Peter Ackroyd. London. Biography. (Translated from English by Vladimir Babkov and Leonid Motylev). Gallows and gallows-birds.

Abstract: Peter Ackroyd gives us a special chance to take a look at the medieval London, and to try to understand who were its inhabitants. This part of his book is devoted to gallows, gallow-birds and to the famous hangmen of London. Starting from the XIV century, there may be found much written evidence of public punishments, and the hanging became a type of entertainment for the folk of London. However, there is also a belief in London, that if one sees the gallows in his dreams, such a dream means great riches in the future.