Where Did The Dreamcatcher Symbol Come From?

There are certain symbols very popular amongst people looking to clear their minds, wash away their troubles and free themselves from anxieties, and one of the most popular in the last few decades has been the dreamcatcher.

Inspired by a traditional hanging ornament, these sterling silver dreamcatcher necklaces help to free people from their fears, concerns and worries, and more specifically help to avoid troubled sleep and nightmares.

However, the history of the symbol is quite complex, and whilst known as dreamcatchers now, the original purpose of the symbol was quite different, highlighting how symbols can change and transform over the ages.

The Legend Of The Spider

The origins of the dreamcatcher come from the Ojibwe, a Native American population that lives on the border between Canada and the Midwest of the United States, and the “asabikeshiinh”, also known as the spider-web charm.

According to an account by ethnographer Frances Densmore in 1929, the origins of the asabikehiinh started with Asibikaashi, the Spider Woman or Grandmother, who according to the legend was a protector of children and people on the land.

As the Ojibwe Nation began to spread and expand, the legend posited that it became harder for Asibikaashi to reach everyone, so webs made of nettle fibre around a willow hoop were made to serve as protective charms.

The spider-web charm did not just catch dreams but was said to protect people from any harm in the air, although many of these charms were hung above beds and cradles.

It spread to other parts of the Anishinaabe, a larger group of indigenous populations of which the Ojibwe is a part, where the asabikshiinh (which is the inanimate form of the word spider) became known as the asubakacin (Literally “white earth band” but translates to net).

Where Did The Name Come From?

The charm spread to other parts of the Anishinaabe, a larger group of indigenous populations of which the Ojibwe is a part.

This is where the asabikshiinh (which is the inanimate form of the word spider) also became known as the asubakacin (Literally “white earth band” but translates to net) and the bwaajige ngwaagan (literally curve lake band, but translates to dream snare).

This latter name is probably where the connection to dreams originated and so when the charm was adopted by the wider Pan-Aboriginal movement, leading to its adoption by the Cherokee, the Navajo and the Lakota, to the point that in some retellings one of these three cultures is credited with inventing it.

It became a symbol of identification and unity within the wider Native American community, and from there became popular in the mainstream in the 1970s, being closely linked with the New Age movement of the 1990s.

It was in the 1960s or 1970s when the name “dreamcatcher” caught on, particularly as non-traditional designs began to grow in popularity.

However, whilst associated with snaring away and capturing bad thoughts and nightmares, the origins of the symbol highlight that it is not just connected with protection during the night but during the day as well.