&sq=&lang=&file=File:Grip_the_raven,_taxidermied.jpg) Grip after taxidermy | |
| Species | Corvus corax |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Hatched | c. 1839 England |
| Died | 12 March 1841 London, England |
| Cause of death | Lead poisoning |
| Resting place | Parkway Central Library Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Known for | Inspiring characters in Barnaby Rudge and "The Raven" |
| Training | Talking |
| Owner | Charles Dickens |
| Residence | 1 Devonshire Terrace, Marylebone |
Grip was a talking raven kept as a pet by Charles Dickens. She was the basis for a character of the same name in Dickens's 1841 novel Barnaby Rudge and is generally considered to have inspired the eponymous bird from Edgar Allan Poe's 1845 poem "The Raven".
Grip lived with the Dickens family in their home at 1 Devonshire Terrace, Marylebone. She could repeat several phrases, she buried coins and cheese in the garden, and she often bit people, including the coachman and the children. Following an incident where Grip bit one of the Dickens children, she was banished to the shed.
Grip died in 1841, possibly from lead poisoning after consuming a large amount of lead paint. After a necropsy, Dickens had her stuffed and mounted. She was displayed above the desk in his study and he replaced her with another raven he also named Grip. Her remains passed through the hands of several collectors after Dickens's death and are now on display in the Rare Book Department of the Parkway Central Library in Philadelphia.