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In medieval Europe, falconry was perhaps the most popular form of hunting among the aristocracy. Owning a falcon, and the necessary falconer to go with it, was a status symbol throughout the middle ages. This book is the first broad history of English royal falconry in medieval times, a book that draws on forty years of research to provide a full description of the actual practice and conditions of the sport and of the role of falconers in the English royal household. Robin S. Oggins begins with a description of the birds of prey, their training, and the sport of falconry. He provides a short history of early falconry in western Europe and England, then explores in unprecedented detail royal falconry from the reign of William I to the death of Edward I in 1307. The author concludes with an overview of the place and importance of falconry in medieval life. Robin S. Oggins is a retired medieval historian and fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He lives in Vestal, New York.
E-Book Content
The Kings and Their Hawks
ROBIN S. OGGINS
The Kings and Their Hawks FA L C O N RY I N M E D I E VA L E N G L A N D
Yale University Press New Haven & London
Frontispiece: Owner, falconer, and groom, Flemish, end of fifteenth century, Hours; Add. MS 35315, fol. 4; London: British Library. By permission of the British Library.
Copyright ∫ 2004 by Yale University. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. Set in Sabon type by Keystone Typesetting, Inc. Printed in the United States of America by Sheridan Books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Oggins, Robin S., 1931– The kings and their hawks : falconry in medieval England / Robin S. Oggins. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-300-10058-2 (alk. paper) 1. Falconry—England—History—To 1500. 2. Great Britain—Kings and rulers—Recreation. I. Title. sk321.o44 2004 799.2%32%09420902—dc22 2004046950 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Ginny and Jimmy
Contents
List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction xv 1
The Sources 1
2
The Birds, Their Training, and the Sport of Falconry 10
3
Falconry in Anglo-Saxon England 36
4
English Royal Falconry, William I to Henry II 50
5
English Royal Falconry, Richard I to Henry III 64
6
Falconry in the Reign of Edward I 82
7
Falconry in Medieval Life 109 Appendix: Royal Falconry Expenditures, 1234–1307 139 List of Abbreviations 145 Notes 149 Bibliography 199 Index 239 vii
Illustrations
Frontispiece: Owner, falconer, and groom.
Figures in text Fig. 1: Fig. 2: Fig. 3: Fig. 4: Fig. 5: Fig. 6: Fig. 7: Fig. 8: Fig. 9: Fig. 10: Fig. 11: Fig. 12: Fig. 13: Fig. 14: Fig. 15:
Falconer swimming to aid his bird. 19 Taking young birds from an eyrie. 20 Preparing food for and feeding a young bird. 23 Seeling a falcon. 24 Spraying and bathing hooded falcons. 26 Training a falcon to the lure. 28 Recalling a falcon. 29 Hawking at duck. 31 Two women crane hawking. 33 Falconry as the occupation of October, English. 45 Duke William carrying a hawk brought by Harold. 48 Thanking St. Nicholas for his gift of dowries: the first bridegroom. 113 A physician leaves for a hawking holiday. 114 The gentleman. 116 Angel feeding a falcon. 134
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