A weather vane will point in the direction from which the wind is blowing. It is placed in the highest, most unobstructed location on a structure. It only works properly if the wind flows freely and is not blocked by trees or other buildings. For those who did not have our modern instruments for measuring wind direction and speed, weathervanes had great significance.
The Greek astronomer, Andronicus, was recorded as building the first weather vane. It sat on top of a tower in Athens. It was built in honor of Triton, Greek god of the sea, and was half human, half fish. Triton held a wand that showed the direction in which wind was blowing. The ancient Romans also used weather vanes.
With the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity, a rooster began to appear on church steeples. It reminded believers of the need to be watchful because Jesus prophesied that Peter would deny him before the cock crowed three times. The tail of a rooster is just the right shape to catch the wind and its force is greater on the tail than the head. It gets pushed away so the head turns into the wind. This is probably why the rooster design remains so popular to this day. It also has symbolic relevance in that it welcomes the dawn and the triumph of light over darkness.
On a wind vane, the free-swinging directional pointer or arrow is thicker at the one end and thinner at the other. The larger end with the greater surface area catches the breeze. The small end turns to point in the direction from which a wind is coming, and the larger end turns to point where it is going.
A weather vane that is shaped correctly and has balance will spin freely. If it is not precisely balanced, it will shift or topple and even stop moving. The weight needs to be equally distributed on either side of the axis or the vane will not spin freely. Some modern weather vanes do not have the necessary weight balance. They are designed more as architectural ornaments than for determining wind direction.
Beneath the point on a wind vane, it usually has fixed markers. There are four markers for each direction of the compass. If the arrow points toward the marker for south on the vane, it shows that wind is blowing from the south. If it is pointing to the west, wind is blowing from the west and towards the east.
By looking at wind patterns and changing directions, observers may be able to make simple predictions about the weather. Knowing that the west is wet and the east is dry, they know what to expect when a wind comes from either of those areas.
Determining wind direction and what this meant was a daily consideration for farmers. Their first-hand observations, experience and local knowledge helped them in this exercise. Today, we do not need weather vanes for this reason but they continue to retain their appeal. A wide variety are available today in many different designs. Those that are designed correctly, still work in exactly the same way as they have through the centuries whilst others are valued for their aesthetic appeal.
The Greek astronomer, Andronicus, was recorded as building the first weather vane. It sat on top of a tower in Athens. It was built in honor of Triton, Greek god of the sea, and was half human, half fish. Triton held a wand that showed the direction in which wind was blowing. The ancient Romans also used weather vanes.
With the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity, a rooster began to appear on church steeples. It reminded believers of the need to be watchful because Jesus prophesied that Peter would deny him before the cock crowed three times. The tail of a rooster is just the right shape to catch the wind and its force is greater on the tail than the head. It gets pushed away so the head turns into the wind. This is probably why the rooster design remains so popular to this day. It also has symbolic relevance in that it welcomes the dawn and the triumph of light over darkness.
On a wind vane, the free-swinging directional pointer or arrow is thicker at the one end and thinner at the other. The larger end with the greater surface area catches the breeze. The small end turns to point in the direction from which a wind is coming, and the larger end turns to point where it is going.
A weather vane that is shaped correctly and has balance will spin freely. If it is not precisely balanced, it will shift or topple and even stop moving. The weight needs to be equally distributed on either side of the axis or the vane will not spin freely. Some modern weather vanes do not have the necessary weight balance. They are designed more as architectural ornaments than for determining wind direction.
Beneath the point on a wind vane, it usually has fixed markers. There are four markers for each direction of the compass. If the arrow points toward the marker for south on the vane, it shows that wind is blowing from the south. If it is pointing to the west, wind is blowing from the west and towards the east.
By looking at wind patterns and changing directions, observers may be able to make simple predictions about the weather. Knowing that the west is wet and the east is dry, they know what to expect when a wind comes from either of those areas.
Determining wind direction and what this meant was a daily consideration for farmers. Their first-hand observations, experience and local knowledge helped them in this exercise. Today, we do not need weather vanes for this reason but they continue to retain their appeal. A wide variety are available today in many different designs. Those that are designed correctly, still work in exactly the same way as they have through the centuries whilst others are valued for their aesthetic appeal.
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