Whirlibird...Windmill...Weathervane...Whirlijig...Whirly?

Awareness of this unique folk-art is widespread, however its name and spelling vary greatly. Whatever you want to call them, know them as, or how you spell it, they are "Old Fashioned wooden handmade, wind driven mechanical action figures."

Whirligigs started out as a simple weathervane. It was necessary for the early pioneers to be aware of the wind direction when trying to predict the weather. Perhaps it was boredom and perhaps creativity, but a weathervane that did more than just rotate with the wind direction appeared in Appalachia during the mid to late 1800's. A wind driven propeller was added with a working or playing figure attached. That allowed the farmer to approximate the wind speed in addition to the direction by how fast the figure moved.

Old-timers dubbed them 'comic weathervanes'. The faster the wind blew, the more furiously the figures move. Some swear the resulting vibration also drives away moles.

Few of these whirligigs survived. Built with mostly scrap, little attention was given to weatherproofing. They enjoyed a resurgence in the 1930's as a way for farmers to make extra money during the Great Depression. Now we can see whirligigs on deck rails, roof peaks, chimneys, boat docks, fence posts, mailboxes, doghouses, and even coffee tables.

• http://www.serenitygardens.com/gighist.htm
• http://www.walstonwood.com/whirhis.html
• http://www.intimategardener.com/categories/The_Intimate_Gardener.aspx
• http://www.newyankee.com/