Largest dreamcatcher is so big you could drive a bus through it

By Connie Suggitt
Published
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The world's Largest dreamcatcher was created at the Afterhills Music & Arts Festival in Iași, Romania.

It has a diameter of 9.92 m (32 ft 6.74 in) - which is so wide a double-decker bus could fit inside!

Its outer circle is 45 cm (17.7 in) thick, and it weighs a hefty 460 kg (1014.12 lbs).

28 local artists and volunteers worked in shifts on the structure, weaving the willow branches to form the outer circle, and using jute (thread made from vegetable fibres) to form the internal 'spider web' pattern.

The Afterhills Music & Arts Festival began in 2017, and is a three-four-night festival which has many musical performances, as well as a comedy stage and various art installations.

At this year's event, the world’s Largest dreamcatcher was one of the art installations on display.

Afterhills festival’s theme this year was #dreamers, which is why the organisers chose the dreamcatcher as their symbol.

Maria Bilasevschi, one of the organisers, explains that they decided to attempt this Guinness World Records title to highlight the diversity of their festival.

"One of our most important goals as a crossover festival is to incorporate art in all its forms into the overall festival experience. This edition has been focused not only on music, but on guiding our public towards a wider range of activities, ranging from visual arts to haute cuisine or crafty workshops."

Dreamcatchers originated in North America, and were first created by the Native American Ojibwe people.

The Ojibwe called it a spider web charm, or an asubakacin.

They were believed to ward off danger or harm, and were often hung over cradles to protect infants.

Traditional methods were used to create the dreamcatchers, and the materials used included willow branches, rope, jute thread, clay beads and feathers.

At the end of the festival the dreamcatcher was given to the local community.

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