Gabriel Weather Vane (Technique), Index of American Design

It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word vane comes from the Old English word fana, meaning "flag". A cockerel is a traditional figure used as a vane placed on top of the cardinal directions. Although partly functional, wind vanes are generally decorative, often featuring the traditional cockerel design with letters indicating the points of the compass. Other common motifs include ships, arrows, and horses. Not all wind vanes have pointers. In a sufficiently strong wind, the head of the arrow or cockerel (or equivalent) will indicate the direction from which the wind is blowing. Wind vanes are also found on small wind turbines to keep the wind turbine pointing into the wind.