Wind chimes have been around for a very, very long time and were even one of the world's first musical instruments. They are now enjoyed for their soothing and earthly sounds which are great for meditating or just for sitting back and relaxing to their beautiful sounds.

Even prehistoric man knew how to use wind chimes as a source of pleasure. They would hang objects from a branch and watch them sway. Perhaps those swaying objects were seashells or stones clashing together, thus making some of the first wind chimes.

In South East Asia archeological sites, evidence of wind chimes were found and dated to be from around 3000 B.C. The earliest wind chimes which were thought to ward off spirits, were made from bone, bamboo, wood, shells or stones. They were also used by farmers to scare off birds and animals from the fields. By 2000 B.C. the Egyptians were casting wind chimes in bronze.

The wind chime became more modernized by the Chinese in 1100 B.C. when they started casting bells by highly skilled metal workers. Those that were crafted by the Chinese were a clapper-less bell called yong-zhong which were used in religious ceremonies. The modern wind bell called the feng-ling was developed after that and they hung from temples, eaves of shrines, and pagodas. They were hung in all these place, even in caves, as it was thought that they repelled evil demons and ghosts and would attract good spirits. This would later be adopted by the secular world and they became popular adornments in the home to ward off spiteful supernatural influences.

Home use of wind chimes spread to Japan from China and by the 1800's, they arrived in the western world when Europe and America saw the distinct influence of Asian art, design and philosophy. The feeling and mood of a living space's energy can be changed by the materials and tones of a particular chime. This is known as feng-shui.

Since their beginning, wind chimes have taken on many different roles. Enemies of Celtic tribes were tricked into thinking woods were haunted because of the wind chimes hung there. Evil spirits were warded off in pagodas and temples. Today, the modern wind chime adds a wonderful accent to homes and gardens and provide soothing tones for a relaxing, peaceful environment. We have beautiful and whimsical wind chimes to give that same feeling to your home or garden. Come and browse and see what we have just for you.