On the Liver Building in Liverpool are two birds called the Liver Birds. One on each cupola (that is the right name, isn't it?) One faces across the Mersey and the other faces back over the city. They say that the female bird watches anxiously over the Mersey for the boats to come safely home and that the male looks out over the city to watch for the pubs opening.
Over the centuries people have said at times that they are eagles and at other times they are cormorants, but they don't represent any particular bird species (though Bernard may beg to differ!) They hold sprigs in their beaks which some have said are broom and others have said are laver, a type of seaweed.
Some say that the two birds must necessarily face away from each other because if ever the two Liver Birds were to mate and fly away, the city would cease to exist. Some also say that if an honest man and a virgin woman were to fall in love in front of the Liver Building, the Liver Birds would come to life and fly away, again causing the city to cease to exist.
The Liver Birds were actually designed to watch over the city (our People) and the sea (our Prosperity).
(Thanks to Wikipedia)
Interesting. When we visited we spent all our time in the Maritime Museum ( went with a retired ship captain !)
ReplyDeleteHelsie: That must have been really good, and I bet you got lots of inside stories that other visitors wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteWe were always told that the Liver birds would flap their wings when a virgin walk past. But, as that was Jimmy Tarbuck, I assumed it was a joke? :-)
ReplyDeleteBernard, I did see that bit of information somewhere in the literature, along with the comment that that was a highly unlikely occurrence!
ReplyDeleteOk I remember The Liver Birds as in the TV show way way back lol
ReplyDeleteHee hee I like the Jimmy Tarbuck joke
Ann: Nice to hear from you! I wonder if any of the Liver Birds episodes are on You Tube.
ReplyDelete