| Since the dawn of time, weather has had an impact | | | | accurately indicate wind direction, the ornament must |
| on humans and how they live, what they do and when. | | | | have unequal area and unequal mass on either side of |
| Today, there is an unbelievable array of land-based | | | | centre. This oddity allows for lovely freeform |
| and satellite-based equipment to help monitor, track | | | | ornaments, or more traditional arrows, scrolls, banners, |
| and predict the weather, but one primitive tool still used | | | | or silhouetted roosters, airplanes and other common |
| widely is the weather vane.Weather vanes are | | | | shapes. Another popular ornament style is the |
| common fixtures on the tops of buildings large and | | | | swell-bodied kind: three-dimensional forms a few |
| small. The earliest known weather vane was | | | | inches thick, often made of hammered sheet copper. |
| constructed atop Athens' Tower of the Winds by an | | | | Similarly, full-bodied ornaments are also |
| astronomer in 48 B.C., but you've probably seen them | | | | three-dimensional, but are more realistic in their |
| topping everything from a historical government building | | | | proportions that swell-bodied ornaments. Rooster |
| to your neighbour's barn. For official purposes, wind is | | | | ornaments are particularly popular atop church |
| usually measured at a height of 10 metres or 33 feet, | | | | steeples thanks to a reported ninth century papal |
| making such edifices the perfect location to install a | | | | decree calling for a cock to be installed on every |
| weather vane.Now often relegated to uses no more | | | | European church steeple or dome as a reminder of a |
| pressing than decoration or folk art, weather vanes | | | | prophecy made my Jesus and recorded in Luke 22:34, |
| were once key indicators of wind direction, which | | | | that the morning cock would not crow the morning |
| affected decisions from farming to flying. Sophisticated, | | | | after the Last Supper until Peter had denounced Him |
| modern weather vanes use wind data loggers (or | | | | three times.Medieval towers in Europe often flew |
| computers) to create a history of wind direction. | | | | fabric pennants so that archers would be able to see |
| Direction, which is reported in terms of which direction | | | | wind direction. The cloth pennants were later replaced |
| the wind is coming from, not going to, is a key indicator | | | | by metal flags, the precursor of today's modern |
| for surface weather analysis and prediction, and | | | | weather vanes.Over the past few years Ihave noticed |
| therefore, very useful information.Sometimes called | | | | an interest in weather vanes so the thought passed |
| 'wind vanes', traditional weather vanes are generally | | | | my mind as to where they came from and when they |
| comprised of several parts, including a rod, a large | | | | were first used so I decided to a little research and |
| lower globe, directionals, and a smaller upper globe, all | | | | write an article about them. |
| of which are fixed, and a rotating ornament on top. To | | | | |