The weather vane is a device used to alert people to the direction of the wind. The weather vane, or mechanisms like it, has been used for centuries. Some documents trace weather vanes back to ancient Rome, and it is was also apparently used by Vikings in the 9th century, as a means to help direct them at sea.
Weather vanes were typically made from a light metal, so that the wind would be able to give the weather vane force and direction. During the Middle Ages, weather vanes began to look more elaborate and were decorated with flags representing various nations and coat-of-arms. Many of these weather vanes were used by royalty all over Western Europe.
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In the mid to late 1700's, there was a rise in the popularity of weather vanes within North America. People like Paul Revere had them on their places of business, and because of the sturdy material they were made with, many of these are still intact today.
In the 1800s, many farmers began using weathervanes; many of these were hammered out from copper as well as created from iron. These weather vanes depicted certain animals; the most well-known being the rooster, who sat atop the 4 directions of the wind. Eagles were used often as well in the late 19th century.
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