The ravens of the Tower of London. (Assembly: Pixabay/Archive)
This week the United Kingdom woke up to the news that another of the king’s ravens has died in the Tower of London. Gripp is the third bird that has lost its life in the last three years in this important monument in the British capital. Something that can mean a threat to the crown if we believe a legend from more than 350 years ago.
In reality, the animal died in 2023 after getting its head caught in a cage, according to the media. Metro. Although the care of the birds is unbeatable – annually they spend about 6,600 pounds in maintenance (includes food, veterinary care and auxiliary expenses) – and replace according to the mythover the years, there have been some mishaps, Erin and Rex also lost their lives in August 2022 and September 2024, respectively.
The exact date on which the crows arrived at the Tower of London is not known, but their presence there is surrounded by myths and legends. Known as birds of bad omen, for the British they have a meaning that has nothing to do with bad luck. His presence is linked to the future of the country and the kingdom. According to legend, there must always be six crows in this monument so that neither the Tower nor the monarchy fall.
The first Royal Observatory was in the northeast keep of the White Tower. According to the myth, John Flamsteed the ‘astronomical observer’ went to King Charles II to complain because the birds were interfering with his contemplations. The monarch decided to act and ordered its destruction. However, they warned him that if the crows left the building, the fortification would fall and the Kingdom would be plunged into a great disasterthis being the beginning of the end of his mandate. The sovereign then rectified and decreed that there always had to be at least six birds in the Tower.
Christopher Skaife is responsible for caring for the seven ravens that reside in the Tower of London. (File photo)
He master of Ravens is a Yeoman Guardian (guardian of the Tower of London), also known as Beefeater, who It is only dedicated to ensuring the good health of these animals. The normal thing is that there are seven crows, the six necessary plus one “spare”. Every day they consume 2.5 kg of raw meat and bird biscuits soaked in blood. Likewise, once a week they are given an egg and a whole rabbit. In addition, they have the privilege of trying some of the dishes from the Tower’s cuisine.
One of the great unknowns is to find out What do they do to stop the crows from flying away?. To ensure that they did not abandon the fortification, one of their wings was cut off. By unbalancing their flight, they ensure that they don’t stray too far from the Tower.
Despite this cut, they have occasionally had to grieve an occasional escape, such as Grog, who was last seen in 1981. Although they are held in high regard, crows can also be expelled for bad behavior, as It happened to George. In 1986, they had to terminate their services after developing an unhealthy taste for television antennas. The bird that lived the longest in the Tower was called Jim Crow and died at 44 years old.
