Unmentionables; weather vane. Pennants.

[curiouswombat]

Title; Pennants.
Challenge: Unmentionables; weather vane
Characters: Ithilien Elves.
Rating: PG;
Source: LotR.

Comments

[epiphyta]

*facepalms* Do you know, I'd never thought of that!

[curiouswombat]

To be fair, if they are having to tack, so that the wind is not directly behind the sails, it is possible that you might get the effect that the ship is sailing so fast that the pennants are being pulled along against the breeze.

But I see them just having a nice straight wind coming in over the stern all the way - and then it occurred to me that the ship couldn't then move faster than the wind, so the pennants should be blowing towards the bow...

Although I would be happy for someone to explain why I am wrong!

[kortirion]

No, you were right the first time, pennants blow the same direction that the sail fills. The ship is driven BY the wind, therefore everything goes forward - as depicted in your icon, not like all those inaccurate paintings. :-)

I could add a snippet, winds are always named with the direction they come from, tides and currents in the direction they are going to.

[curiouswombat]

Thank you! I was trying to think of some excuse for the artists - but really they seem to have mostly been going for effect rather than accuracy :)

I hadn't realised that about currents - what an interesting snippet.

[shirebound]

pointing forward as if wishing to be the first to see their destination in the Utmost West.

I like that imagery.

[curiouswombat]

Thank you!