Wolfcreekart.com
The story behind the Love Flute (it surely drew me in!):
A long time ago, there lived a young man who was very shy. He was brave in battle, and led the buffalo hunt with courage, yet when it came to speaking his love to the girl he wanted to marry, he was too shy to speak. He would stand helplessly, his eyes cast to the ground, while other young men stood with their courting blankets outside the tipi of the girl's father.
A long time ago, there lived a young man who was very shy. He was brave in battle, and led the buffalo hunt with courage, yet when it came to speaking his love to the girl he wanted to marry, he was too shy to speak. He would stand helplessly, his eyes cast to the ground, while other young men stood with their courting blankets outside the tipi of the girl's father.
The
young man thought about the girl day and night. In his
dreams she was still there before his eyes, yet even
in his dreams he lacked the courage to tell her of his
love.
He
watched her from a distance when she fetched water from
the river, and his heart was heavy when he saw the other
young men who talked to her so easily, whistled to her
to gain her attention, and in a hundred ways vied for
her love. The young man was sure that the girl did not
notice him
One
day, his heart aching, he left the camp and wandered
alone. In despair he drew his bow and without a thought
he let fly an arrow into the air.
To
his amazement the arrow stayed aloft. It seemed to him
that the arrow pointed ahead. He followed the direction
of the arrow and found that it moved ahead at a steady
pace which he could follow. He followed the arrow all
day, and when evening came the arrow fell to earth beside
a stream.
He
slept beside the stream, and in the morning shot another
arrow into the sky. Again the arrow stayed aloft, and
led him on. That evening it, too, sank to earth beside
a stream. This continued for a total of four days.
On
the fourth day the young man slept at the edge of a
forest. In that half-dream state between waking and
sleep, two Elk Men appeared to him, and told him that
they had come to help him. "We have come to give
you this flute", one said, and when he blew into
the flute he carried, the sound was so beautiful that
even the forest stood breathlessly listening.
The
Elk Man told him, "This flute is made from the
wood of the cedar, because cedars grow where the winds
blow. Woodpecker made these finger holes in the flute
with his beak."
The
other Elk Man told him "All the birds and animals
helped to make this flute, and their voices sing within
it. When you play this flute for the girl you love,
all our voices sing with you. Your music will speak
the words of love that your voice alone cannot."
Then
the Elk Men were gone, but there, lying on sage leaves,
was the flute. The young man set off towards his home,
his heart light. He played the flute as he walked, and
the cranes joined in his song. For four days he walked,
playing his music, and listening to the sounds of the
animals and birds. He imitated the sounds of the animals
on his flute, and from those sounds he made melodies
As
evening drew near on the fourth day, he reached the
hill above his camp. There he paused to play his flute,
and the sounds of the beautiful music he made carried
into the camp and thrilled the heart of every woman
there.
But
one woman, the girl he loved, knew that the music spoke
straight to her heart. The girl left her tipi and joined
the young man on the hill. She listened to the words
of love that his music spoke more eloquently than his
voice could express. "I love you. I love you."
http://wolfcreekart.com is a website that has a vast collection of Native American handmade fine crafted art.We stumbled upon them at the Pow Wow at the Howard County Fairgrounds last weekend. As we were walking along, the beautiful sound of a wooden flute was echoing through the warehouse. A sweet, yet haunting sounds that just drew you in...I had to find out where the sound was coming from. It piqued an insatiable interest and created a strange longing inside, as if there was a great adventure to be found.
I definitely understand the draw of the love flute!
We found Mark Barfoot peacefully playing at his stand. Mark Barfoot, is a Native American Indian Folk Artist, was born in 1952 in North America, the son of an Wolf Clan Onondaga mother and a Cherokee father.He learned the art of finger weaving at a very young age. Much of what he learned was self taught, but he studied with elders from various nations to learn other mediums of Indian folk art. Mark creates a wide variety of fine craft art.
The list of handmade crafts at left are only a part of the life and learning of Mark Barfoot. As he travels the country selling his work, he shares his knowledge of the culture with those he meets.
Mark is also a musician. He plays the flute and has made 3 flute music CD's. Mark is available for flute performance at gatherings, shows, and private events.
Mark is a master drum maker. His drum websites are: