Windchimes; A History Of Relaxing Music
You can usually find windchimes hanging from the rooftops or tinkling in the garden in just about every town and city. They give a melodious effect to the atmosphere. There are some windchimes made to produce music like melodies and other types just give a pleasant waterfall of sound as the wind blows. Windchimes can be made out of anything that will make a sound when it hits another one or a hard surface so it should not be very hard to find one that is pleasant to your own ear.
The use of windchimes goes back to prehistoric times but whether they were used for pleasure or warning of intruders or conveying the strength of the wind is uncertain. Windchimes were found in South East Asia in an archaeological site and date to around 3000 BC. Ancient windchimes were made of bone, bamboo or other woods, stones, and shells. The Egyptians were the first people to make windchimes out of metal as they cast them in bronze.
The Buddhists in Asia were the ones who developed windchimes to the fullest mostly because they used them in ceremonies. They hung windchimes to the rooftops of pagodas and temples that would ring deliriously whenever the wind came through. In Asia and the Mediterranean people believed that the windchimes would call to good spirits and they would come to protect the people who put them up. It was also believed that windchimes would keep evil spirits at bay. You can find windchimes on many residences in China and Japan the owners hoping the good spirits will protect them. In other cultures it is believed that windchimes will make you have good luck.
he people of the ancient Celtic nations did not use windchimes to calm the soul. They placed them in the woods and around villages to deceive their adversaries. The Celts were a very superstitious people and the enemy would hear the sounds the chimes made, think the area was haunted and high tailed it far away.
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.
Farmers used to use windchimes not to gain balance but to tell what the weather was going to be like. When a wind blows from a certain direction in a certain area it can bring about good or bad weather conditions. Farmers could tell if there was going to be rain by hearing the windchimes ring in a particular manner because the wind was coming from that direction. They could tell how hard the wind was blowing as well. They also used windchimes in the corn field in order to frighten away the birds that would eat all the corn.
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.
Windchimes can be found everywhere these days and the reason usually does not include intruders or scaring away crows. It usually is not to forecast the weather either or to beacon to good spirits. Windchimes do give off sounds that can be calming and relaxing and come in a variety of materials including glass, wood or bamboo, seashells, and all types of metals. They may or may not bring luck but everyone who hears them enjoys the tinkling melodies.
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5:40 PM | Filed under: Home and Family
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