How Much Do You Know About England's Great Poet and Eccentric?

Lord Byron was one of England's most renowned poets, known for his romantic, witty, and satirical style, but his life was so shrouded in rumor, scandal, and romance, he seems more like a myth than an actual man. Living no two days the same, Byron loved adventure and anything exotic. His exploits were immortalized in his epic verse, and even though his life was short, he certainly made his mark on the literary world. From drinking out of human skulls to bringing a pet bear to Cambridge, here are 20 wild but totally true facts about Lord Byron.

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1. He Became A Lord At The Age Of 10

His father, nicknamed Mad Jack Byron, an infamous scoundrel, died when little Lord Byron was only 3, and his uncle died when Lord Byron, born George Gordon Byron, was 10. This meant that he got to inherit the title when he was still a kid.

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2. He Was A Father 

Lord Byron was a father, albeit a reluctant one. His only legitimate daughter was Ada Lovelace, a brilliant mathematician and writer who is largely considered "the first computer programmer" because she developed the first algorithm specifically designed for a computer.

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3. He Had a Pet Bear at University

When his university told him he couldn't bring his dog, Lord Byron brought his bear to Cambridge instead to make a mockery of the rules. He even threatened to apply for it to get a degree. 

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4. There's a Glacier Named After Him

In Alaska's Portage Lake, one of the youngest lakes and a popular place to view glaciers, there's a majestic one named after him. It has an honorary spot situated near Shakespeare Glacier and Burns Glacier.

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5. He Used His Ancestors' Skulls as Flower Pots

Lord Byron was a bit of an oddball. He used his ancestors' skulls as flowerpots and even had one turned into a goblet he could drink from, and this was before the whole Gothic aesthetic, Halloween thing was cool.

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6. He Converted His Dining Room Into a Shooting Gallery

Lord Byron clearly had his priorities straight when he converted his dining room into an indoor shooting range. As any perfectly normal and sane person does, he loved firing pistols inside the house, aiming at portraits and empty bottles. 

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7. He Was Born With a Clubfoot

Lord Byron was born with a medical condition that made one of his feet malformed, making it difficult to walk. He wore a special boot which he was intensely self-conscious about. It's thought that his overdone bravado, athleticism, and "manliness" were a result of his overcompensating for his foot, showing everyone he was not "less of a man."

Εκδότης: John Murray on Wikimedia

8. He Left England In Scandal

While not exactly kicked out, Lord Byron left England in 1816 because the Victorian-era English society just couldn't stomach his scandalous behavior anymore. His marriage had failed, and he was embroiled in so many affairs, including one with his half-sister, that he had received numerous threats of being lynched. 

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9. He Was Bisexual

Though unheard of for his time, Lord Byron had affairs with both men and women throughout his life. He never openly declared it, as that would've been suicidal in the 19th century, but his writings make it clear that as early as his high school years, he had had romantic encounters with boys.

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10. He Published His First Book at Age 19

Lord Byron published his first book, a collection of poems called Hours of Idleness, in 1807, when he was just 19. His first work didn't receive much attention until it was harshly criticized in the Edinburgh Review. An angry Byron responded with a sassy satirical poem, English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, which made him famous. 

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11. He Had an Eating Disorder

Lord Byron had an unhealthy relationship with food and body image issues that manifested themselves in eating disorders, most likely anorexia nervosa or orthorexia. He was obsessed with being thin and often went all day eating only some dry crackers and a single slice of toast, or fasting for long periods, followed by binge-eating and feeling immense guilt afterwards. 

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12. He Inspired the Creation of Frankenstein 

During the unusually stormy and cold summer of 1816, Lord Byron and Mary Shelley, among others, were staying at a villa in Switzerland. To pass the time, Byron suggested they each write and share a ghost story, which lit the fuse for what would become Shelley's great literary work, Frankenstein. It's thought that Byron's moody, brilliant, and tortured personality also inspired some character traits of both Dr. Frankenstein and his monster.

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13. He Fought in the Greek War of Independence

Byron, being a lover of Greek culture, was deeply moved by Greece's fight for independence from the Ottoman Empire. He not only funded ships, weapons, and supplies, but also ended up sailing to Greece to fight, training troops, and uniting Greek factions. Recognizing his dedication, the people of Greece called him "the Philhelene," meaning "lover of Greece." 

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14. He Lived in an Abbey

He lived in Newstead Abbey, his inherited 12th-century estate, which was half in ruins. He loved the crumbling, spooky castle because it matched his dark, gothic vibe. 

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15. He Died at Age 36

Lord Byron's life was cut tragically short after he caught a fever, possibly from typhoid, in 1924 while fighting in Greece. Although he didn't die in battle, he is remembered in Greece as a national martyr, and statues of him can be found in Greek cities to this day. 

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16. He Swam Across the Hellespont

Known for his athleticism, Lord Byron swam across the Hellespont (now called the Dardanelles), a narrow strait in Turkey separating Europe from Asia. It was here that Leander from Greek mythology swam each night to meet his lover, Hero. The straight is wickedly cold, four kilometers wide, with a strong current, and Lord Byron was immensely proud of himself for making it across.

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17. He Was Known For His Love Affairs

Lord Byron's many love affairs were immortalized in his epic verses. His life was marred by scandals, though we suppose that's how he liked it. He was briefly married to Annabella Milbanke, who described him as "morally insane." 

George Gordon Byron on Wikimedia

18. He Traveled Extensively

Throughout his life, Byron traveled extensively, like a rock star. He loved the extraordinary and exotic, and his adventures brought him through Portugal, Spain, Albania, Greece, and Italy, where he had wild encounters and torrid affairs. 

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19. He Built a Lavish Tomb For His Dog

Lord Byron was a known animal lover. When his beloved Newfoundland dog died, he was devastated and channeled his sadness into building an extravagant tomb to commemorate him at Newstead Abbey.

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20. He Had A Menagerie

Lord Byron's love of animals didn't stop at dogs and cats. He had a whole menagerie of exotic pets, including a bear, a monkey, a fox, a wolf, and peacocks, all roaming around the grounds of his decrepit estate.

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