Custom Flutes from Turtle Mound Flutes

The flutes on this page were custom made to the specification of our special customers. These are examples of the custom work that we can do. If you have an idea that might be considered "unusual," let's talk about how we might turn that idea into a very personal flute just for you.

The Boy and the Dragonfly
A Zuni Legend

One time, long ago, the People were very unappreciative of their food, wasting it and throwing it around. So the Great Spirit decided to punish the People and sent the Corn Maidens away; the cornfields withered and died. The People became hungry and began suffering. Then, one day, a small boy was sitting at the edge of a dried up cornfield when he picked up a dried corn husk and fashioned a toy insect from it. When he finished, he tossed it out over the field and it suddenly came to life as a dragonfly, flying round and round over the dried up field. The dragonfly saw that the People were suffering and flew off to find the Corn Maidens to bring them back. When the Corn Maidens returned, the fields began growing again. The people were fed and were thankful, never again to disrespect their food. And the Great Spirit was again pleased with the People.



All entries had to show "ME 2008".	The boy with a dragonfly on his finger.

Symbolic Zuni dragonflies arise from the cornfield at the base. These dragonflies have wings inlayed with pink coral.

The fetish depicts the dragonfly returning over an abundant cornfield.

This aromatic eastern red cedar flute is tuned to a very mellow E-minor pentatonic tuning. The base and dragonfly wings of the fetish are canary wood, while the dragonfly body is black walnut. The corn is painted green and yellow, while the features of the wings are burned in. Following the Zuni legend, a cornfield is burned in around the base with painted corn stalks. The symbolic Zuni dragonflies that arise from the cornfield along either side of the sound holes are burned into the flute and inlayed with pink coral wings. The boy's face has some subtle coloring that is painted, but is primarily burned in, as is his hand and the dragonfly sitting on his finger. The background sun is painted. The lace holding the fetish to the nest is cut from deerskin. (April 2008).

This aromatic eastern red cedar flute was specially made for my SeCCI Cherokee brother Rick Runningbear, head editor of our tribe newsletter, the Cherokee Talking Leaves. Since this is Runningbear's first flute, we decided an Am pentatonic tuning would be a great place to start. The fetish is a black bear carved from South American purpleheart. A "running bear" is burned into the flute body below the nest area. Three additional bears, a "momma" and her two cubs, are burned above the direction holes near the foot of this flute. The leaves of the tree above this trio is inlayed with green malachite. If you look closely, you'll see that the nearer cub is fascinated by a butterfly sitting on the rock before him. The lace holding the fetish to the nest is cut from black-dyed deerskin. (March 2008).

This red cedar flute, tuned to the Gm pentatonic scale, was especially made for our dear friend, Dr. Frances "Frankie" Rinaldi, who painted the beautiful oil of the woodpecker illustrating the Legend of the First Flute found on our Legends page. The pine fetish is carved in the shape of the woodpecker's head and a rendering of Frankie's beautiful painting is burned into the flute body just below the "nest". The lace holding the fetish to the nest and the wrap at the foot end are cut from black-dyed deerskin. (July, 2007) - Gifted to a friend.

This aromatic eastern red cedar flute was custom ordered by a fellow in North Carolina to give to his girlfriend for Valentine's Day. She loves turtles and angels, and he specifically requested a turtle with wings. It is tuned to the Gm pentatonic scale. The accent rings above the nest are Alaskan yellow cedar on either side of a wider South American cocobolo band. The ring near the foot (at the direction holes) is also yellow cedar. The "flying turtle" fetish is a sea turtle with little "angel wings" carved from sassafras. There is a sea turtle image burned into the flute body below the nest area. The turtle symbol burned in between the direction holes and the lowest finger hole has turquoise and pink coral inlay. There is also a pattern burned all around the back side at the level of this design. Just below this design is a woodlands wrap with beads and feathers at then end of the black-dyed deerskin wrap. The lace holding the fetish to the nest is also cut from black-dyed deerskin. The final touch in the designs on this flute is a small angel just above the nest and drawn to be viewed by the player. (February 2008).

This black walnut flute was specially requested by Kat Johnson, a Utah enthusiast of Native American mythology and petroglyphs. She expressed specific interest in the feathered serpent stone carving of Chichen Itza, which is rendered in the carved African padauk fetish and burned in the body of the flute near the foot, and the Cherokee Uktena, a mythological river serpent, which is burned into the body below the nest and wrapping around the underside to the tip of the tail barely visible in the bottom photo above. You can see the Uluhsati (sacred crystal) inset in Uktena's forehead. [One who possesses the Uluhsati is ensured success in hunting, love, rainmaking, etc. - and the ability to foretell life or death in the coming year.] There are also three rings inlayed around the feathered serpent image, one each in pink coral, turquoise, and malachite. This flute is tuned to the Em pentatonic scale. (March 2008).

The Feathered Serpent just arrived, and let me tell you....I don't like it.............................I LOVE IT!!!! I hardly know what to say...I knew you were out-doing yourself and you did. It looks beautiful and plays beautiful too- completely in tune and very clear and responsive.

The design is great, and it was so much fun working with you. It is stunning, without being gaudy, and you had a better sense of enough is enough, and when to stop, than I did. It is just right, and I am sure of one thing- I'll never see another one just like that! Friend Chris said, "Why didn't someone think of that before?" Sure glad they did not.

Kat Johnson; Ivins, Utah; 4 April 2008

Send mail to webmaster@turtlemoundflutes.com with questions or comments about this web site.