History of weathervanes

History of Weathervanes

Tower of the Winds, Athens

The name “Weathervane” comes from the Old English Fane, which means flag or banner. Weathervanes, sometimes also called “wind vanes” were developed out of early man’s need to understand and predict the wind and to assist in weather forecasting. It was one of the first meteorological instrument devices. Weathervanes are mentioned in the ancient writings of Mesopotamia, from over 3500 years ago. The Chinese also talk about strings or flags being used to read wind direction in writings dated to the 2nd Century B.C.

Weathervanes are designed to perfectly balance on their rotating axis and need to be mounted on the highest point of a structure, away from other tall buildings or structures that may affect wind direction. As the weathervane spins to reduce the force of the wind on its surface, the end with the least surface area turns into the wind, and thus indicates the wind direction.

The earliest vane of which there are records is the “Tower of the Winds” in Athens (Greece) around 48 B.C. by the Greek astronomer Andronicus. This weathervane was in the form of a Triton (sea God of Greek mythology), and was possibly between four and eight feet long.

Around the 9^th Century the use of the weathercock increased greatly due to a papal decree declaring that every Christian church be capped with the symbol of a “cock” – the emblem of St. Peter. This was in reference to Christ’s statement on the eve of the Crucifixion. ”I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before thou shalt three times deny that thou knowest Me” and served as a call to worship and a warning to deny Christ as Peter had done. While these cocks were at first not used as weathervanes but more as a symbol, they were eventually combined with weathervanes. This is probably due to the fact that the cocks atop churches were easily visible from anywhere in town, and so were a logical choice to become communal weathervanes. Today the cock (I prefer to call it a rooster) is still the most popular ornament.

Also around the 9^th Century Vikings, as they began sailing and trading, started using metal vanes on their masts to predict the weather. These simple designs were made of bronze and other metals and replaced traditional cloth flags on Viking ships. During the Middle Ages weathervanes with heraldic motifs, banners, pennants, flags, etc. began to appear and remained one of the most popular motifs for centuries.

The early American Colonials, because of their seafaring and agricultural lives, also needed vanes for weather forecasting.  At first they imported the weathervanes from Europe. The next step, of course, was to handcraft them in America.  The vane maker was soon elevated from craftsman to artist and the weather vane became one of America’s first forms of sculpture.

Around the 17^th Century stationary compass pointers (directional) were added making it easier to determine the direction of the wind.

After the Revolutionary War, patriotic themes became popular and America’s symbol of the eagle became a weather vane subject. America’s first President, George Washington, commissioned a weathervane in the shape of a "Peace Dove" for his home at Mount Vernon to commemorate the end of the Revolutionary War.

Weathervanes were also popular among rural populations of the U.S. This is probably due to the fact that many farmers were isolated from the local towns and couldn’t rely on the communal weathervanes located on the church roof or Town Hall.

As their popularity spread, home owners in the U.S. began to create unusual designs. People who lived on the coasts enjoyed weathervanes in the shape of ships, sea creatures, and other nautical designs. Other popular designs included horses, wild animals, and angels, and patriotic symbols. Weathervanes at this time were made from wood, copper, or wrought iron, and other materials.

In our modern society, home owners rarely use their weathervanes for predicting the weather, but weathervanes remain extremely popular as an adornment.