I am Not Thor

4 x 4 inches - Oil on Panel

This is my oil painting of a Common Raven. 

In 2003, Vladimir Putin visited the Tower of London in the UK, a legendary castle that employs a Ravenmaster to care for a minimum of six ravens whose sole purpose is to prevent the Tower from crumbling and the kingdom from suffering great harm should they, the ravens, ever leave. It’s quite a superstition, but the Brits take it seriously. 

During Putin’s visit, he was greeted by a 12-year old raven named Thor who was perched on the steps that lead up to the White Tower. Thor said “Good morning” to the Russian president. It wasn’t an unusual reception, Thor was known to greet anybody; but what the president thought about the raven’s greeting is unknown. One source described Putin as being “taken aback”. 

There are all sorts of stories about ravens being harbingers of death or impending doom, so it might be interesting to know that Putin has never returned to the Tower of London. Would another trip result in his arrest by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes? Those captivated with ravens and their folklore may want to take note. Imagine hocus-pocus whipped up by those Tower of London ravens delightfully conjuring up future tales for many an enchanter.

Stay wild, my friends!


 
References

Leff et al. (2023, Mar. 17). The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Putin. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2023/03/17/1164267436/international-criminal-court-arrest-warrant-putin-ukraine-alleged-war-crimes 

Skaife, C. (2018). The Ravenmaster. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, January 1). Ravens of the Tower of London. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 24, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ravens_of_the_Tower_of_London&oldid=1266675506


Location: Duluth, MN 55811, USA

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