Upon arrival to the Tower of London, our class was accompanied by the lovely Turid, who utilized her upbeat, outgoing personality with her story telling skills to provide a more animated tour of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. I had little background knowledge of the Tower of London, only knowing bits and pieces of the history behind it, so I truly had no idea what any of these towers were, what they represented and what the historical significance behind them were. Turid was quick to dive right into the fascinating events that occurred at the Tower of London, even down to the exact spot of specific executions. She made a point to paint a story of what happened, not by spitting facts at us but by getting our attention with a simple “something terrible happened here, do you think you can handle me telling you what?” She would then proceed to give vivid detail of a story, such as how someone was executed- the exact spot of it, why it occurred, and even the weapon used. I had no real appreciation for the towers upon seeing them, I was more entranced by their appearance. After touring with Turid, however, I was amazed to learn about all the things that went on during this time period, many of which absolutely shocked me.

            The Tower of London, which has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, strongly symbolizes royalty and the history behind asserting power. The Tower of London was built in 1066 by William the Conqueror in order to demonstrate Norman power, and continued to grow up until the 16th centuries (Historic Royal Palaces). One large structure encompasses a multitude of towers, all of which are massive in size and made of stone. They truly are representative of Norman architecture, giving a viewer a strong sense of medieval times. This iconic site is home of many executions and historical events that make up European history, making it a destination of dark tourism. I would say that visiting the Tower of London definitely provided a new lens for us to gaze upon London with. It can be noted that "the principal benefit of studying dark tourism lies in what it reveals, or may reveal, about the relationship between life and death...developing our understanding of the phenomenon may, ironically, tell us more about life and the living" (Power 183). Learning about the history behind the Tower of London and participating in dark tourism through the assistance of Turid's vivid storytelling, allowed for a new light to be shed on ruthlessness of people with power that once overwhelmed London. So many lives were taken, it is clear that there was no sense of remorse of those who held the power. 

             The placement of the Tower allowed for both control of London as well as protection of it, as it is known quite literally for towering over the city. Throughout the inside of these stone towers are specific items that represent events that make up the history of the towers. This includes the Crown Jewels which are protected by palace guards, The Bloodier Tower in which people are able to see the exact spot that Henry VI was killed during prayers, bedrooms where we are able to see how living conditions may have been, such as the tiny, worn down toilets that were once used, the medieval weapons that were used in executions, and even the towers in which tourists have suggested they see a ghost appear when they snap a picture (Historic Royal Palaces). Each of these towers tell their own history- how jewels are protected, how royalty and prisoners lived, the numerous executions that took place and even the suggestion of ghosts that reside in these towers. The ability to see all of these things up close, in person and in great detail allows for a deep understanding of the history behind the Tower of London.

            The Tower of London is historically a place in which power is heavily reflected by the actions that were once taken. Power can be seen through the way prisoners were treated, seeing up close for ourselves the conditions they lived in- the treatment being extremely difficult to fathom. Power is also seen not only through the people who were involved in the construction of the power- such as William the Conqueror- but through their careful strategic plan of creating a building that towers over London for control and protection.

            Power is reflected not only in the Towers themselves, but through the way in which Turid shaped our gaze throughout our tour. She decided to dive very deeply into particular aspects of the towers, such as by going into deep discussion of the numerous executions that occurred- specifically that of Henry VI being killed while praying in the Wakefield Tower (Historic Royal Palaces). Several other executions were discussed by Turid, even those of children. It was clear that she wanted us to understand that during this time a great deal of tragedies did occur, and there is a great deal of history in each tower that tourists would not know just by exploring them on their own. Turid did, however, use her power as a tour guide to discuss in very minimal details, the medieval weapons that were used in these horrific executions. She allowed us to explore this section of the towers on our own, and did let us know that if we had any questions she’d be happy to answer, but her decision on not diving too deeply into medieval weapons shaped our gaze by focusing more on what she hoped we would take away from the Tower of London. Tour guides hold an immense amount of power by having the ability to share into great depth what they know about a particular place, or decide to discuss very little of some things. The power is not only within what a tour guide shares, but in what they do not discuss.

            If I hadn’t toured The Tower of London with Turid, and instead explored alone, I wouldn’t have such a deep understanding of, and appreciation for the history behind the towers. I may have understood that executions occurred, but her storytelling resonated with me on a level where I was able to picture how life must have been at the time, from the perspective of royalty, prisoners, and all those who had their lives taken. 

 

"Dark Tourism," Tourism: The Key Concepts

 

https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/the-story-of-the-tower-of-london/#gs.wQvheUI