CHARADRIUS PIANO - Ted Lyddon Hatten

The charadrius (shəˈräd rē-əs) legend, about a bird whose gaze could heal, dates back to the 1st century.  The stone curlew, with its enormous yellow eyes, was thought to cure jaundice. But it’s not easy to be seen by a bird, particularly when the bird itself is difficult to see. 

Listen for the plaintive song, the afflicted were told; it will lead to a cure. 

The belief migrated across Eastern and Western Europe, with the goldfinch having power over the bubonic plague in Medieval Europe. Naturally, the song of the goldfinch was heard as a sign of hope. It meant that healing was within earshot.

The Charadrius Piano was a public piano - part of a summer art installation sponsored by City Sounds in Des Moines, Iowa. Perched near the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, this charadrius was easy to spot, its song a blatant clue to the proximity of healing.

Music becomes medicine when it leads to healing. 

Hope and wholeness come from seeing and being seen, 

from hearing and being heard.

Ted Lyddon Hatten is an artist, theologian, and educator in Des Moines, Iowa, who works in ephemeral installation art, dry painting, and beeswax. www.tedlyddonhatten.com