You Can’t Top This
May 22nd, 2009 by Shari
It’s funny, the things that catch your attention sometimes. On a recent trip, I drove through miles of farm country, passing dozens of quaint old towns. Because many of them were depressed, poverty-stricken areas, amid the picturesque red barns, lofty silos, and charming farmhouses, there were at least as many decrepit barns, tumbledown silos, and dilapidated farmhouses. It was sad to think that these were places that once teemed with activity, where, no doubt, large, extended families would gather on Sundays for homemade – and homegrown – feasts at the picnic table, then talk away the evenings on a porch swing or glider, while grandpa snoozed in the hammock.
Anyway, the thing that suddenly struck me was that, as pathetic as some of these buildings were, the majority of them, no matter how ramshackle, still had weathervanes standing tall and intact atop their roofs – or what was left of them. Suddenly, I was fascinated by the thought that, when the farms were in their heyday (although, when referring to farms, maybe it should be ‘hayday’), the weathervanes were more than mere decorations; heavily relied upon to foretell climatological changes, they twirled with purpose.
Of course, farmers aren’t the only ones who need to stay apprised of shifting air patterns; humans have always been interested in the weather. In fact, weathervanes have existed for centuries, with the oldest known specimen, made from bronze, believed to have been created in 48 b.c., by the Greek astronomer, Andronicus. Erected atop the Tower of Winds, in Athens, it was forged in the shape of the Greek god, Triton, who was a merman, surrounded by the likenesses of eight wind deities. As the wind changed direction, his trident would point to the one who was supposedly in immediate control of the weather.
References to weathervanes have also been found in writings of Mesopotamia that are over 3,500 years old, and China, where strings or flags were used to read wind directions as far back as the 2nd century, b.c. There is also archaeological evidence that wealthy Greek and Roman landowners had weathervanes that featured various wind gods.
Over the years, they have been made in countless, fanciful designs that reflect people’s tastes, hobbies, and geographical areas. Today, even though weathervanes are not needed to predict the weather, they’re more popular than ever, and can be seen on churches, barns, gazebos, sheds, and other buildings, from big cities, to rural farmlands.
CedarStore.com is keeping the tradition alive, with an eye-catching selection of whimsical weathervanes that will make heads spin. Fully functional and built to last indefinitely, they’ll add just the right accent to your outdoor décor. So, come on in, pick one out, and give it a whirl!
Yours Outdoors,
Kathy
