The Significance of the Rooster in the Weathervanes

The roof is one of the things that we first notice when we visit a house for the first time. The style, the materials used, and the features on it are some of the things that make up a roof. Regardless whether it is pain or elaborate, the tradition or the scheme of the roof is perhaps the most important aspect in order for someone to appreciate it.

One of the most established American roof tradition is the weathervane. Weathervanes are ornamental instruments usually, but not necessarily, perched on the top of a cupola which in turn can be found on top of the roof. Even though weathervanes are mostly decorative, they have a basic common function that is apparent in their forms, and that is they determine the direction where the wind is blowing from. Weathervanes, on the ornamental side, take shapes or cut outs of various animals, objects, or even deities from different mythologies. Conceivably, the most iconic animal ornament of weathervanes is the rooster.

The first weathervane on record was at the Tower of The Wind on an ancient Roman Agora at Athens in Greece. It took the form of the deity Triton holding a trident in his outstretched hand, and rotates as the wind pushes it.When the Roman Empire finally converted to Christianity, this traditional form of weathervanes is replaced by the rooster, as we see it until today.

The significance of the rooster in the weathervanes is found on the Bible. According to the book of Mark, Jesus Christ told his apostle, Simon Peter, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times”. Thus, the rooster became a symbol signifying the humility of Saint Peter, and was soon adopted and became what we call now as rooster weathervanes.

Modern rooster weathervanes are typically made from aluminum, copper, or vinyl to add an ornamental look and feel on the roof of residences and other structures. They still serve the same basic purpose on farms across the globe, giving farmers the direction of where the wind is coming from, which can be used to plan planting strategies, crop cultivation, and harvest.

Weathervanes also take a variety of shapes aside from the rooster. There are duck weathervanes, eagle weathervanes, pig weathervanes, ship weathervanes, or even whale weathervanes. May of these quality weathervanes, with different forms and sizes, are offered by Prairie Rose Country.