Old Thomas weather vane

The weather vane that is known as "Old Thomas" stood at the top of the spire of Town Hall from 1530 to 1944. As a protector and guardian of the town, Old Thomas is one of the most popular symbols of Tallinn. According to a legend the model for the weather vane was a peasant who won a sharp-shooting contest where one had to shoot on a wooden painted parrot with a crossbow. Since his low birth made it impossible to give him the prize he was given a job as a town guard and immortalised on the weather vane.