Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Death

I really enjoyed today's field trips to the Tower of London and St. Paul's Cathedral, despite the rain, and thought they were both beautifully constructed buildings. Although they were very different in their looks and purpose, both places had one common theme: death.

The Tower of London is a grand palace bursting at the seams with history. Some of the most famous monarchs, such as King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, and Queen Mary all resided in the palace. All that needs to be said is that King Henry VIII lived there, and we know that death most certainly is associated with the Tower of London. In fact, one of the towers is named the Bloody Tower. Prisoners were held in this tower as they awaited their executions, and many were held and tutored for information. It was also in this tower that the Princes of Duke Richard of Gloucester.

To me, the tower almost represents the unjust slaughtering of people. While I do not know the story behind every execution that took place, the ones that I know of seem somewhat unjustified. For instance, the Princes who were murdered by their uncle so he could preserve his throne, or the killing of those who refused to accept the King as the head of the Church of England. Today, such executions would be considered murder and those involved would be charged with a criminal offense. The Tower is so infamous for its brutality and gruesome executions that the entrance to the palace is known as Traitor's Gate, because of the number of those convicted of treason and who were lead to their death through those gates.

However, the depiction of death in St. Paul's Cathedral is much different. Those buried in the Cathedral are honored and respected for their lives here on Earth. Walking through, I was amazed at how many memorials there were for those who died in the World Wars. The church went to great lengths to dedicate and honor chapels and other locations to the men and women who fell fighting for their countries. I was also surprised at the fact that American servicemen were also included in the memorials. Not only were they included, they also had a chapel dedicated to them specifically. Having a brother in the Marines, who has already served a tour in Iraq, I hold a special place in my heart for those who serve in the military. I think many people take their service for granted and forget the hardships they endured to protect us here at home, so I stood a while in the chapel and took notes on the memorial.

On one of the wings in the Cathedral there was a memorial dedicated to those who fought in the Great World War 1939-1945. Engraved was "To the Memory of the Choristers who fell in the Great War". And to the side was a quote that stated, "The men were very good to us. They were a wall unto us, both day and night. So they passed over and all the trumpets sounded for them on their side." I thought this was very moving and was very honorable to all those who fought and lost thier lives in the war. The memorial celebrated their sacrifice and put a positive light on death.

The chapel that was specifically dedicated to the Americans was especially moving. Above the memorial was a very large and gorgeous golden cross, with two large golden candlesticks on either side. In a large glass case was a book containing all the names of the American servicemen who died fighting in WWII. The memorial read, "To the American dead of the Second World War from the People of Britain". The tablet containing the names was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in the presence of Richard Nixon, VP of the United States at the time. I thought that was just a really speical memorial that struck me as I passed through the Cathedral. But I definitely noticed that the notion of "death" was not as gruesome or somber as in the Tower of London.

To me, the Cathedral is a place were death is honored, respected, and almost celebrated. Those buried or honored there were either military men and women, or monarchs who accomplished great things for thier nation and who are celebrated for the lives they lived. While at the Tower of London, those who died there have tragic and sometimes horrifying stories of their experience at the Tower. When combining the words "death" and "the Tower of London", one almost shivers because of the gruesome events that took place. While when "death" is combined with "St. Paul's Cathedral" there is a sense of pride for one's country and gratitude for those who died in service.