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The first weather vane -

The Tower of the Winds, a Roman clocktower in Athens likely designed by Andronicus of Cyrrhus around 50 BCE, bore on its roof a weather vane in the form of a bronze Triton holding a rod in his outstretched hand, rotating as the wind changed direction. Academics believe this to be the first recorded weather vane in history.

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Tower of the Winds -

The clocktower as it appears today. The weather vane has long disappeared. Still visible, however, is a frieze adorned with the eight Greek wind deities. All original wind vane designs were a Triton but changed to a weather rooster with the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity. But why a rooster?

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Oldest surviving rooster-shaped weather vane -

Pope Gregory I (c. 540–604) believed the rooster to be the most suitable symbol of Christianity, based on it being the emblem of St. Peter—a reference to Luke 22:34 in which Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him three times before the rooster crows. Pictured is the oldest-surviving weather vane with the shape of a rooster, the famous Gallo di Ramperto, made from bronze in 820 CE and now preserved in the Museo di Santa Giulia at Brescia in Lombardy, Italy.

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Old St. Peter's Basilica -

Pope Leo IV (790–855), the Bishop of Rome, later had a rooster placed at the highest point on Old St. Peter's Basilica, also known as the Constantinian Basilica. Pope Nicholas I (c. 800– 867) went one step further. He decreed that every church should be topped with a rooster-shaped wind vane as a reminder of the biblical prophecy referencing Peter's betrayal of Jesus.

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Viking weather vane -

The Scandinavia of the 9th century saw Vikings worship Nordic gods. This belief was reflected in the design of their weather vanes, which began appearing on vessels. Pictured is a highly ornamental wind vane made from gilt copper affixed to the prow of a longboat.

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Scandinavian style -

Viking wind vanes were also attached to the tops of masts. Highly functional, these Scandinavian designs were shaped like a quarter-circle, and rotated around a vertical axis.

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Vanes of the Vikings -

Strange-looking lion and horse-shaped animals were often the design of choice, like this bronze example. Later, as the Vikings conquered Europe, these wind vanes and others like them ended up being placed on church roofs.

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Bayeux Tapestry -

The Bayeux Tapestry of the 1070s depicts a man installing a weather rooster on Westminster Abbey (pictured left).

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Pennant and arrow wind vanes -

During the Middle Ages, numerous buildings could be seen decorated with weather vanes, many of them taking the shape of an arrow or pennant. This 1548 illustration of a ornate bell tower is crowned by pennant wind vane.

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Lighthouses -

Lighthouses were the logical locations for weather vanes. In this 18th-century engraving of Eddystone Lighthouse, an arrow wind vane has been placed at the very top of the lantern room. Designed by Henry Winstanley (1644–1703), this was the first lighthouse to be built on the dangerous Eddystone Rocks off the coast of Plymouth in Devon, England. A storm on the night of November 26, 1703 destroyed the structure killing the light-keepers, several workmen, and Winstanley himself.

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Medieval designs -

The ancient citadel of Pskov Krom in Pskov, Russia, is medieval in origin. Suitably, its weather vane takes the form of a pennant.

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St Lawrence Jewry -

While the preference was to use rooster-shaped designs on places of worship, some churches nonetheless chose to use weather vanes in the shape of the emblems of their patron saints. An example is the Christopher Wren-designed St Lawrence Jewry in the City of London. Its weather vane takes the form of a gridiron. St Lawrence is the patron saints of the poor and of cooks.

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Revolutionary War -

To commemorate the Revolutionary War, which ended in 1783, George Washington (1732–1799) commissioned a dove of peace weather vane to sit atop his Mount Vernon home. The bird is still flying over the historic property.

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Faneuil Hall -

The 18th-century in fact saw weather vanes in the United States become fashionable. American coppersmith Shem Drowne (1683–1774) is especially celebrated for his grasshopper weather vane that tops Faneuil Hall (pictured), well known as a symbol of Boston.

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Horse and rider -

Throughout the 19th century in Europe and the United States, the design of many weather vanes were inspired by sport and animals. A horse and rider was a favorite pairing, as this lead example from the mid-1800s illustrates.

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Running horse -

This running horse weather vane dates back to 1860 and Massachusetts, where it was made using gilded copper and zinc.

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Victorian era -

The Victorian era ushered in bigger and more elaborate weather vanes, a practice that continued into the early part of the 20th century. This imposing wind vane is being prepared for the spire of the High Parish Church in Paisley, Scotland.

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Setting sail -

Liberty's department store in Great Marlborough Street, central London, seen here in 1924, was designed in mock Tudor style. Topping the 1.2-m (4 ft) weather vane is a gilded model of the pilgrims' ship Mayflower.

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The Mayflower weather vane -

The iconic Mayflower weather vane can still be admired today.

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Rooster booster -

The rooster-shaped weather vane has endured. Original designs such as this 1930s example are now rare, and have become collector's items.

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Liver Bird -

This 1931 photograph shows a team of workmen positioning the statue of a Liver Bird, the mythical symbol of Liverpool, on top of the weather vane of a Liverpudlian firm situated in London's Fleet Street. By the mid-20th century, weather vanes had largely taken on a symbolic and more decorative function.

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Old Father Time -

The Father Time weather vane at Lord's Cricket Ground in London has stood over the venue's Grand Stand since 1926. The figure represented is the mythical Father Time character (similar to the Roman god Janus after whom the month of January is named) who watches over the passage of time.

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Wimbledon tennis -

The Wimbledon weather vane shows a tennis player about to serve, typically after a downpour, but illuminated under a rainbow.

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St Andrews golf -

A golfer dressed in traditional attire and about to tee off is the theme of the weather vane seen at St Andrews, The Old Course, in Scotland. Founded in 1552, St Andrews is considered the oldest golf course in the world, according to Guinness World Records.

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Rural association -

A weather vane seen silhouetted against the moon as it rises over the village of Almazán in Spain. The design reflects the rural way of life associated with the destination.

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Witching hour -

Another silhouette of a weather vane, this one depicting a witch and her black cat on a broom seen 'flying' over Riex in Switzerland.

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Admiralty Spire -

A small gilded warship (koralblik)  crowning the Admiralty Spire in St. Petersburg in Russia appears to be sailing across the moon's surface in this dramatic nighttime perspective.

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Song and dance -

This hand-carved wooden weather vane spotted on the Lyngør islands in Norway represents a dancing couple in traditional costume.

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Folk art -

Original weather vanes in good condition are much sought after by collectors and interior designers. They make wonderful decorative pieces, and serve as a financial investment, too.

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Cultural identity -

A wood-carved weather vane in Preila, Lithuania. Wind vanes of specific design and symbolism help promote heritage, identity, and tradition in many cultures.

Sources: (World History Encyclopedia) (Smithsonian Magazine) (Medievalists.net) (Lord's Cricket Ground London) (Guinness World Records) 

See also: Awesome bad weather images seen from space

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