Legend has it that at least six crows should be kept in the Tower of London, otherwise the kingdom will fall.
But the raven, nicknamed the Queen of the Ravens, has been missing in the tower for weeks, and many fear her death, which may herald a sinister future for Britain, according to legend.
In the report, published by the British newspaper, The Guardian, writer Matthew Weaver said that the disappearance of a crows from the Tower of London and the possibility of his death is a possible bad omen for Britain.
Christopher Skiff, a raven breeder called the "Ravenmaster" in the Tower of London, said it was possible that Merlinna, better known as the Queen of Ravens in the Tower, had died after disappearing for weeks.
Speaking on the “Today” program on BBC Radio 4, Skeif said, “Merlina is a raven who is lively and has been known to leave the tower on many occasions. But she used to return every time she left the tower, but she disappeared. The time. Therefore, I am afraid she left us forever. "
"Just before Christmas, before we went into lockdown, we used to put crows in their cages, but they were not there," he added.
If Merlinna's death is confirmed, then the number of crows in the tower will be only 7.
According to legend, if two more die, the kingdom will fall.
But Skeef said that if she didn't return Merlin, the tower had a spare crow to ensure at least 6 left.
"We have 7 crows currently in the Tower of London, 6 of which are placed by royal order. Of course, we still have an additional crow, so, the situation is still reassuring at the moment."
We have some really unhappy news to share.
Our much-loved raven Merlina has not been seen at the Tower for several weeks, and her continued absence indicates to us that she may have sadly passed away.
(1/4) pic.twitter.com/ccwCIBfdlT
- The Tower of London (@TowerOfLondon) January 13, 2021
In a statement posted on Twitter, the Tower of London said it hoped that “Merlena will be replaced by a chick from the raven breeding program. We currently have 7 crows in the tower, so we have no immediate plans to replace the lost Merlina's location. Requires a new chick from the breeding program to continue meeting the enormous challenge of ensuring the viability of its legacy. "
In general, many myths link the keeping of crows in the tower with Charles II and the royal astronomer John Flamsteed.
According to one source, Charles refused to remove the crows from the sign after Flamsteed complained that they were blocking his view of the stars.
According to another source, Flamsteed was concerned that the crows would be persecuted at the tower after being associated with the Great Fire of London.
Knowing that killing all the crows would be a bad omen for Britain, Charles II ordered the keeping of 6 birds in the tower.