▲ Leans unlucky (a warning) Traditionally a warning — read it as pointing to what to watch, not as doom
A warning of those who prey on your gains or weaknesses; also a symbol of tough survival.
Category: Animals (how to read this category)
Psychology
Hyenas gathering with their laugh-like cries can symbolize fear of having your weakness seen and mocked. Worries about credit being stolen or being targeted by a group may take this shape.
Folklore and history
Hyenas are known as scavengers, and in Japanese a profit-grabber is called a hyena. In reality they are skilled hunters too. In some African folktales they appear as sly or ominous figures.
An encyclopedia of strange tales still told today — a reference for our kaidan and urban-legend articles.
Encyclopedia of Modern Japanese Strange Phenomena (Itsuki Asazato / Kasama Shoin)
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This site's view
In this site's view, the hyena is also a dream of unfair reputation: a hunter branded a thief. Surrounded by a pack, others' opinions are pushing you around. If you were the hyena, you may feel guilty about how you are getting by.
Going deeper: our reading
In spotted hyena clans, females are larger than males and hold strong positions. Cubs are said to inherit something like their mother's rank, so the bond between mother and young underpins the clan's whole order. In this site's reading, a hyena dream can reflect not only fears of theft or exposed weakness, but the question of whose standing decides your own place. Mixing with the clan and waiting your turn to eat suggests you are quietly checking your share within the ranks of work or family. Being protected by a motherly hyena may show both the comfort of a parent's or mentor's backing and difficulty in standing on your own. This is our speculation, but waking surrounded by hyena laughter may mean you are reacting less to someone mocking you than to your own wish to be accepted within the group.
What to do on waking
Keep records of your work with your name and date. If you find yourself drawn into gossip, quietly step away.
In this scene
- ◎Good It comes close or is friendly: help is near (good)
- ▲Warn It attacks or bites: a held-back feeling or friction nearby (warning)
- It is dead or weak: the strength it stands for is running low
- Big, white or gold: the meaning is stronger; white and gold lean lucky
- It felt good: the lucky reading gets stronger
- ▲Warn It felt frightening or painful: the warning reading gets stronger — rest first
- The same dream again and again: something your mind has not settled yet
Turning a bad dream
In Japan, people once tried to turn a worrying dream for the better: a baku charm under the pillow, telling the dream to a nandina bush, or reciting an old dream-turning poem. Read the column on dream trading and dream-turning
A book guide tracing the history of Japanese horror fiction from the postwar years to the Reiwa era — a reference for our horror-fiction roundups.
A History of Japanese Horror Fiction: Ghost Stories, Occult, Mockumentary (Unga Asamiya / Heibonsha Shinsho)
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FAQ
Q. Is dreaming of a Hyena a good or bad sign?
A. Traditionally a warning — read it as pointing to what to watch, not as doom. A warning of those who prey on your gains or weaknesses; also a symbol of tough survival.
Q. Why do I keep dreaming of a Hyena?
A. A recurring dream usually points to something your mind has not settled yet. Research suggests such dreams tend to stop once the underlying worry is resolved. Keeping a dream diary helps you notice what triggers it.
Q. What should I do after dreaming of a Hyena?
A. Keep records of your work with your name and date. If you find yourself drawn into gossip, quietly step away.
Related dream essays
- True Dreams and Reverse Dreams: Why We Read Dreams Backwards
- Buying Dreams, Turning Dreams: A Japanese History of Dream Trading and Dream Charms
Read this dream with your own scene in the Dream Dictionary →
More dreams in "Animals"
- An Alpaca
- A Llama
- A Donkey
- A Mule
- A Hippopotamus
- A Rhinoceros
- A Jackal
- A Coyote
- A Reindeer
- A Moose
- A Walrus
- A Fur Seal
※ Dream interpretation here is entertainment drawing on psychology and folklore — it is not scientifically proven. "This site's view" is our own interpretation.
