Not many know in depth about the beautiful, mystical and intriguing world of dream catchers. These pretty little hangings have more to them then just enhancing the aesthetic beauty of your house. They are associated with an interesting legend. People say that good dreams surely come along if you hang a dream catcher above your bed before sleeping. While there is no scientific proof regarding dream catchers, many of us love to believe in them. The mere thought of catching beautiful dreams for your loved ones fills one with tenderness. Many mothers sing sweet lullabys and hang pretty little dream catchers above their children's cradles to ensure a good night's sleep with sweet dreams. 

Dream catchers are often hanged to keep little children from having nightmares. It is also believed that dream catchers are intended to slowly dry out and come apart as your child grows older. According to the belief, it is said that the air is filled with all kinds of dreams. These dreams are either good or bad. There are different types of dream catchers. Every dream catcher has a hole in its center. The bad dreams get caught in the web in the center while the good dreams flow down the feathers to the person on which it is hanged. There are many theories for dream catchers. One theory says that good dreams get filtered through the net in the center. Yet another theory explains that the good dreams get caught in the center while the bad ones flow away from the central hole. 

Whatever the theory, one thing is sure about dream catchers; they surely do no harm. The very idea of preventing nightmares is quite compelling. They are also very beautiful and that is why they have become very popular.

Throughout time, dreams have had a high importance for people. Our nightly visits to another world are peculiar, often unexplained, pleasant at times and really scary at times. Whether these dreams actually happen in reality or not, we do get some satisfaction hanging a dream catcher above our beds before sleeping. 

We have all seen dream catchers hanging from a porch or a tree or even in a souvenir shop, but have we ever wondered about is origin and history? 

Dream catchers were originally created by the American Indians. But some believe that they have originated from the Ojibwa Chippewa tribe. According to some researchers, dreamcatchers were passed on from the Ojibwe through trade and intermarriage. In the Ojibwe language, 'dreamcatcher' means 'spider'. This spider could refer to the web which is woven over the hoop. The web patterns of a dreamcatcher is similar to snowshoes made by the Ojibwe people. Even Lakota nations along with the Ojibwe and Native American tribes, have shown the existence of dream catchers in their cultures. Spider as a symbolism of comfort was first used by these people contradictory to what the world believes them to be: creepy crawlers.