The True Story of Tower Ravens_Жаринов Андрей 10А

Lyceum 7, Khimki

The True Story of Tower Ravens

Zharinov Andrei, 10A

Teacher: Kozmik O. V.

INTRODUCTION

This project work is intended for those who are interested in the legends and myths surrounding the Tower Ravens. The History of the Tower of London spans across more than one thousand years and the reigns of countless Kings and Queens.

The aim of our work is to create a fully comprehensive Timeline to guide you through the key events concerning the Tower Ravens. Working on the project we’re very interested in answering the following questions:  Why have the Tower Ravens been so popular for many centuries?  How did the legend begin?  

The work starts with brief information about the Tower of London. Its history, legends and famous prisoners help to reveal the inner atmosphere of the castle. The Tower of London is admired for its architecture and its history but it is most remembered for the bloody executions, imprisonment and torture of the prisoners who were incarcerated in the great London castle. So, that’s not by chance that the ravens appeared there. The Tower of London together with its ravens was built to overawe and frighten the indigenous population.

The emphasis in made on the search of different versions of the legend concerning the Tower Ravens. We’re going to trace the appearance of the ravens in the Tower of London. Moreover, we give here three versions of the legend dealing with the Ravens in the Tower of London and King Charles II. One of them even presents the explanation of the establishment of Greenwich Observatory.

Curious Raven Facts is the third part of the project. These facts add to the story of the ravens and help to reveal the monarch’s care and anxiety as to the birds. Since 1987, the Tower has undertaken an ambitious and successful breeding program. Charlie and Rhys paired up and produced a total of 17 chicks.

The “Tower Ravens Today” observes a number of peculiar information about raven current living beginning with their daily diet and ending with their character and preferences. We try to find the full information about the Tower Ravens: their sex, name, colour of the leg ring as well as their birthplace and the year of birth.

Raven Master is also closely viewed in our work as he is a very important person in the life of the Tower Ravens. It should be stressed that ravens are still regarded as military personnel, under the command of the Raven Master, and can be dismissed for ‘unbecoming conduct’, just like regular soldiers. The post of Raven Master only goes back to about 40 years. Before that, they were called Yeoman Quartermaster. There’s been ravens here as long as anyone can remember, so someone’s been looking after them all that time. Derek Coyle has been looking after Britain’s most important birds for the last 22 years. In this project work we even give the information about Raven Master’s Day and one of his most famous attribute Raven Master’s Staff.

All in all, we try to present the practical part of the project work with the help of the Time Line Program “Chrono Liner 1.0”. While working with it we collect a brilliant collection of audio and video files.

PART I

BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOWER OF LONDON

The History of the Tower of London

The History of the Tower of London encompasses the story of the magnificent castle. And the lives of the men and the women who were killed and imprisoned in this great fortress. The legends and myths surrounding this great London castle include the legend of the Ravens. The History of the Tower of London spans across more than one thousand years and the reigns of countless Kings and Queens.

The Prisoners in the Tower of London

The Tower of London is admired for its architecture and its history but it is most remembered for the bloody executions, imprisonment and torture of the prisoners who were incarcerated in the great London castle. The mysterious deaths, like those of the two little Princes in the Tower and the tragic story of the execution of the pathetically young Lady Jane Grey, the execution of Queens of England - Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn. The torture of various prisoners including the racking of Anne Askew, the interrogation of State prisoners such as Guy Fawkes. The executions of men of peace like John Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas More. The Tower of London was built to overawe and frighten the indigenous population.

The Tower of London

The Tower of London is the most famous of all the Medieval English castles. Its bloody history encompasses some of the most important events in English history. The fortress is strongly associated with William the Conqueror who invaded England in 1066. William the Conqueror initially built a wooden Motte and Bailey castle and the famous, fortified, stone White Tower, which replaced the original Motte and Bailey castle, was completed in 1097.

The Purpose & Function of the Tower of London

The original functions were to:

• to act as a royal power base in the City of London;
• to provide a base where armed men, provisions and horses could be housed;
• to overawe and frighten the indigenous population of London;
• to provide a retreat for the Royal family in times of civil disorder;
• to protect London from invasion - an invasion by the Vikings penetrated the Thames;

The Tower of London was therefore first built as a fortress with a central Keep, the first of its towers was called the "White Tower." The Tower of London assumed its form as a 'Concentric Castle' with successive lines of fortification, only after hundreds of years and several different reigns. There are 21 different towers which form a major part of the London castle complex. The expansion of the Tower of London, covering 18 acres, led to additional functions as:

• a Royal residence in London;
• a Prison housing some very important state prisoners;
• a place of trials, execution and torture;

The Design and Structure of the Tower of London

The design and structure of the great London fortress started with William the Conqueror as a timber Motte and Bailey castle. Construction of the stone tower keep started in 1078 and was completed in 1097. The Tower of London assumed its form as a 'Concentric Castle' with successive lines of fortification, only after hundreds of years and several different reigns. There are 21 different towers which form a major part of the London castle complex. The design and structure of the Tower of London also include the Chapel of St John. Other elements which make up the massive castle complex include:

• Traitor's Gate - How State Prisoners entered the great London fortress;
• Chapel of St Peter Ad Vincula;
• Waterloo Barracks - is now called the Waterloo Block which houses the Jewel House;
• The Chapel of St John the Evangelist  - situated in the White Tower;
• The Ravens Lodgings - The Legend of the Ravens;
• The New London Armouries built as a storehouse for small arms;
• Royal Fusiliers Museum;

The Queen's House was built by Henry VIII and called the Lieutenant's Lodgings. Officially the Monarch's accommodation. The name changes dependent on whether a King or Queen rules

PART II

THE MYTHS AND LEGENDS REGARDING RAVENS

As Edgar Allan Poe dramatically describes in his famous 19th century poem, the raven has an ominous and prophetic reputation in many different cultures and mythologies, similar in some ways to that of its cousin, the crow. This has long been so; as symbols of the underworld, the Greeks associated the raven with the goddess Hecate, and Norse mythology with the god Odin. During the medieval and early modern periods, the raven was commonly cited as a witches’ familiar in various parts of Europe.

In most parts of the world the raven is considered a prophet and a bad omen, a symbol of the supernatural. Ravens have a place in the myths and legends of many ancient people. They are symbols of the underworld. The croaking of a raven is believed to represent the speech of the dead! During the Middle Ages the relationship of the raven was transferred to the witch and referred to as an example of a Witches Familiar. The raven is also mentioned in Celtic myths and legends and has been associated with raven goddess of Battle and Strife.

According to legend, ravens have lived on the White Hill (whereon stands the Tower of London) since King Brans head was buried there, facing France, to protect England against invasion. Ravens gathered in great numbers at his burial place and have ever after refused to leave his side. Well, his head, strictly speaking. The Welsh word for Raven is Bran. This ancient King of the Dark Ages was killed in a battle and requested that his head was buried, as a talisman against invasion where The Tower of London now stands. To this day ravens are accepted as highly important and necessary occupants of the Tower of London. Legend has it that should the ravens ever leave the Tower of London the White Tower will crumble and a great disaster shall befall England.

The Ravens in the Tower of London and King Charles II (Version 1)

King Charles II is believed to be the Monarch who decreed that at least six ravens should be kept at the Tower at all times to prevent disaster. The unconfirmed story of his involvement was prompted by a request from John Flamsteed, the 'astronomical observator'. The Royal Observatory was housed in the north eastern turret of the White Tower and John Flamsteed complained to King Charles II that the ravens were interfering with his observations. The King ordered their destruction but was told that if the ravens left the Tower of London that the great White Tower would fall and a terrible disaster would befall England. Not wanting to tempt fate by flouting ancient legend King Charles changed his mind and decreed that at least six ravens should be kept at the Tower at all times to prevent disaster.

The Ravens in the Tower of London and King Charles II (Version 2)

Another variation of this legend says that it was Charles II himself who disliked the wild ravens' droppings falling onto the telescope. The conversation with his astronomer that supposedly followed decided the fate not only of the ravens, but also of Greenwich, where the Greenwich Observatory was commissioned by the King in 1675. In this version of the legend the King complained:

"These ravens must go!" he said. "But, Sire, it is very unlucky to kill a raven," replied Flamstead, "If you do that the Tower will fall and you will lose your kingdom, having only just got it back!" Charles, being a pragmatist, thought for a moment and said: "The Observatory must go to Greenwich and the ravens can stay in the Tower."

The Ravens in the Tower of London and King Charles II (Version 3)

Yet another legend attributes the appearance of ravens in the Tower to the Great Fire of London in 1666. Wild ravens, as well as pigs and kites, were the biggest scavengers in medieval London. Allegedly after the fire, survivors started persecuting ravens for scavenging, but Flamsteed explained to Charles II that killing all ravens would be a bad omen, and that the kingdom would not outlive the last killed raven. Charles II then ordered six birds to be kept at the Tower.

Stories like these irresistibly connect to the most famous British ravens of them all – the  residents of the Tower of London. If you have a closer look at these remarkable, long-lived and highly intelligent birds. Having never seen a raven in the wild, the first thing that can struck you is how large they are – and how noisy!

However, their presence at the Tower may not be as ancient as legend suggests. It seems that there have probably been wild ravens at the Tower for centuries, possibly as far back as at least the 13th century, but the earliest documentary evidence for their domesticated presence only dates back to the mid of the late 19th century.

However, modern research has shown that this pleasingly apocalyptic tale is probably a romantic Victorian reinvention of the Bran myths; a tale created during a period where the idea of the raven was beginning to take on more of a distinctly ominous overtone in art and literature as well as in mythology.

After the success of Poe’s poem in particular, there was a typically Victorian craze for pet ravens, and the first  residents of the Tower as we know them now may have actually been the pets of the 19th century Yeoman Warders or other members of Tower staff, a theory which weakens the foundations of the tale of the raven prophecy.

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PART III

The Tower Ravens Today.

The Tower Ravens Today...

Today there are seven ravens in the Tower: the requisite six, and a spare.

The newest birds are a female raven called Pearl and a male raven named Rocky. They both came in June 2011 from a breeder in north Somerset and have been settling into the Tower since then, as well as being checked over and monitored by the vets at London Zoo. Now Pearl is about 2 years old and Rocky 4 years.

There are now a total of seven ravens that reside at the Tower:

Hugine, Erin, Merlin, Munin, Rocky, Pearl and Porsha.

It is not known when the ravens first came to the Tower of London but their presence is protected by legend. Traditionally with birds of ill omen, it is their absence rather than their presence that is feared at the Tower of London.

The new arrivals can look forward to a good life at the Tower - the ravens are given 6oz of raw meat and bird formula biscuits soaked in blood each day. Once a week they enjoy an egg, plus the occasional rabbit, which is given to them whole because the fur is good for them! They are also rather partial to scraps from the mess kitchen at the Tower.

Years ago they didn’t know what sex the ravens were. It’s very hard to distinguish a male from a female. When ravens were taken on, they were normally given the name of the person who found them. George was named after a coastguard in Anglesea. George came to the Tower, was a bit of a loner, used to spend all his time on the doctor’s roof. One day, a Saturday afternoon, the doctor – who was a Scotsman – was watching a Scotland against England rugby match, and all of a sudden the picture went on his television. So he decided to go upstairs onto the roof, and when he got up there, George had actually bitten through the cable. So the doctor wasn’t very happy about that, because he missed the game. Anyway, the cable was repaired, and about 3 months later the doctor’s watching television, the picture goes off, and he thinks: “George”. And George was there. So George was retired as ‘services no longer required’. And he went to the Welsh mountains, to Colwyn Bay, where he was put in a great big aviary with another raven. Now George so liked the other raven that George laid an egg, and now he’s Georgina. And Gwyllum, the raven that’s here now, is the product of that egg. So Gwyllum’s mother was here, masquerading as a male.

They used to have another raven there called Rhys. Rhys, again he came from Anglesea, and Rhys was the one that used to bark just like a little terrier, and he’d wait till there was a group of tourists on Tower Green and he’d start barking like a dog, and everyone would be looking round for the dog and all they’d see was Rhys. Another one of his tricks was, there’s a great big fountain on Tower Green for anyone to have a drink of water from, and he’d wait till there was a young girl who had long hair and a ribbon in her hair and when she bent down to have a drink Rhys would be there quick as a flash and get her ribbon off and take it on to the grass where the young girl couldn’t go, and he’d then sit there shredding it to bits.

Some of them are shy, some of them are very bold, some of the birds are very bossy. They’ve all got their own personalities.

They get on as a group nine months of the year, but in the three months when it’s breeding season the males fight like billy-o. That’s why in the spring the two breeding pair, or the two pair that’s married, have to be separated for their own good, because they’d attack each other.

Nevertheless, the Tower Ravens should not be dismissed as nothing more than a commercial gimmick to entertain tourists. Though largely beyond the scope of this discussion, the bond between the ravens and the British public is complex and merits further attention by students of human-animal relationships. It has far more dimensions than stylized heraldic animals such

as the lion or the unicorn.

These seven ravens have a special intimacy with visitors, and some people think they even pose for cameras. Most of the time, however, they play, quarrel, or simply enjoy the company of one another. Their behavior can be so spontaneous that visitors almost forget they are captive, so expressive that we almost forget they are not human. Their wings are trimmed on one side, so

that they are slightly off balance and cannot fly very far, though they have no trouble ascending walls of about six feet. They are fed regularly with meat purchased from the nearby Smithfield Market, and their health is carefully monitored; however, the ravens are not allowed to leave the grounds of the Tower.

Conclusion.

In my project work I have viewed and answered the following questions:

• Why have the Tower ravens been so popular for many centuries?
• How did the legend begin?  
• Why do the Tower ravens attract the attention of tourists from all over the world?

 While working on this problem we have come to a number of conclusions:

• The Tower Ravens are a legendary attraction for tourists from all over the world. If you have a closer look at these remarkable, long-lived and highly intelligent birds you can be sure that nothing could happen to English monarchy if the ravens disappeared and that the kingdom did not outlive the last killed raven.

• Their presence at the Tower may not be as ancient as legend suggests. It seems that there have probably been wild ravens at the Tower for centuries, possibly as far back as at least the 13th century, but the earliest documentary evidence for their domesticated presence only dates back to the mid of the late 19th century.

• Our research has shown that this pleasingly apocalyptic tale is probably a romantic Victorian reinvention of the Bran myths; a tale created during a period where the idea of the raven was beginning to take on more of a distinctly ominous overtone in art and literature as well as in mythology.

It is important to denote that there was a typically Victorian craze for pet ravens, and the first  residents of the Tower as we know them now may have actually been the pets of the 19th century Yeoman Warders or other members of Tower staff, a theory which weakens the foundations of the tale of the raven prophecy.

Much attention has been paid to the investigation the current ravens’ living in the Tower of London as well as to Derrick Coyle who is Raven Master now. The importance of the ravens is so great, in fact, that there is an official Raven Master who tends to the birds and ensures these animals remain at the Tower. The Raven Master Derrick Coyle is a Yeoman Warder or 'Beefeater' dedicated to caring for the ravens. Derrick Coyle has been looking after Britain’s most important birds for the last 22 years.