, is it depends on the person and what a tattoo means to them. Like Jay mentioned, 4 is the sacred # in tradition. Good luck on your new tattoo and I hope you post some pictures when they are done.
Oh, BTW the Tribal Familia who have seen my tat on myspace now know what it represents. Now you know. Have a great one everybody.
__________________________________________________
Chris
Aug 16th, 2007 - 6:01 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hey Julie,
Sounds like a very impressive dreamcatcher, I'm heading over to take a look at your pics.
krissmatt5@comcast.net
__________________________________________________
Deer
Aug 18th, 2007 - 9:10 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hello everyone. I just wanted to say that Jay's answer is the most accurate. I am of the Nishnobi Nation. Dream catchers are just part of life for us. Grandmother Spider made the first dreamcatcher. Each is made for the individual. Mine was a gift. It took several months for the person to decide on what was to be added. It has only one feather. My daughter's was a gift to her and has many feathers. Each item on the dreamcatcher does have meaning, but it's as individual as the owner. But, as I said, Jay's answer was most accurate.
Aug 13, 07 - 12:53 PM Q about dreamcatchers.
I need to pick your brains, I am getting ready to get a new tattoo and have decided on a dreamcatcher, something I have always been interested in even back when I still lived in England and knew next to nothing about the AI culture. What I am trying to find out is, do the feathers placement and quantity mean anything or is a dreamcatcher basically just a dreamcatcher, I've tried to find info but even after extensive research on the web all I come across is a basic description and what they were once used for which I already knew. the most common one I have seen has 3 feathers, one in the middle and one on each side but there are lots of variations out there. Any info would be appreciated.
Jay Tavare
Aug 14th, 2007 - 10:19 AM A personal choice.
Jay Writes
Hi Chris; the Dream Catcher, like most Indian art is an expression of the artist's soul and each one is unique and different. Real Indian art carries within it prayers and a part of the artist soul, and is considered sacred. The Dream Catcher's net usually has a hole in the middle which only allows good dreams to pass through. All bad dreams are caught in it's net. I have a few and I have seen them with all kind of feathers, but 4 is the sacred number to the Indians as it stands for the 4 directions and more. I would look at as many pictures or diagrams and find one that fits the areas you want to tattoo it on. Make it a personal thing. As in Indian tradition you customized everything to express who the individual was.
Hope this will be of help to you.
Have a great summer
JT>
__________________________________________________
Turquoise
Aug 13th, 2007 - 7:42 PM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hi Chris,
The one I have at home is a tiny version of a dreamcather and has eight feathers on it (it is kind of a 3D version) but I have also noticed many different versions of it and would love to get insides from people who knows about it. Other than it's being a dreamcatcher it always catches my eyes as lovely art pieces
T.
__________________________________________________
Turquoise
Aug 13th, 2007 - 9:06 PM Oooops my bad
I meant "insights" when i wrote "love to get insides from people"
T.
__________________________________________________
Chris
Aug 14th, 2007 - 4:03 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hi Turquoise,
Sounds like a beautiful dreamcatcher you found yourself. I have a small leather one with the three feathers myself.
__________________________________________________
Blue Angel
Aug 14th, 2007 - 5:36 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
According to Wikipedia and other sites such as www.nativetech.org, www.native-languages.org and http://www.american-native-art.com: Dreamcatchers originated in the Ojibwa Nation, during the pan-Indian movement of the 1960s and 1970s they were adopted by Native Americans of a number of different Nations. In Ojibwa (Chippewa) culture, a dreamcatcher (or dream catcher; Ojibwe asabikeshiinh, the inanimate form of the word for "spider")is a handmade object based on a willow hoop, on which is woven a loose net or web. The dreamcatcher is then decorated with personal and sacred items such as feathers and beads.
I believe and from what seen and read most dreamcatchers are made with 3 feathers. The one in the centre means breath or air. Probably, the best would be to print a photo out from one of the sites as mentioned above, and take it to your local tattoo shop. You then would make sure to get the 'right' image tattooed.
Hope it helped a little a bit
andrea.parker@moeller.co.uk
__________________________________________________
Claudia
Aug 14th, 2007 - 5:47 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
I have also seen a lot with 2 feathers and yesterday on the internet, I even found 1 with 1 feather in the middle of the web.
The netherlands
galadriel_lotr3@hotmail.com
__________________________________________________
Turquoise
Aug 14th, 2007 - 10:43 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
I think mine is most probably an untraditional one but I got it in New Mexico. Thinking that most of the indian tribes are there I thought that would be a good place to buy one . I also think size might be a factor in design. Because the bigger it gets you mostly see a large circle as center then couple of small circles coming down from the sides with feathers around. I am of course just saying these according to my observations. Maybe these are variations of the most original /traditional one which has just one circle with three feathers.
In a book I have it says that although dream catchers originated among the Ojibwe, (oh maybe here, because I know there are reservations of Ojibwe here)
some Navajo say that Spider Woman's spinning activities inspired them. Dreamcatchers web filters out bad dreams while the small hole in center allows only good thoughts to enter the sleeper's mind. There is one page info on Spider women's blessing but it says" Spider Rock soars nearly 800 feet above Arizona's Canyon de Chelly and in a cave atop the rock is said to reside Spider Woman, one of most revered Navajo deities".
T.
__________________________________________________
Turquoise
Aug 14th, 2007 - 10:46 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Well there you go. While I was trying to copy from the book Jay wrote his reply . Thanks for the info Jay.
T.
__________________________________________________
Running Red Fox (Forum Hostess)
Aug 14th, 2007 - 11:48 AM Q about dreamcatchers - Thank you Jay
Hi Jay, thank you for responding. We just love when you share your knowledge
Chris, best wishes with the tattoo.
RRF
Forum Hostess
__________________________________________________
Chris
Aug 15th, 2007 - 5:36 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Thank you so much for all your help and of course a special thanks to you Jay for giving me the exact information I was looking for. I know you have some personal things going on after yesterday but if you have time could you let me know at some point where the 4 feathers would be placed on the dreamcatcher.
krissmatt5@comcast.net
__________________________________________________
Julie3002
Aug 15th, 2007 - 7:40 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hello Chris, How are you?
I just had to put my two cents in, I hope you don't mind. I, myself have a tattoo of a dream catcher that is very special to me. The one I have has three feathers, but only because I used them to represent myself, my son & my daughter and represent our native heritage. It also has a rose & pink "flowing" ribbon which represents my mother who passed on in 97 from breast cancer. The circle for me, represents the "circle of life" It contains thorns in some some areas, thus representing the "trials & tribulations" I've had to go through. Basically, I guess what I am trying to say, is it depends on the person and what a tattoo means to them. Like Jay mentioned, 4 is the sacred # in tradition. Good luck on your new tattoo and I hope you post some pictures when they are done.
Oh, BTW the Tribal Familia who have seen my tat on myspace now know what it represents. Now you know. Have a great one everybody.
__________________________________________________
Chris
Aug 16th, 2007 - 6:01 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hey Julie,
Sounds like a very impressive dreamcatcher, I'm heading over to take a look at your pics.
krissmatt5@comcast.net
__________________________________________________
Deer
Aug 18th, 2007 - 9:10 AM Re: Q about dreamcatchers.
Hello everyone. I just wanted to say that Jay's answer is the most accurate. I am of the Nishnobi Nation. Dream catchers are just part of life for us. Grandmother Spider made the first dreamcatcher. Each is made for the individual. Mine was a gift. It took several months for the person to decide on what was to be added. It has only one feather. My daughter's was a gift to her and has many feathers. Each item on the dreamcatcher does have meaning, but it's as individual as the owner. But, as I said, Jay's answer was most accurate.
