For five days during the month of
July, a census is conducted of the mute swans on the River Thames. The
flotilla plies the river to count swans and tag cygnets. July is the
chosen time for "swan upping" because adult swans are in molt and
cygnets are too young to fly, making the birds easier to "drive up" or
catch.
The
Queen's swan warden oversees this operation. When the birds are spotted,
the cry "All up!" is given and rowboats surround the birds. Gradually
the swans are nudged toward the riverbank where boatmen jump out and
catch them. Each bird is examined for signs of injury or sickness,
weighed, measured and tagged, then released back to the river.
History
Mute
swans are believed to have been brought to England in the 12th Century.
The first written record of royal ownership is 1186 A.D. At that time,
swans were a gastronomic delicacy. In 1251, Henry III's Christmas
banquet required one hundred twenty five of them.
The
first royal swan master was appointed in 1361 A.D. The Act of Swan in
1482 A.D. allowed certain landowners to own them as well, but required
each owner pay five marks for the privilege. The landowner cut a unique
mark in the bill of his swans. (Click on swan mark image for larger
view.) At the height of swan popularity in the 16th Century, nine hundred people were granted "swan marks."
If convicted of illegal possession or killing of a swan, a person was sentenced to seven years hard labor, or transported.
Only
three entities currently are allowed to own mute swans -- the
Worshipful Company of Vintners, the Worshipful Company of Dyers, and
Queen Elizabeth II. These Livery Companies were granted royal charters
in the 15th Century. Vintners used to mark their swans with a nick on
each side of the beak. The Dyers applied only one nick. Unmarked birds
were the property of the Crown. Today, the birds' legs are tagged with
identification bands -- the Vintners place a band on each leg, while the
Dyers place a band on one leg. The Queen's birds are left untagged.
Livery Companies
There
are currently one hundred eight Livery Companies registered in the City
of London. Formed as guilds, each regulated wages and labor conditions
of their particular trade, much as unions do now. Some continue to do
so, but most have evolved into charitable organizations.
Like
so much in Britain, there's an order of precedence among the Livery
Companies. The two involved in swan upping are the Worshipful Company of
Vintners (11th in order of precedence and wearing scarlet shirts during
the upping) and the Worshipful Company of Dyers (13th in precedence and
wearing navy blue shirts during the upping.) Both Livery Companies date
from the 12th Century.
Bell-Ringing Swans
Built
in the early 13th Century, the moat around Bishop's Palace in Wells,
Somerset sports mute swans taught to pull a bell string for food. (Click
here to see a YouTube video of the bell-ringing swans.)
