Medieval Falconry
Falconry has been practiced for thousands of years, but the
height of falconry was seen in the medieval ages. This peak of popularity made
a major impact on the way the art is practiced today. The earliest record of
falconry is dated at 1700 B.C. Falconry is roughly defined as the practice of
hunting and taking quarry with a trained bird of prey by most falconry
associations. Some purists define falconry as the sport of hunting specifically
with a falcon. The term “hawking” is used for hunting with hawks. “Austringer”
is a broad term used for one who hunts with hawks, eagles, and owls. Medieval
falconers practiced with hawks, falcons, and sometimes eagles. Owls were not
used due to their nocturnal nature and the superstitious believed them to be
the incarnations of witches.
An aspiring falconer in the middle ages would have to procure
their bird from the wild. It was quite an undertaking to ascend a tree and
pluck a young hawk or falcon from its nest. Some birds were captured in large
bow nets on their migration routes. The young bird was then raised by the
falconer to maturity, learning to obey whistles and calls. Large auctions were
held each fall in Valkenswaard. Falconers from medieval courts across Europe would
bid on the best specimens caught that year.
Training methods have not changed much since the middle ages.
After obtaining a new bird, the falconer would spend quite a bit of time
manning it. Manning is a process that accustoms the bird to its surroundings
and falconer. The bird is taken to the falconer’s gauntlet, a leather glove
that protects the hands from a raptor's sharp talons. The falconer then coos
the bird and lets it become familiar with their voice. Next, the falcon is trained
to overcome her fear of the falconer and accept food from the falconer. Food is
the bond between man and bird. It is why the raptor returns to the falconer. It
is also thought that this stimulates the feeling of a chick being fed by its
mother.
Falconry excursions were often a kingdom affair. Many people
from the castle would participate in the hunt. Dogs often hunted alongside the
birds. The falconers carried their birds hooded to the location of the hunt. Next,
the hood was removed and the bird flies from the fist after its prey. The
raptor stays on the prey once it’s killed. The falconer then traded a tidbit so
the bird would relinquish the prey. The falconer would bag the food and rehood
the bird. This process was continued until a satisfactory amount of animals
were bagged.
Falconry equipment used in the Middle Ages is still used
today. Birds were kept in large cages called mews. Designs have changed but
modern falconers are often required to have a mews in order to obtain falconry
licensing. Medieval accessories such as hoods, jesses, bells, and lures are an important
for any falconer. Hoods are leather coverings for bird's eyes for the purposes
of training, transporting and hunting. Jesses are leather straps on bird that
go through leather anklets. Bells are attached to the ankles and used as a form
of telemetry. The sound of jingling bells alerts a falconer to their bird’s
location.
In royal households there were often lord falconers. This
position was passed from father to son. The lord falconer was responsible for was
responsible for capturing, training and caring for the raptors. He also chose
which birds to fly on the hunt.
Falconry was a very important part of life in Medieval
England. During the Middle Ages falconry
was a way to put food on the table and was used as a status symbol. Falconry
was generally a sport reserved for the noble, due to the high expenses of
caring for birds of prey. People kept
certain birds in accordance with their social status. The long winged birds, or
falcons, were seen as the most desirable and kept by the upper class. Female birds
were thought to be superior. Emperors kept Golden Eagles and Merlins. Kings
kept Gyr falcons but could have any bird they wanted. Earls flew female peregrines
and barons had males. Knights hunted with Sakers. Kestrels are small birds that
hunt mice and insects. They were seen as useless in medieval falconry and were
the only birds knaves, servants, and young children could possess.
Falconry was so persuasive in medieval England it could be
seen everywhere. Pope Leo X even brought it into the church. Raptors took part
in religious services and nuns were often seen with falcons on their wrists.
Medieval falconry
has had an impact on modern day society. Medieval literature that still popular
today often makes reference to falconry. Shakespeare frequently referenced falconry
in his works. Several idioms and words we commonly use today are derived from
falconry. The word codger, used today to describe an elderly person, comes from
the falconry term, cadger, an elderly former falconer who carried a portable
perch called a cadge for a falconer. Callow, which is a nestling raptor whose
feathers are still in the blood-quill stage, is now used to describe someone
who is young or untested. When raptors drink, it is called bowsing. A bird that
drinks heavily is called a boozer, the term now used to describe people who
frequently drink (alcohol). The expression, in a bate, meaning in a panic,
comes from the term bating, when a falcon tries to fly from its leash. The
idiom “fed up” derives from when a falcon’s loss of interest in hunting when
full. A haggard is a wild mature hawk. Birds of prey are only captured when
they are young.
It is even
believed that falconry started wild life conservation in the Middle Ages. There
were strict punishments for harming a bird of prey. To destroy a falcon's eggs
meant one year's imprisonment; to kill a wild falcon was reason enough for the
criminal's eyes to be poked out. Any form of injury to a raptor, its eggs, or its
habitat was (and continues to be) a serious crime. Birds were never so revered
as in the Middle Ages and never before were there such strict laws protecting
wild animals.
This golden age of falconry not only shaped the sport, but has
had a major influence on society today. From equipment to literature to way
raptors are revered, medieval falconry has made an undeniable impact.
Works Cited
·
National
Falconry Association: http://www.n-a-f-a.com/
·
The
International Society for Falconry: http://www.i-a-f.org/
·
HAGINBALD.
The Arte of Medieval Faulconry. Harper
Brothers; 1923 (8th printing)
·
Davis,
William Sterns. Life on a Mediaeval
Barony.
·
http://wingmasters.net/falconry_history.htm
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