London Local Custom Tips by Bwana_Brown

An old legend has it that, as long as the Tower of London has Ravens resident in it, England is safe from invasion. This legend is tied back to medieval Welsh manuscripts that say before the British king Bran the Blessed (whose name in Welsh means 'raven') died after a battle with the Irish, he asked that his head be buried in Britain. Since it was buried near London as a talisman against invasion, a legend grew that the Ravens in the Tower of London were the keepers of the talisman. The British government now looks after the health of the eight resident Ravens (although England's safety was dicey when they were down to only two Ravens a few years ago!), whose feathers are cropped shortly after birth to ensure they don't get any travel urges!

Studies have shown that Ravens are actually the cleverest birds on the planet, about on a par with dogs in the intelligence category. They know how to use tools, can live to be about 40 years old and mate for life. I spotted these two having a conversation about the weather during my July, 1979 visit to the Tower.

Leave a Comment

The 36 Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London are ceremonial guards whose duty is to look after any prisoners in the cells and to make sure that the Crown Jewels are safely locked away. However, in practise, since there have not been any prisoners here since the 1950s, they mostly act as tour guides and are themselves a tourist attraction. It is not known for certain how they came to be referred to as 'Beefeaters', but it is believed to have been either a derivation of the French term 'buffetier' for the 'king's guard' or from the fact that the Grand Duke of Tuscany observed in 1669 that they received a very large portion of beef as part of their daily rations!

All members of the Yeoman Warders must be ex-soldiers of the British military with at least 22 years of honourable service to the Crown.

Leave a Comment