There's always been something about that particular culture and heritage that has deeply fascinated me. How can one not be instantly mystified by the image of a chief wearing his headdress? The legends, the spirits, the wolves, the imagery - it's all part of such a rich and beautiful culture.
One of my favourite parts of this culture is the traditions they carry. The ceremonies and rituals, story telling and dancing to the beat of the tribal drum. It's an Abenaki legend that the drum first came to the Creator and asked to sing with the people as the heartbeat of Mother Nature. That's another wonderful thing, their deeply spiritual connection to their land. Another Abenaki legend was The Creator that fell asleep whilst pondering what he should create and dreamt of the Earth that came into being while he slept. I am not usually a "religious" person per say, at least not in the sense of "creation". I know that these are more than stories some how, some way. I have a vague memory as a child of seeing a short animation on SBS about the Great Turtle Tolba. I remember seeing him slowly crawling and the space around him rotating to show the world on his back. I remember believing this before I was told about Christian Creation. Though they are many myths and legends concerning the Great Turtle, every single one of them is more inspired than There was God. He created the world in a certain order on certain days. Then he rested.
I don't really know where I am going with this yet.
I guess I will make it about dreams. From what I have read, dreams are an integral part of their culture especially seeing as the Abenaki legend suggests that is how the Earth was created. Dream-catchers were made to protect dreams. Maybe we should all protect our dreams in a similar way. Guard ourselves from the criticisms of others and always remember what our dreams are. Dream them as lucidly as you possibly can to make them real. However you must protect them from negative forces, but you should always allow the winds of change to pass them because your dreams are not static. They are fluid entities to observe and behold. I guess we aren't always safe when we sleep but we are cleansed from reality when we dream, and that has to be a good thing some how.
I think I might go do some dreaming my self, its getting a little late and Freddy Kruger might stomp all the Abenaki magic out of my mind and start freaking me out. Just incase, here's a poem about dreamcatchers (that I didn't write) to calm me down.
An ancient Chippewa tradition
The dream net has been made
For many generations
Where the the spirit dreams have played
Hung above the cradle board
or in the lodge up high
The dream net catches bad dreams
While good dreams slip on by
Bad dreams become entangled
Among the sinew thread
Good dreams slip through the centre hole
While you dream upon your bed
This is an ancient legend
Since dreams will never cease
Hang this dream net above your bed
Dream on, and be at peace
Good night! Love Lucy.
Ahhhhh.... The good old dream catcher. Personally, i'm not religious but i've always believed that the dream catcher keeps nightmares away. My grandma gave it to me when i was six and said "Hang it by the window, it'll catch bad dreams that come in during the night and in the morning, when the sun comes up, they'll disappear."
ReplyDeleteAlso, lucid dreaming is cool. :P