The traveling bottle tree

I've always been fascinated with light shining through colored glass, so I was quite interested in acquiring a bottle tree at some point. My friends, John and Becky Hoffman, made one for me, personalized it and presented it to me on a milestone birthday a couple of years ago. It was made in Ohio, was lovingly put in place at our Indiana home, and now has found a new home in Alabama. I love looking at it from the elevated main floor of our house, which faces the water. Plus, it's a pleasant reminder of friendship and of enjoying some great wine with good friends.

The history of the bottle tree is interesting, although my interest in them is simple and is pretty much purely aesthetic. The origin of the bottle tree is believed to have begun in the 9th century in Africa, and the idea of the bottle tree was brought to America by African slaves. Consequently, one may see bottle trees more frequently in the South. 

Originally, bottles were hung from trees, and when the wind would blow through the hanging bottles, a whistling sound could be heard. It was thought that the whistling was evil spirits crying out after they were trapped in the bottles. The belief was that the evil spirits became trapped at night, and then when the sun rose in the morning, the first light would kill the trapped spirits. 

Blue is the preferred color for the bottles because blue was thought to attract spirits and ghosts. The modern take on the idea of protection has been replaced with simply a desire to decorate. Bottle trees are placed in gardens to add a unique decoration  --- Yard Art! Even though blue was the preferred color in days gone by, today bottles of many colors are displayed on bottle trees. And such is the case with mine.