Falconry history.

Just got back from giving a talk to one of our local chapters of the University of the 3rd Age, in Filleigh. People often want to learn something about the birds and the history of falconry, and I'm always happy to oblige. I enjoy the research, and it seems to be an almost inexhaustable subject.  Usually, someone has been out for a hawk walk with us at North Devon Hawk Walks,  (www.NorthDevonHawkWalks.co.uk for details),  found it interesting and arranged for me to visit their group.

Falconry itself is probably about three thousand years old. One of, if not the, oldest depiction of someone hawking is an Etruscan mosaic. The Roman weren't interested in it but most of the nations they ruled were, and there are Celtic sculptures and brooches depicting it.  It probably began in the middle East and really reached its highest point in Europe during the Middle Ages. Following the Crusades a lot of Middle-Eastern influences were imported to Europe ( spices, building techniques, and ancient knowledge etc),  falconry received a boost from this and from the interest of the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick the second, who wrote a book about it in the 13th century.

Although it began as a way of getting meat on the table, falconry later developed into almost a craze among the nobility and rising middle classes in Europe. It became a way of showing conspicuous consumption ( you needed a lot staff, land, money and time to practice it), and competitiveness  ( my falcon is bigger, braver, flies higher than yours).  Along with other forms of hunting it became one of the necessary accomplishments of any gentleman.  A falcon that flew high, attacked birds bigger and more dangerous than itself  and was victorious, was believed to display all the attributes a brave young man should aspire to. It is no accident that many shields and coats of arms were decorated with eagles, hawks and falcons. Princes and aristocrats in medieval and Renaissance Europe were fanatical about it.  For many it took up nearly all their time and most of their energy,.  There were few who did not regard it as their privilege and duty and as a very serious occupation.

Laws relating to falconry give an indication of how it was viewed.

In 1320 the Grand Prince of Moscow made falconers above the law.  ( That would be nice !)

Under King Henry 8th of England, it was illegal, without the express authority of the king, to fly a bird bred in England.  Falconers had to import their birds from elsewhere.  This law aimed to ensure a regular supply of hunting birds in the mews of the king and aristocracy.

Charles 6th of France restricted falconry to nobles.

A good falcon was not only a great favourite who went everywhere with her master ( King Harold of England had his with him when he was held captive in Normandy prior to the Battle of Hastings, 1066)  but she was also a valuable possession, the result of long training. In England there were strict laws with heavy penalties about returning falcons to their rightful owners.  A stray falcon had to be reported to the Sheriff of the county, by law.  In the 15th century it was common to see in churches wax effigies of hawks with candles burning nearby  and prayers being said for the return of a prized, lost falcon,  or for it's recovery from sickness.

The Church authorities passed numerous laws over centuries, in England,  aimed at getting the local priests to spend less time hawking and more time on their church duties.  The fact that they had to keep on making these laws indicates that they were being ignored.

So, a long history. Falconry nearly died out in the UK in the 1950s, because of persecution by gamekeepers ( protecting pheasants) and the use of pesticides.  Only a handful of falconers kept it going. In the 70's, people began importing the Harris Hawk  ( Parabuteo Unicinctus) from America. It bred well in captivity and most people who begin hawking nowadays begin with a Harris Hawk.


Anyway, my talk went down well,  the birds behaved themselves  (you can't house-train a hawk), and everyone enjoyed themselves.  I've got another talk tomorrow, in Tiverton. Hopefully I'll be able to use the dreaded PowerPOint to show some pictures so people can see how the different species of birds have different wing/tail shapes and how this affects their hunting techniques.