The Tower of London – the Ravens

Nel post The Tower of London – Part 1 abbiamo imparato un po’ della storia di questo splendido complesso fortificato medievale, una delle principali attrazioni turistiche della città di Londra.

Oggi, invece, grazie a questo video di Historic Royal Palaces, impareremo qualcosa di più sui veri “guardiani” della Torre: the ravens.

While we are watching the video, let’s try to understand:

• Why are the ravens so important?
• What’s their typical day?
• Why was Raven George dismissed?
• What is the Raven Master’s job?
• What do the ravens eat?
• Why are the ravens smart animals?

Now let’s check out the answers below.

“When most people think of the Tower of London they think of prisoners, torture, executions, beefeaters but also of ravens strutting around.

According to the famous legend, if the six resident ravens leave, the Tower will fall and the kingdom with it.
During the reign of Charles II there were hundreds of ravens at the Tower and they were interfering with the works of the astronomer John Flamsteed. He approached the King and asked if the ravens could be removed, but the King, mindful of the old legend, instead decreed that six birds would be kept there at all times and that the Royal Observatory be removed to Greenwich.

The ravens’ day begins at sunrise when they’re released from their night cages. The tower is quiet at this time before the visitors arrive and for a few hours the ravens take over the place and are the kings of the castle! They are free to roam all day but return for their feeds. At the Raven Master’s request the ravens return, albeit reluctantly, to their cages at sunset.

We’ve had some characters over the years. Raven George was dismissed for eating television aerials and in 1981 Raven Grog was last seen outside the Rose and Punchbowl, an East End pub.
The ravens make distinctive noises.
The Raven Master’s job is to feed them, doctor them when they are ill and counsel them when they are stressed. He’s the only one who can get close to the birds, as he’s build up trust with them, and the only one they will respond to.
There are nine ravens at the Tower today, the required six plus a few spares. These birds are the largest members of the genus Corvus, the crow family.
In the wild ravens typically live to 10 – 15 years, but the oldest raven to live at the tower was called Jim Crow, who died at the age of 44.
The ravens eat 170g of raw meat a day plus bird biscuits soaked in blood. Once a week they enjoy an egg.
Ravens have amongst the largest brains of any birds species. Their intelligence can be seen in such behaviours as problem-solving to get food, remembering where other birds have buried food in order to steal it and even engaging in play.

Forget about the soldiers, beefeaters and fortified walls, legend or not, the ravens have a very strong claim to being the true guardians of the Tower and London and therefore the whole kingdom.”

Interessante, no?!
Al prossimo post sulla Torre di Londra per altre informazioni e curiosità! Bye for now, j