Weather vane

The main function of a wind vane is to indicate the direction of the wind. Historically, knowing the direction of the wind was vital for weather forecasting and navigation.

Before satellites existed, farmers and sailors knew that if the wind shifted rapidly from north to south, for example, it could signal the arrival of a warm front or a storm.

As for maritime navigation, wind vanes helped sailors in ports determine whether conditions were favorable for weighing anchor and docking.

A brief historical survey reveals that the oldest recorded weather vane was atop the Tower of the Winds in Athens, Greece, built in the 1st century B.C., and was shaped like Triton. In the 9th century, the Vikings began using weather vanes atop their warships (drakkars) as navigational instruments and symbols of status.

The Age of the Roosters. There are many weather vanes shaped like a rooster, and this is due to a papal decree. In the 9th century, Pope Nicholas I ordered that a rooster be placed atop every church in Europe.

The reason was religious: the rooster served to remind the faithful of Jesus’ prophecy regarding St. Peter’s betrayal (“Before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me”).

Since churches were already placing weather vanes on their tallest towers for practical reasons, the two elements came together, giving rise to the famous “weather vane rooster.” (Historical information compiled from Gemini +).

Nowadays, with technological advances, meteorology uses digital electronic sensors (anemometers).

Although the photographs were taken and edited digitally, I decided to present them with an analog aesthetic, featuring soft edges. This is my entry for the #monomad contest.

Note: The first image has already been used in another context.