Why don’t you get a beautiful dreamcatcher tattoo, so you can have all the nice dreams, and trap and keep away the bad ones? They exist in a variety of different patterns and colors, and they may be decorated with images of birds, animals, beads, crystals, arrowheads and other symbols.
However, before deciding to take this long-term decision for your body, take a look at the text below so you can understand better the dreamcatcher tattoo meaning.
Origins
The dreamcatcher has its origins in the Native American Culture. It is believed that the Anishinabe people were the first to create it.
The Anishinabe are Native American tribes who originally lived at the border of the North-Central United States and Southern Canada. Their name means original people, which is how they called themselves. They were also known as Chippewa people in America, and Ojibwa in Canada.
Spider Woman Legend
Spider Woman Legend (via favim.com)
According to the Anishinabe people, the Spider Woman used to travel around all the time, to visit cradles of the newborn babies. She had the power to weave magical webs above cradleboards, which supposed to protect the infants from bad dreams, and allow the nice ones to enter their sleep.
However, as the tribe expanded, and people migrated, she had difficulty to reach all the newborns in time. For this reason, women of the tribe took over, and started creating their own dreamcatchers to protect the babies.
These dreamcatchers were made of natural materials, and didn’t last long, and they were regularly replaced by the new ones, in order to accompany the baby through his or her next life cycle.
Basic Dreamcatcher Pattern
A dreamcatcher is a round wooden hoop that contains a loose string web with a hole in the center, and feathers hanging from the webbing. Nice dreams travel through the hole into the sleeper’s mind, while the bad ones, as well as nightmares, are trapped inside the web permanently.
- Feathers are usually attached to the dreamcatcher to entertain babies, but they have a deeper meaning. A feather stands for breath and air, which are essential for life. Hung up on the wooden hook of the dreamcatcher, a feather also helps the nice dreams to slip down into the baby’s dream world.
- It is believed that each movement of the feathers announces the arrival, and the passage of a new beautiful, and peaceful dream.
- Different feathers can be used to adorn the dreamcatcher. However, Owl is a woman’s feather and it is kept to achieve wisdom, while Eagle is a man’s feather that represents courage.
- Some tribes make dreamcatchers that have eight points, which are associated with the eight legs of the Spider Woman.
- Incorporating only one gemstone into the dreamcatcher is meant to show that there is only one, and true, creator in the web of life. Four gemstones, instead, represent the four ordinal directions.
Dreamcatcher Tattoo Meanings
Dreamcatcher Tattoo Meanings (via tattooswithameaning.com)
Dreamcatcher tattoos are very common among Native Americans, both men and women. They represent the symbol of their rich cultural heritage, and at the same time they keep negative and evil energies away. They protect the person who wears them against nightmares and bad dreams, while helping nice and joyful dreams to enter his or her mind.
Do you have a dreamcatcher tattoo, or are you perhaps planning to get one? Share your thoughts, and tattoos with us in the comment section below, and in the meantime… have sweet dreams!
Cover photo: hot-celebrity-tattoo.blogspot.com
12 thoughts on Dreamcatcher Tattoo Meaning
I have an owl tattoo, i just got a dreamcatcher tattoo surrounding the owl, it looks pretty badass, could you tell me what you think that would symbolize. Thank you
I am wanting to get a dream catcher tatoo on my side (good size) and am so excited. My father had some indian in him and died before I was able to get more info. about him. I have had a very hard life full of real life nightmares and feel like this would be a good way to work off some stress and find release in the midst of not only the drawing of the tattoo but in the act of getting it. I am a christian and love my God and this is a way to adore my body respectfully. I pray it allows me to heal some old wounds and subconciously I know it will help me in the long run. I find that symbolism like that found in crosses and dream catchers allow us all to heal and protect us all in one form or another.
I want to get a dreamcatcher straight down my spine and it has an owl perched on it and many rings could you tell me what that means?
i am wanting to get a dream catcher tattoo that represents my uncle who died was just wondering how could i get it to represent him, like is there a certain amount of feathers or the size of the web i heard that 7 beads means a star is that true? because that could represent him as a star in the sky
I have a beautiful dreamcatcher on my left thigh. As Im a maori frm new zealand I have my traditional maori design around it. For me the dreamcatcher keeps the bad away n lets gud in. maori design represents each of myn 3 sons and 2 gradson
I got a dream catcher tattooed on me today & I got it on the inside on my upper arm its got a big circle & a small one underneath & four feathers what does that dream catcher mean?xx
Hi, i’m just about to get the same sort of tattoo as you. could you possibly send me a picture through?
many thanks in advance.
I want to get a dream catcher tattoo on the back of my left shoulder since I am part native and I always had and liked dream catchers, but I have a question that I really want to have answered before I get it. So when you have a dream catcher you are supposed to clear it every now and then so that the bad spirits and bad dreams disappear to let space for new ones to get caught, if I get a dream catcher tattoo that means I can really clear it, would that end up giving bad dreams and bad luck or does it not count since it is a tattoo? I know this is a weird question but please help me answer it thanks :)
Hi, my next tatoo is a dreamcatcher, but not sure on the design… please can you send my various dreamcatcher designs?
Thank you
I’m not native but I really like dream catcher tattoos and I think they are beautiful also I love how each feather symbolizes something and I would love to get one but would it be offensive since I’m not native American??
I have a large dream catcher on my back. The circle is in an image of a snake and at the bottom the snake bites it’s tail forming a full circle. In the middle of the spiderweb there are beads and there is a bear paw that represents my sons spirit animal. Mine is the snake. I have a large feather next to a smaller feather( two feathers side by side) connected to the bottom.
I designed this tatto and got it on the middle of my back not too long after I lost my son. The two feathers( for me) represent father and son. His father is the grandchild of a tribe chief in Unalaska, Alaska. So my son is Alaskan native and very special.. Still alive but not in my life or the fathers. We both love him so dearly. He turns Three this year.
I need help I need to find a dreamcatcher tattoo as I am going to get one tattooed next weekend but didn’t know they fully had different meaning.. Help!