Weather Vanes

Throughout history, humans have striven to understand the power of nature. Some concepts have been vastly complicated, and some have been surprisingly simple. One way we have done this is by measuring the direction of wind. We have accomplished that with amazing devices called Weather Vanes.

I've seen weather vanes on top of so many buildings over the years. And they come in so many interesting shapes and sizes. Because of seeing so many, I eventually began thinking a lot about them. A weather vane is a part of nature, just like anything else. But what do they do? What are their intended purpose? And how did they come to be?

The purpose of a weather vane is to tell us which direction the wind is blowing. It is designed so that the wind will push it to the direction of least resistance. Then it will point into the wind, therefore pointing in the direction the wind is coming from. In the picture to the right you can see that the wind appears to be blowing from north to south.

Let me give you a brief history of weather vanes. The oldest known weather vane was on the Tower Of The Winds in Athens, Greece. It's in the shape of the Greek god Triton. It dates back to around 48 BC. Later as the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, they began to put weather vanes on top of their churches. These weren't Tritons anymore, they were now in the form of roosters, and called weather cocks. Now you can find them on the top of churches everywhere. Today a weather vane can be in the form of anything the maker wants, and they come in all shapes and sizes.

You can find weather vanes on many different types of official building today. All you have to do is look up. In almost every case, it will be found on the highest point of the building, because that is where it works the best. You can even find them on houses and barns. Look to the rooftops around your area, and I'm sure you'll eventually see a weather vane yourself.

A hunt for a weather vane should give anyone a fun, quick outing, and a great everyday adventure. Go out and try it for yourself. It doesn't take that long and you shouldn't have to go very far. Happy hunting!
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