Whirligigs are whimsical, wind-driven expressions of American folk art that first appeared in this country nearly 200 years ago. Traditional designs depict common characters and activities of early American rural life, from farmers milking cows to lumbermen chopping wood. Old-timers called them “comic weathervanes”. The faster the wind blows, the more furiously the figures move.

 

In some parts of the country, whirligigs are known as buzzers, gee-haws, spinners, pinwheels, whirlybirds, or whirlyjigs. Some swear the resulting vibration also drives away moles. Whatever their practical use, the pure pleasure of watching these brightly painted wind toys explains their timeless popularity.