The Ojibwa Legend of Asibikaashi

More about The Ojibwa Legend of Asibikaashi

According to the Ojibwe legend of the dreamcatcher, a spider woman named Asibikaashi cared for all people and children in her land, protecting them from harm.

She was the creator of all humans and the guardian of children and infants, responsible for the sun rising each morning.

The sun sent its energy to the many people in the land. However, as the tribe expanded and spread across the world, it became increasingly difficult for her to protect everyone and share this energy.

She enlisted the help of the tribe's grandmothers, mothers, and sisters to weave magical hoops that captured and held the energy of nightmares.

Bad dreams were caught and held by the dreamcatcher's web, while good dreams escaped through the hole in the center.

Traditionally, only one gemstone bead was used in the construction of a dreamcatcher, representing the single creator in the web of life.

When the first rays of morning sun touch the dreamcatcher, these captured bad dreams are destroyed.

As a result, the dreamcatcher became a symbol of protection.