The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London

There was a ‘white bear’ – a polar bear – for example, who was a gift from King Haakon IV of Norway to King Henry III in 1252, and who was kept tethered at the riverside with a huge collar and a long rope, allowing him to fish for food in the Thames. I like to imagine the look on the faces of anyone who happened to be sailing up or down the river when they saw a big white bear swimming past. In addition, in 1255 Louis IX of France gave Henry III an African elephant. Just getting it to London must have been a logistical nightmare. According to one eyewitness, ‘the people flocked to see the novel sight … The beast is about ten years old, possessing a rough hide rather than fur, has small eyes at the top of its head, and eats and drinks with a trunk.’ Again, what a sight, to have seen an elephant at the Tower back then – I would compare it today to seeing a Tyrannosaurus rex suddenly poking its head over the battlements.

Like any great collection, the Royal Menagerie just grew and grew. By the time Edward I came to the throne, an official position had been created known as Keeper of the Lions and Leopards, later renamed the Master of the King’s Bears and Apes. By the 1300s all the animals in the Tower had to be moved outside to the main western entrance, which was later named the Lion Tower, for obvious reasons.

An ‘Extraordinary and Fatal Combat’ that took place at the Royal Menagerie at the Tower in December 1830. The lion died of its injuries. (Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo)

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.