Ravens at the Tower of London

byMary Reed Springfield, Illinois

One ofthe most popular tourist desti­ nations for visitors to England is the Tower of London which, in its time, has housed political prisoners, traitors, the Royal Zoo and t,he Mint; the crown jewels are still kept there. It is also home to a number of ravens, a somewhat curious sight nowadays in the heart ofa city, though common in the days when rubbish was thrown out into the street without much regard for health. Indeed, the ravens' residence at the Tower is at the heart ofa curious legend to the effect that, if they should leave, Britain (or, in some versions, the Crown itself) w ill fall. How did this curious belief arise? Why, for example, ravens, and not, say, pigeons or sparrows or robins? The answer is open to speculation, and this article will present a possible expla­ nation, which will have its roots in a time even before the Tower was built. The Tower is, in fact, more than one building, surrounded by a fortified wall, close to the River Thames. The White Tower, the first part of the complex to A Beefeater(prestigious guardat the Tower ofLondon)holding one ofthe ravens at the be built, dates from the 1070s; it was Tower ofLondon. Legend has it that ifthe ravens everabandon the Tower, the Crown erected by William I, commonly known willfall. as William the Conqueror, who seized the throne of England by winning the Battle ofHastings in 1066. able to take the form of birds of prey, natural powers. For this, and other The Tower then is the location, but often uttering prophecies. They also reasons, the head was regarded as taboo what ofthe enigma ofthe legend itself? sometimes appeared on the battlefield, by a number ofcultures; for a discussion In orse mythology, the raven was or before the actual engagement; the ofthis subject, see SirJames Frazer's The sacred to Odin, who was said to be book mentions that the raven is referred Golden Bough: A Study in Magic & accompanied by two ofthem. H.R. Ellis to in practically all battles described in Religion (Macmillan Ltd., 1970). Bran's Davidson, in Gods & Myths ofNorthern Old English poetry. severed head was said to have prophe­ Europe (Pelican Books, 1964) notes that The Celtic connection mentioned is sied for a number of years; we shall the names of these two ravens are another important part of the puzzle, return to this in due course. known, quoting the following fragment for we now turn to the Celtic hero, Bran According to Robert Graves' The from the poem Grimnismal: (also known as Bran the Blessed), White Goddess (Faber & Faber Ltd., Huginn and Muninn, Thought whose story is to be found in The 1948), the alder was sacred to Bran. In and Memory, fly over the Mabinogion, a collection of eleven the Beth-Luis- ion (an orally trans­ world each day. medieval Welsh epics. Bran was a giant mitted tree-alphabet used by the Druids, I fear for Thought, lest he come who, after the usual adventures, is the Celtic priestly caste, the consonants not back, but I fear yet more wounded in battle, and instructs his ofwhich, Mr. Graves notes, also form a for Memory. fellow warriors to behead him. The tree-magic calendar) the tree of the which is to say, the author comments, Celts practiced a cult of the head; not fourth month, which ran from March that the ravens symbolize the "mind of just regarding them as spoils of war 18th to April 14th, is Bran's alder, which the seer or shaman" (my emphasis). The (although heads were taken for this was also regarded as one of a trio of book also mentions that figures, similar purpose) but also as sacred oracles, for "Trees ofResurrection:' to the Norse Valkyrie, are to be found in they believed that the head was the The Most Ancient Order of Druids Celtic stories, Morrigu and Babd being place where the soul resided, even after currently holds a ceremony celebrating two examples.- These goddesses were death, and thus that it possessed super- the Spring Equinox (which falls during 44 June/July 1987 this period) on Tower Hill. There is this rhyme, but with three representing Graves gave to the Massachusetts some controversy about the authen­ a girl. It does not, however, mention Institute of Technology in 1963. This ticity of the ceremony as, despite its counting birds, listing the rhyme merely talk, entitled ''The Uses ofSuperstition" name, the Most Ancient Order is a com­ as a children's charm. From a brief was reprinted in The Crane Bag and paratively recent foundation. Very little survey of friends here, this rhyme does OtherDisputedSubjects, Cassell & Co., is known about the original Druids, not seem to be known in the Midwest, 1969, as follows: who were very secretive (as are many although a virtually identical form ofit In France, during the First World War, sects), handing on their knowledge is, according to William S. and Ceil said Graves, "...an Irish friend ofmine orally, often in forms incomprehensible Baring-Gould, in The Annotated named Cullen, an infantry captain, was to the layman. In addition, the Celts Mother Goose (Bramhall House, 1962) marching up the pave road with his regarded the alder as the Tree of Divi- apparently known in Maine, where it is company, from reserve billets to applied to crows. They also quote the support billets, and saw a magpie in a following European variant, relating to field. He fell out, put the company in crows, magpies or ravens: charge of a lieutenant, and waited for the other magpie to arrive - because of One's lucky, 'one for sorrow, two for mirth~ ow, in Two's unlucky, Three is health, normal times, France is so stiff with magpies that one pays no attention to Four is wealth, them; but this was 1915, and all birds Five is sickness, were getting pretty rare in the fighting And six is death. areas. Cullen waited until dark before he It will be noted that ravens, crows and rejoined us, disappointed and hungry, magpies all belong to the same bird and found a telegram waiting for him ­ family, whereas the blackbird is a his brother had been killed in the member of the thrush famil y. However, division to our leff' it may be that in the case of the As Mr. Graves has pointed out, in The blackbird, one is more likely to see that White Goddess (op Cit), the ancients particular bird than, say, a flock of often did not distinguish between crows, or possibly magpies, and almost ravens, crows and other large, black The Tower ofLondon. certainly ravens, which are not that birds, which probably, the present common. In any event, it is noticeable writer speculates, accounts for vari­ nation. It is a tree which flourishes best that all the birds mentioned are those of ations the subject birds ofthe childrens' near water, and these two facts may be a feather - in this case, black. rhymes quoted - which could well be quite significant, as will be seen shortly. As mentioned above, magpies are also folk-memories ofthe role ofsuch birds The raven, often in its oracular regarded as oracular birds, and a similar as prophets. aspect, was also sacred to Apollo, rhyme is applied to them in a curious Returning to Bran. The raven was also Athene, Saturn and Cronos, among story related in a talk which Robert Bran's sacred bird, and, indeed, this others. (So was the crow, a somewhat Continuea on page 46 similar-looking bird). The Greek goddess Athene is occasionally called Pallas-Athene, although in fact Pallas was originally a completely separate god. However, readers of Poe will remember that it was a bust of Pallas upon which the raven, croaking its pes­ simistic prophecy, perched. Yet another part of the puzzle may be found in children's rhymes. When the writer was young, there was a custom whereby, upon seeing a flock of black­ birds, one repeated the following: One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a letter (sometimes 'girl') Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told. The idea was that, depending on how many blackbirds there were, one would be able to foretell the future. The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book, collected by Iona and Peter Opie (Oxford University Press, 1955) includes The Tower Bridge. afa WATCHBIRD 45 Continuedfrom page 45 may provide the last "link" for the answer to the puzzle. According to the saga, Bran's head (at his own request) was buried on the White Mount (White Avian Identification Hill or Tower Hill) in London, as a by Ross S. Anderson, o.v.M. charm against invasion and other dis­ West Valley City, Utah asters. Although this is said to have taken place before the building of the Recent proposed and passed legis­ therefore illegal forging is discouraged. Tower of London, the story was, of lation in New York and other states Closed banding does have disadvan­ course, known. It will be noted that precludes the sales ofmost wild caught tages. Older birds cannot be properly Tower Hill is by the river, where Bran's birds. Only domestically bred birds are banded; what can be placed on, can alder (tree of divination and resurrec­ allowed to enter the animal trade. These also be pulled off. Closed bands can tion) would have flourished. laws necessitate the need for distinction catch on objects and traumatize the Here, then, are the pieces for a pos­ between birds locally produced and underlying structures. Ifthe leg starts to sible explanation of the legend: Bran's birds legally or illegally imported. swell for any reason, a closed band will miraculous oracular head, his sacred act as a tourniquet. Birds can be closed Identification of individual animals water-loving tree, and his sacred bird, banded and still be illegal if the bird is within any species is difficult. Unless an the raven. Even if one does not accept caught at an early age. Nonetheless, in animal has unique features, such as the story ofBran's supernaturally-gifted psittacine propagation this is the recom­ missing appendages or an unusual color severed head, the link between ravens mended means ofidentification. pattern, it can easily be mistaken for and prophecies is still, apparently, In our aviaries, we faced the problem another ofthe same species. Even to the remembered. ofpermanently identifying our progeny trained eye, subtle differences of There are two possible interpretations as our legal domestically bred stock. We appearance between animals can be of the legend. The obvious one is that have developed a system of identifi­ confusing. the departure of the ravens would, in cation that includes closed bands, with One needs to be able to differentiate effect, symbolize the removal ofBran's a combination number and letter individual animals to ascertain sex, oracular head, which is supposed to sequence, as well as an accompanying genetic makeup, age and legal status. Ear guard the country. certificate containing the vital data. Cer­ tags, ear notches, freeze brands, hot A slightly more convoluted interpre­ tainly this combination ofleg band and brands, tattoos and collars are fre­ tation is, however, worth considering. certificate can be easily duplicated; quently used in mammals. Various In other words, could cause and effect however, we make it difficult to dupli­ methods to mark birds have been tried. have become reversed, that is, that, cate the certificate by a number of Toe clipping, web notching, and wing rather than disaster occurring because checks and balances. The color and banding work well for certain species. the ravens have gone, perhaps they go type of paper used is not universally Open banding, where a premarked because they see disaster coming, rather available. The ink used to fill out the band is placed on the leg of a bird by a like avians rats from a sinking ship? certificate is also not easily copied. The clamping device, is commonly used. Of course, the whole thing is merely bird's band number is recorded as well These bands, if properly placed, work speculative, but in any event, it would as its species, color variation and well when one is dealing with animals seem that the authorities are taking no hatching date. One certificate is issued that don't chew. However, many birds, chances, for while the Tower ravens are, for each bird. We record the first owner including those nonchewers, can injure of course, well cared for, their flight in the space provided and the original themselves by catching the band on feathers are clipped, so that (unless they certificate is to go with the bird to each wire or by clamping the band so as to actually walk away) they remain at their successive owner. We sign the certificate cut offthe blood supply to the foot. The historic home, and the country and and emboss the signature with a spe­ open band also has the disadvantage of Crown are safe. cially made "notary" type stamp being easily removed, altered and which, in our case, matches the logo Acknowledgements and References replaced. Gods and Myths ofNorthern Europe, H.R. Ellis contained in the certificate. All this can Because of the nature of the skin of Davidson, Pelican Books, 1964, England, be counterfeited. However, we hope to birds, tattooing is impractical. Any mark copyright ©H.R. Ellis Davidson, 1964. make it economically unjustifiable to do Extracts from pp. 65-6 and 146-7 used in soon becomes an illegible blur. For this so. article. Reproduced by permission of Penguin reason, it is limited to coarse site mark­ Certainly this procedure would not Books Ltd. ing such as right versus left or red versus The White Goddess, Robert Graves, Faber & Faber be used for all domestically bred birds. black. Tattooing has the added disad­ Ltd., 1948. By permission ofA.P. Watt Ltd., on The paperwork and expense would be vantage of necessitating the handling of behalf of the Executors of the Estate ofRobert prohibitive. However, when dealing Graves. a bird to verify its mark. The Crane Bag and Other Disputed Subjects, with birds that are expensive or easily Robert Graves, Cassell & Co. Ltd., 1969. Extract Closed banding has been practiced by smuggled, the procedure has merit. We used by permission ofA.P. Watt Ltd., on behalf the pigeon industry for many years. A hope by identifying our birds as legal ofthe Executors ofthe Estate ofRobert Graves. ring shaped band with identifying and domestically bred, we can inhibit The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book, collected by 10na and Peter Opie, Oxford University Press, letters and numbers is placed on the bird the ease in which illegal birds co-mingle 1955. before the bird reaches adult size. The in the pet trade. We hope this voluntary The AnnotatedMother Goose, William S. and Ceil bird is then allowed to grow into the measure will help circumvent further Baring-Gould, Bramhall House, 1962. band. In this way, an adult bird can be restrictive legislation. We encourage The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion, Sir James Frazer, Macmillan Ltd., permanently marked. Even birds that others to adopt our method or develop 1970. By permission of A.P. Watt Ltd., on chew cannot remove the band and there their own in order to infuse responsible behalf of the Council of Trinity College, is no gap to catch on caging. Once on, professionalism into the business of Cambridge, England.• the band cannot easily be removed, aviculture.• 46 June/July 1987 I