The earliest weathervane known is the one which honored the Greek God Triton. The weathervane was found on the Tower of the Winds, in Athens. The tower was built by Adronicus, an astronomer, in 48 B. C. The figure on the weathervane was believed to have been the head and torso of a man and the tail of a fish, and was 4 to 8 feet long. At that time the people believed that the winds had divine powers.
The Gods of Boreas, Aeolus, Hermes, and Mercury, were depicted in Rome and Greece and they were seen on the homes of wealthy landowners. Bronze Viking weathervanes have been found which is believed to have come from the 9th century. The vanes were usually formed like animals or creatures from the Norse fable. They could be found on Viking ships and on Scandinavian churches. They still can be seen today in Sweden and Norway, and other styles of weathervanes can be found in other countries.
In the ninth century A. D., the Pope declared that every church in Europe should have a cock (rooster) on the dome or steeple of their churches. The cock was a reminder of Jesus' prophecy that the cock would not crow until after Peter had denounced him 3 times. Because of this, the churches in Europe and America have had weathervanes with cocks on them for many years.
There are several basic styles of weathervanes. They are, Stanford Arrow, Silhouettes, Swell-Bodied, and Full Bodied. The Stanford style is also sometimes called the Church Scroll and was used by many in the nineteenth century. The Silhouette style has also been used for centuries and they were in forms for different businesses, farmers, sporting events, and also humorous events. The swell-bodied style were made from copper that was hammered, then soldered together to form a hollow form. The Full-bodied style of weathervanes were three dimensional vanes of a certain subject. Weathervanes have been found with patriotic designs, grasshoppers, animals, and dozens of other designs. The vanes can be found made from cast iron, metal, bronze, and today may even be found made of a durable plastic. There are many recreated classic weathervanes found today and most people want them just for their looks as an ornament on their homes. In the 1800's, the Americans liked the weathervanes shaped like the Goddess of Liberty and the Federal Eagle. Later there were vanes depicting famous racing horses.
By the 19th century there were many weathervanes being manufactured by many companies. They were being mass produced and could be found in many different designs. Some of the most famous makers were, J. W. Fiske, Harris & Co., A. L. Jewell & Co., L. W. Cushing, and E. G. Washburne & Co. Today's weathervane artists like to recreate the antique vanes as well as new sculpture forms.
The weathervane was one of the earliest weather tools used by farmers and anyone who worked outdoors. Even kids learned how to tell which direction the wind was blowing so they could make plans for their day. Weathervanes were put on fence posts, tops of houses or barns, other outbuildings, on ships, and churches. The weathervane is defined as a figure which turns freely in the wind, on a vertical rod and points into the direction of the wind. For centuries people have depended on the weathervane to help them determine the direction the wind is blowing. One can also lick their finger and stick it in the air to determine the direction of the wind, or one can also toss a blade of grass into the air and the wind will blow it away and the direction of the wind can be determined that way also. The weathervane is unique and will probably be around for many years to come, if not for any other reason than to keep the past alive.
