Legend of the dreamcatcher 1

Long time ago, when the world began, an old spiritual leader of the Lakota-Sioux went on a high mountain. There he had a vision.

In his Vision Iktomi appeared to him, the great bluffer and teacher of wisdom, in the shape of a spider. Iktomi talked to the eldest in a language, that only the spiritual leaders of the Lakota could understand. While he was speaking, Iktomi, the spider, took the meadow hoops of the eldest, which was manned with feathers, some horse hair, pearls and offerings and started to weave a web. He spoke to the eldest about the cycles of life - about how we start our life as baby and move forward to childhood and then to adulthood. Finally we reach the age, where we are treated like children - completing the cycle.

"But" said Iktomi, while continuing to weave his web, "in every time of life we meet forces - some good and some bad. If you listen to the good forces they will lead you to the right direction. But if you listen to the bad forces they will hurt you and misguide you." He continued: "There are a lot of forces and different directions which can be helpful and may support you to live in harmony with nature as well as with the great spirit and its wonderful lessons but also barge in and disturb." The whole time, while the spider spoke, she continued to weave her web, starting at the outside and working towards the midth.

When Iktomi had finished his explanations he gave the web to the Lakota-eldest and said: "Look, the web is a perfect circle, but there is a hole in the centre of the circle. Use the web to help you and your tribe to reach your aims and use the ideas, dreams and visions of your tribe in a meaningful manner. When you believe in the great spirit the web will catch your precious ideas whilst the dangerous disappear through the hole."

The Lakota-eldest circulated his visions to his tribe and now the Sioux-Indians use the dreamcatcher as web of life:

The dreamcatcher is hanged up over their beds to filter their dreams. The good of their dreams is catched in the web of life and attend them - but the bad flows through the hole  in the centre and is not longer part of them. The Sioux believe that the dreamcatcher decides the fortune of their future.