Henry Sees the Swan Upping Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mute Swans

Have you ever seen a mute swan? I am not sure why they are called mute. They are actually quite noisy and make all sorts of sounds. They grunt, whistle, hiss, and snort, and their cygnets? They chirp and squawk non-stop. And have you ever heard them fly? That is one of the ways we know when they are in the area; their wings make a throbbing sound that can be heard in the distance.

It is a sound seldom heard as the wings are usually pinioned during the swan upping - that means the joint of one wing tip is removed so that the swans cannot fly away.

They are quite magnificent to see in the water or sky. My Lord, the Earl of Warwick, says that mute swans are actually quiet in comparison to others he has seen.

Answer: Thames

There are only certain stretches of the Thames, between Oxford and London Bridge, where the swan upping takes place. The purpose of the upping is to make record of the male swans, called cobs, the female swans, called pens, and the young swans, called cygnets. Every attempt is made to identify the cygnets that belong to each pair and give them the same markings as their parents.

Did you know that swans mate for life? It is said that they do not begin breeding until the age of three or so. However, cygnets can begin to form pairs very young age. I have seen the cob even sit on the nest to give his mate a break. If a mate is lost, the surviving mate appears to go through a grieving process. Sometimes it will stay where it is alone; other times it may find a new mate, a new place to live, or, perhaps, re-join a flock.

Answer: British Crown

Swans are the only kind of birds in England that can be "estray"; if unmarked swans are found on common land they automatically belong to the Crown. It is said that this tradition helps to remind the villagers who live along the Thames how powerful the monarch is, and, of course, it helps to prevent poaching.

It is the right of the monarch, however, to grant nobles the right to swans in certain areas. Edward IV enacted a law "that no one could have a game of swans" unless "he may dispend 5 marks a year freehold", so a nobleman must be a landowner and have some coin at his disposal in order to mark swans.

Answer: Swans are an important food source.

If I must say so myself, swan is a tasty treat! But it is also used as a status symbol. It is such a highly prized food source, that it was decided that an effort needed to be made to control the use. Of course, that means that only certain people are allowed to eat the delicious meat. It is said that King Henry III served 125 swan at his Christmas banquet! I have also heard that at one banquet, when the Archbishop of York was installed in office, 400 were served!

In case you are wondering, during the upping some of the cygnets are collected and taken to a special pond where they are raised. Eating barley makes them fat and juicy! Special care is always taken to leave some in the wild and limit how many cygnets are taken or "upped" to the pond - that is why the process is called swan upping!

Answer: Quills

While some enjoy eating swans, others enjoy using their quills for writing. Goose quills are also used - they are cheaper and not as stiff to write with - but it is said that a swan quill will last as long as 50 goose quills! The best quills come from living swans in the spring.

The strongest quills are taken from the five outer left wing feathers. This is not the easiest feat to accomplish. Have you ever tried to approach a swan? They are beyond aggressive and bad-tempered! Incidentally, usually all or at least most of the feathers are taken off the quill before it is used.

It makes writing much easier!

Answer: Their bills are scratched.

It is easy to tell a mute swan from the others; it has a bright orange beak. A system of makings is used that corresponds with each owner's coat of arms. The beak is scratched with these markings, using a sharp knife. I know! There are many who are concerned that this injures these beautiful birds.

The beak does bleed for a bit, but the wound is sealed with pitch. The marks that are made form scar tissues that never goes away - so the cygnets are marked in the same way as their parents. The markings are recorded in the swan roll, and, believe it or not, there are several hundred marks listed on the rolls.

Answer: False

Don't get me wrong - there are punishments - but they are not death! They are, however, harsh in an attempt to make sure the laws are kept. Swans are considered to be royal birds, and, as such, must be protected. For example, the penalty for stealing a swan's egg is imprisonment for a year and a day. If a person is caught killing a swan there is an elaborate procedure to follow.

The swan is hung by the beak with its feet just touching the floor. Then the villain has to pour out sufficient wheat to submerge its head until the beak disappears from sight.

This may not sound like a big deal, but it costs a small fortune in wheat. Being found in possession of a swan hook, which we usually use to pull the birds out of the water, brings a fine of 2/3 pounds.

Answer: July

The swan upping is held on the first Monday after St. Peter's Day, and typically falls in July. Swans normally mate anytime during the spring and summer. It takes two or three weeks for the nest to be built, and the pen lays an egg every 12-24 hours; typically up to ten eggs are laid.

It takes another two or three weeks then for all the eggs to be laid, and cygnets are hatched about six weeks later - usually from May through July, so by St. Peter's Day the cygnets are hatched and able to be taken from their parents. Sometimes the entire process may take a little longer.

For example, if the first batch of eggs are taken by predators, the pen will lay another batch. If something happens to the pen during this process, the male will take over and finish sitting on the nest.

He will even raise the cygnets alone if necessary.

Answer: Keeper of the King's (or Queen's) Swans

The first swan master was appointed in 1361, although it is said that swan upping dates back so long ago that nobody remembers for sure when it began. Some say that it dates all the way back to the time of Richard I Lionheart, you know, which would have been as early as two hundred years before the Keeper of the King's Swans became a court official. At that time the official was called the King's (or Queen's) Swanmaster. To help him there were also three swanherdsmen; their main responsibilities all centered around the swan upping.

Answer: Worshipful Vintners Company

Nobody knows why the Crown shares their swans with two companies (the other company is called the Worshipful Company of Dyers), but it is whispered that at sometime somebody (possibly Henry IV) owed someone a debt, and this is how the debt was paid! The charters were granted by the crown on 15 July 1363, but it is said that the arrangement has continued as long as anyone can remember - since "time immemorial"; they are said to own the swans "by prescription", which means the right has been exercised for so long that it has never been challenged. Actually, both of the companies have been in existence for hundreds of years.

The Dyers' Guild has been in existence since the twelfth century and is a guild for tradesmen in the dying industry, while the Vintner's Company, equally as ancient, is concerned with the wine industry.