Drake’s Drum: Magical Protector Of England

By | March 28, 2019

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'Take my drum to England, hang it by the shore. Strike it when your powder's running low. Illustration from 'Drake's Drum Drake's Drum, illustration from 'Drake's Drum and Other Songs of the Sea', 1905. Source: (alamy.com)

An ancient snare drum said to be haunted by the spirit of Sir Francis Drake is believed to be a magical totem that protects England. People have claimed to hear the mysterious sounds of the drum beating during pivotal times in English history, particularly when the country has been at war. Let’s look at the known history of this relic to understand the enchanting legends of Drake’s Drum. 

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Sir Francis Drake. Source: (history.com)

Sir Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake was one of the most notable people from Elizabethan England. As a naval officer, explorer, and navigator, Drake traveled around the Atlantic Ocean, into the Pacific Ocean and up the western coasts of South and North America, making it as far as California. He was the second person in history to circumnavigate the globe, which he did from 1577 to 1580. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth I, Drake even helped lead the English navy in their defeat of the Spanish Armada. Even in his own time, Sir Francis Drake was legendary.