Haunts of the Tower of London
Ghostly Sights and Legend Connected to London’s Historical Structure
Phantoms of humans and a spectral bear have been sighted by sentries guarding the Tower and others. Ravens of legend live at the Tower to keep England safe from disaster.
History of the Tower
The building of the Tower began during the reign of William the Conqueror, 1066 to 1087. It was built to control and protect London and was erected within ancient Roman walls. In the 1200s, additions were built beyond the walls. The White or Great Tower is the only Norman building still standing.
In addition to the Tower being a fortress, it has been a palace, prison, execution chamber and home of the Royal Menagerie, Royal Mint, Royal Observatory and Public records. It has been an arsenal for armor and weapons and has been and still is where the crown jewels are kept safe.
Who and What are the Ghosts?
The first ghost seen in the Tower was Thomas a Becket in the thirteenth century. He was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral when he was the archbishop, but had been a constable of the Tower.
King Henry VIII was responsible for having two of his wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and the Countess of Salisbury and Lady Jane Grey beheaded. Their ghosts have been seen. Boleyn’s spectre is the one most often seen. The ghost of Henry VIII has been sighted floating by a sentry.
Sir Walter Raleigh who was executed by the orders of King James I has been spotted as have the Lord of Northumberland and his brother.
The ghosts of King Edward V and brother, Prince Richard who were children when their uncle had them murdered them so he could take the throne as King Richard III, haunt the tower.
When E. L. Smith was a Keeper of the Crown Jewels, he wrote an account of a weird thing he and his wife saw in the Martin Tower. It was a cylinder that resembled a glass tube filled with white and blue fluid moving about in the room.
A few days after this incident, it was said a sentry died of fear after seeing a ghost bear in the room where the crown jewels were kept. Others have reported sighting the bear. How does anyone know the sentry saw a bear? Did he tell people before he died?
The accounts of ghostly sightings are numerous. Something is happening in the Tower of London by many accounts. Paranormal phenomena or figments of imaginations?
The Legend of the Ravens
Ravens live in the Tower and roam on the grounds. Their legend began during the reign of Charles II in the seventeenth century. One version states that when there are no more ravens in the Tower the White Tower and England will both be destroyed. It has also been said that if anyone harms a raven, she or he will be subject to bad fortune and, possibly death. In some cultures, these birds are death omens as they were for one European royal family.
Read more about the following related topic:
The Hapsburg Dynasty’s Harbingers of Death
Glamis Castle: Legend, Lore and Phenomena
Sources:
Coxe, Anthony D. Hippisley, Haunted Britain (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1973)
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen, The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits (Facts on File, Inc., 1992)
