Is falconry a royal hobby?
Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural habitat and stay by means of
a trained bird or prey.
The practice of hunting with a conditioned falconry bird also is called "hawking".
Falconry is an art. It requires long hours, constant devotion, finesse, subtlety and skill.
The falconer must train a bird of prey to fly free, hunt for a human being and then
accept a return to captivity.
Falconry was just not a hobby. It was a lifestyle. Falconers must devote time to their
birds each and every day.
It must be no surprise that falconry has a long and royal history just as horse riding.
In many countries owning a falcon was and is a status symbol.
Some history of Falconry
Medieval sports were chances for men to practice their mental and physical
skills. However falconry also was practiced by women.
Royals and Falconry
Bahrain
Sulman Falcon Centre. The royal family can afford their own well-trained
falcons.
Bohemia
during his reign, the name means this village served as a centre for royal
falconer.
Burgundy
falconry.
China
in China.
Dubai
falconry. He is pictured with a beautiful bird.
Dubai who introduced in 2002 a "new" sport to the Arab world:
falcon racing.
United Arab Emirates, installed a falcon racing tournament with even a larger
price.
France
story, in which a knight changed himself in a hawk to visit his imprisoned lady
in her tower.
Middle Ages till the French Revolution. It first appeared around 1250.
Louis XIV of France the function Grand Falconer of France was more a honourable
title as the King had stopped hunting by birds. However falcons were still gifted to
the King at Versailles.
Germany
falconers at his court. His son Manfred - the later King of Sicily - also was a
keen falconer.
50 falconers! His expenses for falconry caused nearly a bankruptcy of his
Margraviate of Baden.
Hungary
mostly depicted as a hawk of a falcon in Hungarian and in Turkish tradition as
well. It is a national symbol of the Hungarians.
House of Árpád.
India
India: Falconry in the Valley of the Indus. It was first published in 1852.
Nowadays it is banned in India.
Moravia
him too.
Ottoman Empire
birds on campaign with them, hunting and hawking for leisure between battles.
Saudi Arabia
sport among the royalty in Saudi Arabia. Link to travellers magazine.
and held near Riyadh. More about the festival on this link.
Spain
falconry.
United Kingdom
horseback riding, sewing, embroidery and diary writing. However she also loved
falconry.
look after the falcons of the King.
time of the invasion of France.
King Richard III's death at the Battle of Bosworth. It details the pursuits of
gentlemen of the aristocracy and goes into great detail about hunting, fishing,
heraldry and of course falconry.
Royal Family at the time.
To conclude
strict federal standards because animal rights activists and some environmentalists
condemn falconry.
as it affects the wild population of birds used for falconry.
A big thank you!
Moravia, Hungary .... ) and providing me the picture of King Svatopluk of Moravia.
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