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The worship of Horus -

Society's relationship with the falcon can be traced as far back as 2000 BCE. The ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Horus, a deity most often depicted as a falcon, usually a lanner falcon or peregrine falcon, or as a man with a falcon head.

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Origins of falconry -

The art of falconry is widely believed to have originated in Central Asia and the Iranian Plateau, around 1000 BCE.

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Symbolism -

The falcon was a symbolic bird of ancient Mongol tribes, and played a significant role in the cultural identities of various people living along the Silk Road. The great khans of the period, figures like Oghuz Khan, practiced falconry for food and for sport between military campaigns.

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Cradle of falconry -

While the Mongolian steppes are frequently cited as the cradle of falconry, hunting birds of prey were being trained in Persia at roughly about the same time, perhaps even earlier according to some historians.

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Thriving business -

By the 13th century, there were over 60 officials managing over 5,000 trappers and more than 10,000 falconers and falconry workers practicing their art within the Mongol Empire.

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Falconry in India -

Falconry in India had taken off around 600 BCE. It became especially popular with the Mughals and the titled, who considered it a noble art.

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A bird fit for an emperor -

No less a figure than the mighty Akbar, generally considered one of the greatest emperors in Indian history, practiced falconry, his raptor of choice being the sparrowhawk.

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Arab falconry -

Falconry in the Middle East has its origins in Babylonia, where it was practiced as early as 1800 BCE. The falcon was lauded in Arab poetry and it was across the Arabian Gulf region that kings, sheikhs, and military commanders honed their skills with birds such as the saker falcon and peregrine falcon, two of the fastest birds of prey in the world.

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Falconry in the Islamic world -

Through Arab influence, falconry spread out through the Islamic world to be enthusiastically embraced by the great Islamic empires of Central Asia and westwards across North Africa to the Maghreb. So revered was the species that a falconry-related verse appears in the Koran.

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Falconry in the Far East -

Written records suggest that falconry in the Far East was being practiced in the region as far back as 700 BCE.

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Falconry in China -

In China, the art enjoyed imperial patronage and was popular among the aristocracy right up until 1912 when Puyi, the last emperor of China, was forced to abdicate.

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Falconry in Japan -

Falconry arrived relatively late in Japan, around 355 CE. Prior to this date, hawking was undertaken by falconers on horseback armed with bow and arrow.

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The pursuit of hawking -

Hawking was held in high regard by Japanese society. Public demonstrations of the art saw practitioners dressed in beautiful costumes and wielding elaborate equipment. Japan was one of the first countries to establish falconry schools, usually run by former imperial falconers.

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Birds on the Bayeux Tapestry -

The precious 5th-century CE mosaics depicting falconry scenes decorating the floor of the Villa of the Falconer at Argos in Greece rank among the earliest evidence of falconry in Europe. Equally compelling is the hawking party seen galloping over the famous Bayeux Tapestry, which was completed in 1077.

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Falconry descends on Europe -

But it was during the 13th century when Arab falconry techniques were imported into Europe through Spain and through the court of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in Sicily that the art of falconry truly took off across the continent.

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'The Art of Hunting with Birds' -

Frederick II is generally acknowledged as the most significant source of traditional falconry knowledge. His understanding of the techniques used in Arab falconry provided source material for his comprehensive falconry treatise, De arte venandi cum avibus ('On the Art of Hunting with Birds').

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Medieval falconry -

Falconry's flight through Spain and Portugal traveled on the tailwind of Arab falconry and heralded the arrival of the art in the medieval era.

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Flying into Western Europe -

Similarly, those returning from the Crusades in the Holy Land, plus merchants, travelers, and adventurers, took falcons and falconers with them, introducing falconry to Western Europe and the British Isles.

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Falconry in Britain -

References to hawking in Britain date back to the 8th century CE, the practice likely brought to its shores by European invaders. The aforementioned Bayeux Tapestry serves as visual proof that hunting using falcons was well established. But falconry proper only evolved in the mid-1200s.

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A mark of status and breeding -

Falconry flourished in Britain, albeit the province of the wealthy, the nobility, and royalty. And in medieval times, knowledge about the art and the ability to handle and fly falcons was a mark of status and breeding.

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Falconry in France -

In France, the country's monarchs made a point of pursuing falconry. The art reached its zenith of complexity, scale, and magnificence in the 17th century during the reign of Louis XIII.

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Notable falconers of Italy -

Italy, meanwhile, produced a raft of famous falconers, individuals that included Cardinal Giordano Orsini, Francesco Foscari, the Doge (chief magistrate) of Venice, Lorenzo de' Medici, and, more notoriously, Lucrezia Borgia.

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Grounded! -

The late 17th century and much of the 18th century saw the decline of falconry across Great Britain and much of Europe as firearms became the tool of choice for hunting.

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Falconry continues to flourish -

In other parts of the world, however, the tradition flourished, mostly in those countries where falconry remained an intrinsic part of their culture and national identity.

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Symbol of a region's identity -

And it remains so today. In fact, in the Middle East, which includes the Arabian Peninsula, falconry is considered a symbol of this region's civilization more than in any other area in the world. Over 50% of the world's falconers practice their art here.

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Eagle hunting -

In Mongolia, falconry is considered a living heritage. Today, many falconers participate in eagle hunting. These magnificent raptors, among them the regal golden eagle, are trained to bring down other birds in flight and small mammals, including rabbits, on the ground.

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Up close and personal -

For most of us, falconry is a rare and privileged pastime. But members of the public are permitted to get up close and personal with various birds of prey during displays of falconry.

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Royal patronage -

And in keeping with falconry's noble past, it's not unusual to find a member of royalty getting to grips with the art. In this case, it's William, Prince of Wales.

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Gyrfalcon, the monarch's choice -

Birds used in falconry include the gyrfalcon, the largest true falcon in the world. They have been highly regarded by practitioners throughout falconry's history. In fact, in the Middle Ages only a king could hunt with a gyrfalcon.

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Other popular birds -

Other birds regularly used in falconry include the aforementioned peregrine and saker falcons, the lanner falcon, merlin, goshawk, and the golden eagle.

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Falconry recognized by UNESCO -

In 2010, falconry was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Recognizing it as such means falconry is seen in greater context as forming the basis of a wider cultural heritage, including traditional dress, food, songs, music, poetry, and dance, sustained by the communities and clubs around the world that practice it. 

Sources: (International Association for Falconry) (The Falconry School) (UNESCO)

See also: Let us prey! The hawks, falcons, kites, and eagles found in the USA

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