City of Ravens: The Extraordinary History of London, the Tower and Its Famous Ravens

American folklorist and historian Sax (Crow) examines a powerful collection of raven myths among the British as he trains his gaze on the beloved ravens cared for by elaborately costumed raven masters at England’s famed Tower of London. Various history and guidebooks blame the birds for pecking the eyes from Lady Jane Grey’s severed head and state that Charles II had the wings of six ravens clipped so they wouldn’t fly away because it was believed since medieval times that the Crown and Tower would fall if the ravens left. However, Sax proves that the ravens were actually introduced in Victorian times and that the legend that Britain will fall if the ravens leave the Tower may originate with WWII, when a raven named Jackie, a brewery mascot, reportedly anticipated bombing attacks. Sax also demonstrates how the raven beliefs were influenced by a 13th-century legend of a Celtic raven god, Bran the Blessed, and how mythmaking is an ongoing, creative process and not just a relic of the remote past. This quirky and absorbing book demythologizes England’s folklore at the site of an iconic tourist attraction but is too specialized for a broad readership. Illus. (July)