A Brief History of Wind Harps

The wind harp is a centuries-old musical instrument that harnesses the power of the wind to create beautiful tones and harmonies. The first wind harps were recorded in ancient Greece, and wind harps are also associated with the Biblical King David. Wind harps have been used to make music, to practice religion and even to predict the weather.

The first wind harps, the Aeolian wind harps, were products of ancient Greece. In fact, the name "Aeolian" refers to Aeolus, the Greek god of the wind. The ancient Greeks created wind harps and placed them in their windows to hear the wind blow against the strings and create beautiful melodies.

The Biblical King David is the attributed author of many of the Bible's Psalms. These texts were originally written to be sung, and King David had many harps that he used as accompaniment for his music. Legend has it that King David also had a wind harp, which he placed outside so that the wind blowing through the strings woke him when it was time to get up.

During the 1700s, Italian scientists attempted to use wind harps to predict the weather. Although it is possible to gauge the direction of the wind from a wind harp, it is not actually possible to predict incoming storms. At that time, the wind harp was also a popular decoration in many European castles.

Now, wind harps are used to bring beautiful melodies to homes and backyards. Many wind harps incorporate their long history into the harp's design. By owning a wind harp, you own an instrument that has been making music for thousands of years, as part of many different countries and cultures.

Ever since the ancient Greeks discovered that wind made a sound when it blew against a tightened string, wind harps have been making music and decorating homes. This technology has remained relatively unchanged since the wind harp's invention, meaning that when you add a wind harp to your backyard, you are connecting yourself to a true piece of history.