Wonderful Weathervanes
As
you criss-cross the Cape, gaze sky- ward from time to time. What was once a
weather instrument has become an art form, gracing the tops of buildings,
churches and private homes.
The earliest recorded weathervane dates back to 48 B.C. Andronicus of Athens cast a life-size figure in bronze for the top of the Tower of Winds. His creation, with the head and body of a man and the tail of a fish, was inspired by Triton, God of the sea.
European weathervanes emerged about 1,000 year ago. At the time, papal edict required all churches to mount a rooster form on their steeples to remind the congregation how Peter denied his faith when the cock crowed three times. These stationery roosters evolved into mobile weathervanes.
Deacon Shem Drowne, who created the famous grasshopper vane atop Faneuil Hall in Boston, is distinguished as America's first weathervane maker.
Today, the subjects are rich and varied, including ships, animals, eagles and fish.
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