History states the first known Aeolian harp was constructed in 1650 by Athanasius Kircher (1601–1680). Carl Engel, in his article "Aeolian Music," describes Kircher's original Aeolian harp that "consisted of a square box mounted with fifteen thin catgut strings".
Engel traces the roots of the wind harp to long before Kircher. While Engel does credit Kirchner with creating the most recent form of the Aeolian harp, which is commonly referred to in Romantic poetry, he does not believe that Kirchner invented the instrument.
Engel theorizes that it is "highly probable that the Egyptians, Greeks, and other nations of antiquity constructed some kind of Aeolian harp". Engel backs up this theory of its earlier existence by showing that the instrument is featured in the Bible. It is believed that King David suspended his harp in the air and at midnight the north wind blew through these strings causing the harp to play by itself.
According to Engel, "this so-called harp, the Hebrew kinnor, was probably a species of lyre, small and easily portable". Today, you could even try a guitar or other similar stringed instrument. You never know……………………
