Windchimes; A History Of Relaxing Music

By Wendy Criswell

Travel around a small town and you will often find windchimes hanging on a front porch or tinkling from the garden. The sound they produce is beautiful and they tend to give the feeling of calmness. There are many different types of windchimes including those that just tinkle to those that are tuned to give off specific tones. Windchimes can be made of different types of materials and you are sure to find one that pleases your ear.

Windchimes have been in use since prehistoric times but no one is sure if they were used to warn of intrusion, to tell how the wind was blowing or if they were just there because they sounded nice. An archaeological dig in South East Asia produced some ancient windchimes that dated back to about 3000 BC. These early windchimes were frequently made out of bone, wood or stones and then later bamboo and shells. The first people to use metal to make a wind chime were the Egyptians and they made them out of bronze.

Windchimes were important to the Buddhist religion and culture and they were often used in religious ceremonies. They would place the chimes on the ends of the roof on temples so they would ring wildly when the wind blew. Cultures in Asia and the Mediterranean thought that windchimes attracted good spirits that would protect them and it would frighten the nasty spirits away. In China and Japan windchimes are placed outside of family homes to make sure they are protected. Many other cultures still think windchimes will bring luck to those who own them.

The ancient Celts used windchimes for a totally different reason. They would set them up in strategic areas in order to fool their enemies. These people were very superstitious and this would cause the enemy to become alarmed and think the area was haunted when they heard that strange clacking or ringing sound.

It seems that windchimes will calm the mind and spirit. Each chime has a tone and resonance that has the ability to heal both the mind and the body of a human being. The chimes bring great awareness and will connect you with your own spirit. The are relaxing and can quell anger bringing a balance to the soul. Feng Shui employs the use of windchimes in order to bring that balance into the home.

Windchimes have a more practical use as farmers of old used them to indicate the weather patterns that would either help or harm their crops. If the chimes were ringing in a certain manner it meant the wind was coming from a specific direction and it would rain that day. They would put several sets of chimes around the farm so they could detect the wind direction. This also gave them the ability to know how strong the wind was blowing. They were also used for another goal. The ringing would frighten away any bird that threatened the crop.

Windchimes are trendy even today and are made from hanging certain materials from string. Some of these materials are metal and shaped like rods or tubes but others are made from simple glass, shells or wood. There are some metal chimes that have a centralized round or disc-like clapper with the chimes all around. The chimes strike the clapper or disk when the wind blows to make sound. There are other types of chimes where the sounding mechanism is lined up and a row and when they bump against each other they make a pleasing noise.

Many people adorn their homes and gardens with windchimes today. They are not there to frighten away pests or nasty spirits and they are not there to forecast the weather. They do make a pretty sound and make the environment more pleasant and tranquil. They were trendy in the past and they are now and can be found in any home or business. Today they are made of a multitude of materials and sold with carved wood, metals, stained glass, shells and other objects that make sound when hung by string and jostled together. They may not attract luck or protective spirits but everyone puts a smile on their face when they hear them. - 29954

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here