The Poms are worried. Because of the current increasing (reported) incidents of the dreaded H5N1 virus affecting fowls in Europe, they are taking no chance with their famous ravens at the Tower of London.
They have built special aviaries in the Tower for Branwen, Hugine, Munin, Gwyllum, Thor and Baldrick, names of the 6 birds. The aim is to keep them indoors until the bird flu is safely contained. But why this extraordinary fuss over 6 ravens?
There is a British legend that says the Tower of London will collapse and the kingdom fall if all the Tower ravens leave [or die]. Even modern Christian Britain dares not mess around with this prophetic avian-related doom.
Well, the latest report is that the Tower ravens have gotten used to their new surroundings. But it reminded me of a very old Hindi film, titled, I think/guess, ‘Hattim Tai’, or something sounding like so.
The story of the film is about gods and goddesses and how they capriciously buggered mere mortals. Then of course there would be the obligatory villain who was also a super-duper virtually indestructible evil warlock. He couldn’t be killed no matter how he was slashed, stabbed, attacked, etc – because his heart, his only vulnerable point, was safely ‘placed’ in a parrot’s body.
Kill pretty polly and he would be kaput! Kill the ravens and Tony Blair would be in a deep scatological situation!
i was there recently - and the ravens are a delight - chatted to a couple of them for nearly half an hour
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