Dream Mythology: Dreamcatchers

Hey everyone! Welcome back!

So, still covering dream mythology, and, believe me, there is still a lot where that comes from. It's pretty amazing how many mythologies have some form of entities or explanations for sleep phenomena. But so far, we've only really covered certain creatures that are related to sleep, dreams or nightmares in mythology. Today, we're going to be a bit different and cover an item related to sleep. A somewhat well known item, in shape, if not in name.

Today, we are going to look at an item of Native American Culture, the Dreamcatcher.

So, what exactly is a dreamcatcher?

Well, a dreamcatcher's name pretty much describes what it does. It, you guessed it, catches dreams. Though the name itself is actually a translation from the various names it has in Native American cultures. In Lakota, a dream catcher is called 'iháŋbla gmunka'. 'Iháŋbla' means 'to dream' or 'to have visions, while 'gmunka' means 'to trap' - so essentially a dream trap or dream catcher. In Ojibwe there are two words given to a dreamcatcher - 'asabikeshiinh', which is the inanimate form of the word 'spider', or 'bawaajige nagwaagan', which translates to 'dream snare'. Dreamcatchers are said to have been first created by the Ojibwe people, though the practice spread somewhat do to intermarrage and/or trade. In the Pan-Indian Movement during the 1960-70s, it was adopted as a kind of symbol of unity between Native American Nations, but others feel that the dreamcatcher has been overcomertialised, misapropriated and missused by non-natives.

Now, I am not personally Native American, so bear with me. I do hope that I at least scratch the surface of what a Dreamcatcher is, but I will always suggest reading up on it yourself too, just in case I missed anything on my brief summery. Though I do admit that dreamcatchers have always facinated me, if not from their appearence, then from the story behind it.

Indeed, there is, like many of the myths and legends I've been covering, a story behind the dreamcatcher. The Ojibwe story tells of the Spider Woman known as Asibikaashi, who took care of the children and the people of the land. Eventually, as the people began to spread out over Native America, it became more and more difficult  for her to reach all the children. As such, Mothers and Grandmothers would weave magical webs made from sinew, or cortage made from plants, over willow hoops to form what would become a dreamcatcher. The webs would catch dreams, filtering out the bad from the good. Good dreams would filter through the dreamcatcher and into the sleeping minds, while bad dreams would become trapped within the web, and disipate as the sun rises.

Of course in recent times, Dreamcatchers can look pretty different, made from all kinds of materials, but those ones aren't authentic. As you can guess, you need to look to the right places for a real, authentic version. But you have to admit, the desig itself is very pretty. I could at least imagine them to catch dreams either like flies in a spiderweb, or allowing the dream to move on like morning dew on a thread. Or maybe I'm just a little poetic? Either way, I have to say I do like dreamcatchers, both by their appearence and the reason they were made in the first place.

It makes for some interesting inspiration as well. Who knows, maybe it will inspire something in Dreamwalkers in the future?

Until next time!

Tara

Dream Mythology: Baku

Hey Everyone! Welcome back!

So the last few times we've looked at some malevolent dream related myths. This time, I thought we'd cover a mythology involving a creature that is actually benevolent to the sleeper. So, for this myth, we're looking to Japan's mythology involving a curious creature called the Baku.

So, what is the Baku?

While primarily known as a Japanese myth, it did originate from Chinese folklore, but has been comfortably in Japanese mythology by the 14th-15th century.

According to the mythology, the Baku is a creature that was created of left over parts of different animals, creating a chimera like creature. Though because the work 'Baku' is also commonly used to name a Malayan Tapir, the Baku spirit is sometimes pictured as having similar features to its real life counterpart. Unlike the Chimera in Greek mythology, or a tapir, however, the Baku would eat the nightmares of suffering sleepers.

The myth states that if someone (specifically children in the stories) wakes after a nightmare, and they call out three times to a Baku 'Baku-san, come eat my dream', then the Baku would come to devour the nightmare and allow the person to go back to sleep peacefully again. They say, however, not to call upon the Baku too much, as it is still hungry after eating a nightmare, and may eat the sleepers hopes and dreams as well, leading to an empty life.

All things are good when used sparingly, as they say.

Still, because of the connections to eating nightmares, it is common to have a Baku on talismans and the like on children's bedsides to ward off nightmares.

I'll admit this mythology was another that helped to expand my ideas for Dreamwalkers. Though SOS doesn't typically 'eat' dreams they certainly do stop them so people can sleep peacefully again. The SOS business card could be considered a talisman, though. lol

Still, its nice to know that not all dream mythology is bad. And there is still plenty more things that dream mythology has in store as well!

Until next time!

Tara

Dream Mythology: Empusa

Hey everyone! Welcome Back!

Last week, looked at a dream mythology about creatures known as the Mare. Today, we're going to be continuing our jaunt through mythologies involving sleep and dreams by looking at something that, like the Mare, was also a myth that people thought was the cause behind sleep paralysis - Empusa. Though, unlike the Mare (who have different versions of themselves with similar names across several mythologies), Empusa comes from Greek mythology

So who, or what, is Empusa?

Empusa has, through various iterations, come across as a single individual, or a race of creatures. However, initially, Empusa was believed to be a demigoddess, the daughter of Hecate, a goddess associated with sorcery and crossroads, and a spirit named Mormo, who was known to be a companion of Hecate, and would bite children if they misbehaved. Empusa was said to be quite beautiful, and she would feast on the blood of young men she seduced as they slept (which would cause the sleep paralysis, before consuming their flesh. In a way, this, like the Mare, makes her similar to Succubi or incubi, who also seduce their prey.

However, in the myth, she made a fatal error by targeting a man that was sleeping on the road, not realising that this man just so happened to be the god Zeus in disguise. Zeus awoke during her attack and, in his wrath, killed her.

Empusa, as an individual, was described to have red hair and would wear brazen slippers. However, this isn't the only way she appears in mythology. Likely due to what was believed to be the meaning of her name (One-footed), she has also been thought to be a one legged hybrid, with the single leg either being that of a donkey, or it would be pictured as a brass prosthetic one.

It was likely these later forms of her appearance that gave way to the other way that Empusa is portrayed - as a group of creatures under Hecate's command, rather than as her daughter. In this version of the mythology, these creatures were called Empusae, Empuse or Empusa. As Hecate was the goddess of roadsides along with sorcery and crossroads, she would send out the Empusae to guard roads and devour travellers. Funnily enough, it was thought that they would run and hide if at the sound of insults. Certainly an interesting defeat tactic, though this doesn't seem to be something shared by the original demigoddess version. Though I've not seen specific examples of what quality of insults would cause them to run away.

Oddly, the individual version seems to have the most to do with dream mythology, rather than the group versions, as it's not said that the travellers the group versions devour had to be asleep or not.

Still, both versions have appeared in media before, with a whole list of them referenced on Wikipedia, though it wouldn't surprise me if Empusa, as an individual or as a singular, have appeared in many more.

Still, we've been covering some not so benevolent dream mythologies, but there are some mythologies that, like the concept of the sandman, also do have more pleasant connections. So, we're going to be having a look at some of them next time.

Until then!

Tara

Dream Mythology: Mare

Hey Everyone! Welcome back

Today we'll be continuing with myths and legends based around sleep. Last week we covered one of the more well known figures in stories - the Sandman. Today, we'll be looking at a folklore which did go towards the various inspirations in creating the Onreios in my story Dreamwalkers.

Today, we are discussing the Mare.

Mare, also known as Mara (in High Old German, Old Norse and Old Church Slavic - not to be mistaken with the Buddhist Mara) or Maera (in old English), along with many other variations on the name, are evil spirits or goblins that sit on the chest of the victim, causing them bad dreams and nightmares. The word 'Nightmare' seems to be linked with these beings, being made up of two words 'night' and 'mare'. In other languages, such as in Norwegian and Danish, the words used for nightmare (mareritt and mareridt respectively) translate to 'Mare-ride' and Swedish mardröm translates to Mare-dream. In many other languages, the words used for nightmare have various links to these beings.

It is also thought that, what we might in modern times know as Sleep Paralysis, was also caused by Mare.

Due to how many different mythologies that Mare show up in, the stories can be quite varied.

Mare are also sometimes compared or likened to other mythological beings such as Incubi and succubae (though those we'll cover another time).

In other mythology, the Mare are said to 'ride' horses until they were sweating an exhausted by morning. This version sees the Mare as female, who entangles the hair of sleeping men or beasts. It is thought that this might have originated as an explanation for a hair disease called Polish Plait. They would call them Mare-braids or Mare-tangles.

Another belief is that Mare are witches who transformed into animals, such as frogs, cats, horses, hares, dogs, oxen, birds or wasps and bees, when their spirits were out and about during trances.

Mare mostly appear in Germanic, Scandinavian and Slavic, though sometimes known by different names, but there are similar creatures also seen in other mythologies. In Hungarian mythology, they have 'Night-Goer  In Thailand, the documented phenomena is linked to the Pee Ahm ('Pee' meaning 'ghost'), with Buddhist residents wearing amulets to ward them off, and in Turkey, Mare are named 'Karabasan' (Ominous Presser)

Mare have also shown up in recent media. Marianne, a Swedish horror film made in 2011features Mare. Likewise, a Dutch thriller in 2013 called 'Borgman' also features Mare. A 'found footage' film called Paranormal Entity, made in 2009, has a main antagonist who is also a Mare as well. So, if you're interested in the Mare, you could check those out. :)

When I first started to come up with ideas for Dreamwalkers, I initially looked up mythologies that had being that cause nightmares, and the Mare were the first ones I read about, so its partially in thanks to this mythology that I started the basis of what would eventually become the Onreios.

Of course, there are still others that helped to inspire me , so I hope you'll all enjoy what I have for you guys next!

Until next time!

Tara