Wind Chimes - Origin and History of Windchimes

Windchimes are becoming more and more popular these days, not only in Asian countries but also in Western countries including here in the US. The main reason for this is the growing popularity of Feng Shui. We all know that the windchime produces melodious music which is relaxing for our mind. A study of the history of the windchime would show that the music was not the only reason why people hung windchimes in their homes centuries earlier.

Historians believe that people used the windchime for other reasons also. The most important one of course, was it was believed in Asian countries that the sound of chimes wards away bad spirits from our homes and invites good spirits. They are believed to bring us good health and good luck. Feng Shui which literally translates to wind-water, recommends using a windchime to balance the energies produced by the various forces. It attracts good energy and wards off bad energy.

But superstitions and beliefs aside, our ancestors used the windchime for another very practical reason, namely, weather forecasting. As we all know, in ancient times, there were no sophisticated equipments to predict wind patterns, storms etc. So, it is believed that people hung these windchimes in places where wind can pass through. By noticing a small change in the melody produced by these windchimes, they were able to predict which direction the wind was blowing from and the intensity with which it was blowing. Stronger winds and hence more chimes, indicated that a storm was brewing. This was particularly useful for fishermen and people living along coastal region as it warned them to not go to the sea and maybe saved their lives. Our ancestors were so intelligent as to use a simple chime producing instrument as a weather predicting tool!

As you can see, the wind chime has been used for various reasons. Nowadays stores even use windchimes to inform them when a customer enters! Whatever the reason, even if one is not superstitious, the windchime can always be hung in a home just as a decorative piece and for the melodious music that it produces.

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