The Swan with Two Nicks

THE SWAN WITH TWO NICKS

THE MEANING BEHIND THE NAME

In medieval times many men were employed to farm huge flocks of swans known as 'games' for the powerful city guilds and influential families who had been granted the right, by Royal charter, to eat the Royal bird.

At the time of Elizabeth 1st, there were 900 licensed game birds, each with its own distinguishing mark. The turkey was then discovered and the swans fell from favour.

Today only two city companies have the licenses to mark Swans (the licenses to do so having been granted around 1550) and the guilds are the Dyers and Vintners.

In the morning the annual ritual starts when the new seasons crop of cygnets are caught and marked. Men dressed in their respective liveries of red, green and blue with swan feather cockades in their hats, carrying their heraldic banners to make the long pull up the river.

There are six skiffs in all. Two are for the Dyers, two for the Vintners and two under the command of the Swan Keeper to the Queen, who owns half the swans on the river

The Dyers swans are marked with one nick on the beak, whilst the Vintners have two