Some historical facts about weathervanes
The Tower of the Winds built by Andronicus around 50 BC in honor of the Greek god Triton is considered the oldest wind vane known. The arrow had the form of a man’s head and torso and a fish tale. It was four to eight feet long. At that time, many wealthy landowners decorated their villas with weathervanes showing gods like Aeolus, Boreas, Hermes or Mercury. Later, in the 9th century, according to archaeological discoveries, Viking wind vanes had unusual quadrant shapes, mostly surmounted by figures representing animals or creatures from Norse fables. Vikings frequently used weathervanes on their ships, as well as on their churches. In the same 9th century, the pope said that every church should have a cock on its steeple or dome, as a symbol of the prophecy Jesus made at the Last Supper, saying that the cock would not crow that morning until His disciple Peter had denied Him three times. Following this decree of the pope, weathervanes with the shape of a cock really invaded church steeples in Europe and America for many centuries. Most probable, the precursors of modern weathervanes are the banners which were flowing from medieval towers in Germany, Normandy or Britain. It has to be so because even the word vane comes from the Anglo-Saxon fane, meaning flag. Initially flags, they became banners with the symbols of the respective lords on them. The first wind vane known in America is the grasshopper vane placed atop Faneuil Hall in Boston. Other famous vanes are the rooster of the First Church in Cambridge and the copper Indian of Province House in Boston. In the 1800’s, Americans began to make wind vanes in patriotic designs, mainly representing the Federal Eagle and the Goddess of Liberty. The ending decades of the 19th century came with fancy wind vanes atop Victorian buildings, as well as metalwork meant to embellish roof spaces. The Victorian style copperwork is still in great demand today for the Victorian Revival homes. It was after 1900 that the architecture moved to a simpler style, also reflected in the shapes of weather vanes, depicting humoresque figures or sporting scenes. Nowadays, artists recreate antique wind vanes of America and Europe, but also enjoy inventing new shapes, and in many cases use non-traditional materials. Modern art is expected to bring an important contribution to the long history of wind vanes.