Tower of London? More like Tower of Terror Part 2

Ann Bolin wasn't the only person to loose her head on these grounds. In fact, beheading, hangings, prisons, torture rooms all existed here. It was customary to pay your executioner before he chopped off your head. If you didn't pay him enough, it might take more than one hack to chop it off. After one is beheaded, the head is held up in air by the executioner and the crowd cheers, then they would impale the head and parade it around as warning to others to not break the law.

This Raven is one of eight.

The Ravens are one of the most famous sights at the Tower of London. Legend has it that Charles II was told that if the ravens left the Tower, the kingdom and the fortress would fall. So, he kept 6 ravens at all time. Today, they have eight just for good measure.
This is called the Garderobe. AKA: the toilet.
I thought this dragon was cool.
All the talk of killings, torture and beheading made me hungry so I ate at the Cafe.

Cupcake cheers for little Eric's birthday!

There was a section called Royal Beasts. They used to keep wild animals on the grounds like elephants, lions and monkeys.

These guys were play actors.

In the Royal Beast section, on the towers, where these scary creatures.

Boo!

Hello London!

I took this shot of the city on top of one of the towers.

Also from atop a tower.

I also learned about how they would torture prisoners. They had torture 'machines' that they used. One machine folded the body into 3 sections, essentially crushing it. The next did just the opposite. It had 3 rollers and the hands and feet where tied out to the side and then pulled until the joints would detach. Gross. I learned this in a section called Torture at the Tower.

These crazy stairs were in all the towers. Very steep, narrow and circular.

Also, I learned about a form of torture/killing that they affectionately named: hanging, disemboweling and beheading. Yup, just like it sounds. I am going to describe it now, so if you don't want to know, skip ahead.

First, they hang the person just long enough that they almost loose their life, then after they cut them down and let them come to, the cut them from belly to sternum, but not too deep, they want to keep the victim alive. Then, slowly, they behead them. Gross right?

The Tower from outside the grounds.

I also went into the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula. Some of the dead royalty are buried there.

They still have some of the original walls that were built in 1078 by William the Conqueror.

The Bloody Tower: Acquired it name in the 16th century. It was believed to be the site of the murder of the Princes in the tower. This is a good story too. Edward the IV of England had two sons, Edward the V and Richard of Shrewsbury. When Edward the IV died, the crown would go to his son Edward the V. Their uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester took responsibility for the two boys. But, after arriving for Edward the V coronation, Richard declared them both illegitimate. At which point made allowed Richard to become King, making him Richard III. There are reports of the boys playing in the tower, but they both mysteriously disappeared in the summer of 1483. It is believed that they were murdered there. Remains of 2 young bodies were found 117 years later that are believed to be that of the Princes. Those two bodies were removed from the grounds and buried properly at Westminster Abbey.

Susan "quoth the Raven 'Nevermore!'"B.