By Henrietta Clay, Senior Correspondent for Cultural Affairs
This past Sunday saw the triumphant unveiling of the Hall of Beasts, the latest wing of the Royal Museum of History & Antiquities, a soaring stone structure dedicated to the history, lore, and biology of the creatures of the Kingdom of Eyehasseen. From the lowliest mole to the winged drake of Westmere, the Hall showcases taxidermy specimens, field sketches, fossilized remains, and dioramas of natural habitats—many lovingly recreated from firsthand reports.
Located at the far eastern arm of the museum complex, the Hall took nearly six years to complete. Overseen by a rotating team of scholars, taxidermists, masons, and storytellers, it is the first official state-funded collection of fauna since the Beast Census of 877.
“We wanted to bring the world inside these walls,” said Curator Elswith Norridge during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Not just the beasts themselves, but our relationship with them: the myths we tell, the burdens they bear, and the way they shape our lives.”
Highlights of the exhibit include the reconstructed skeleton of the White Elk of Falrick Moor, the fur-wrapped carriage once drawn by the last trained tundra bear, and a beautifully restored field guide belonging to Sir Dorrick the Short (whose name belies his unusually long limbs).
A surprising favourite among the children is the replica of a dormouse burrow, complete with a crawl-through tunnel and tiny acorn storage. For more adventurous visitors, there is the “Predator Gallery,” where lifelike mounts of creatures from Eyehasseen’s more forbidding corners loom silently, teeth bared in eternal snarl.
The Hall also includes interactive elements: touchable fur samples, audio stations of birdcalls, and an alcove where visitors can attempt to mimic beastly howls (to the occasional dismay of nearby docents).
King Edmund himself was in attendance, declaring the Hall a “monument to knowledge, humility, and our peculiar national love for very large creatures.” Entrance is free through the end of the month.