A king hunting with falcons. From an illuminated manuscript of the fourteenth century. Falcons, a species of hawk, were trained to take game and were very widely used by sportsmen in the Middle Ages.
Falconry was a popular and prestigious pastime in the European Middle Ages, especially among the nobility. This sport involved training birds of prey—most commonly falcons, hawks, and eagles—to hunt small game such as rabbits, partridges, and other birds. More than just a hobby, falconry was a symbol of status and refinement. Different types of birds were associated with different ranks; for example, only kings could fly eagles, while falcons were reserved for nobles, and lower-status individuals used smaller birds like kestrels.
Training a bird for falconry required time, patience, and skill. Birds were captured young or bred in captivity, then slowly introduced to humans and taught to return after chasing prey. Falconers used hoods to keep birds calm, leather gloves for handling, and lures to call them back during hunts. The relationship between falconer and bird was built on trust and discipline.
Falconry was often practiced in open fields or woodlands, accompanied by attendants, dogs, and horses. It became a subject in medieval art and literature, symbolizing nobility, control, and harmony with nature. Manuals on falconry, such as Frederick II’s De Arte Venandi cum Avibus, reflected the deep interest in the science and technique behind the sport. Falconry remained influential well into the Renaissance. |
