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It is feared that one of the Tower of London’s crows has died, a potentially bleak omen for Britain. It means that the tower is close to having fewer than six ravens, a level that would spell doom for the kingdom, according to legend.
Ravenmaster Christopher Skaife confirmed that one of the birds, Merlina, known as the Queen of Tower Raven Cruelty, is presumed dead after being missing for weeks.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today show, Skaife said: “Merlina is a free-spirited raven and has been known to leave the tower enclosures on many occasions. I’m her friend and she usually comes back to us, but this time she didn’t. So I’m afraid she is no longer with us. “He added:” Just before Christmas, before entering the confinement, we were laying the crows to bed and she did not come back. “
If confirmed, Merlina’s death would bring the number of crows in the tower to just seven. According to legend, if two more died, the tower and the kingdom would fall.
But Skaife said that if Merlina did not return, the tower had a raven in reserve to make sure there were at least six left.
He said: “We have seven ravens here in the Tower of London, six by royal decree. And of course I still have a spare, so we’re fine right now. “
In a statement on Twitter, the Tower of London said it hoped Merlina would be replaced by a chick from its crow breeding program.
We now have 7 crows here in the Tower, one more than the required 6, so we have no immediate plans to fill Merlina’s vacancy. However, in time, we hope that a new chick in our breeding program will rise to the formidable challenge of continuing his legacy. (3/4)
– The Tower of London (@TowerOfLondon) January 13, 2021
Various legends associate the keeping of ravens in the tower with Charles II and his astronomer royal, John Flamsteed. According to one, Charles refused to remove crows from the tower after Flamsteed complained that they were obscuring his view of the stars.
According to another, Flamsteed was concerned that ravens were being chased into the tower after being associated with the Great Fire of London. After being warned that killing all the crows would be a bad omen, Charles II ordered that six birds be kept in the tower.
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This article was modified on January 14, 2021. In some places, the original piece incorrectly spelled the missing corvid’s name as “Molina,” instead of Merlina.
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