Medieval FALCONRY was AMAZING!

While at the Abbey medieval Festival I got the chance to see some birds of prey and learn about Medieval Falconry.
If you like the content and want to support the channel, you're welcome to do so through Utreon, Subscribe Star or Patreon:

Come check out my other channels!

My novel, Shadow of the Conqueror Audio Book affiliate links:

Ebook, Paperback and Hardcover available from most major book retailers, here are a few of the main ones:
Amazon affiliate link (be sure to navigate to your country's amazon site):
Barnes and Noble:
Kobo:

#medievalmisconceptions

[lextheap]

I think the levels of sophistication you find in older professions was born out of the need for efficiency in a world before machinery and industry. People found tge best ways to do something to save them time and be more effective so they could do their craft AND survive

[walther]

My grandfather is a active falconer in Magdeburg, Germany. His job is to keep the remaining historical buildings who survived the second world war as pigeon-free as possible, due to the damage their guano has on the buildings. Especially at the 800 to 1000 years old buildings, like Magdeburg Cathedral, were King Otto I. is buried, last king of the Kingdom of the East Franks and first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
Thats why he often says he is still serving the old king and so the HRE. (It's more a joke of him)
He's 91 now and my sister will be presumably his successor when he can't do it anymore, or when he will die. We don't have exact dates, but it seems my family is doing falconry in Magdeburg since at least 1552 and givin the fact that my nephew is absolutely nuts about falcons and falconry, I assume that we will continue to do so at least until the end of this century.

(Little side note to Otto the First: He was also the bearer of the Holy Lance, the Spear of Destiny, with which was Jesus pierced. In 955, at The Battle of Lechfeld, he lead his army with the spear in his hand into the battle.)

[angryman]

This is so great, the relationship between man and animal throughout history has always fascinated me. I always wonder about the first guy who saw an ancient horse and thought... "I'm gonna ride that!" And the first horse that let that happen eventually.

[great_light_knight]

Shad looks like a video game protagonist going through a village

[shibalikchakraborty]

A horse, a dog & a falcon . Perfect set up for adventuring

[jones]

what a wonderful way to bring attention to this wonderful sport. Falconry and Hawking is still practiced today all over the world. Here in the United States it's actually experiencing a resurgence. There are even some places where farmers contract falconers or hawkers to protect fields from invasive species that damage their crop.

[fakjbf]

I would assume the “noble hawk” vs “gentle hawk” for the scientific name of the goshawk comes from the two having historically linked definitions. For example gentry is used to refer to people who own land but don’t have a noble title. “Noble” and “gentle” were originally just referring to social status but over time the words also took on other meanings for traits which were meant to be associated with those classes.

[RocheJG]

Falconry is still alive and very much in demand in certain areas of modern life, trafalgar square in London uses a falconer to control the pigeon population, and they are being used to intercept small drones.

[briangates]

The Wedge-tailed Eagle is my Favorite Eagle! They are Amazing and Fascinating! They stand out amongst most eagles. They are the only eagle that stay together as a family and they have can see the infrared light of geothermals as well as fly to abnormally high heights that scientists see no reason for them to fly so high.

[douglasyoung]

I attended a falconry convention in Colorado some years ago and met a man that was hunting with a trained cock. He had several red tailed Hawks and an owl with him as well but he said that the cock was his best mouser. I love hearing about how these birds were so valued throughout history and across the globe.

[joshbingham]

Falcons or other birds of prey pair so well with the classic fantasy ranger. There is a rugged elegance about both of them that I think fits so well together. My next D&D character is definitely going to be a falconer ranger!

[psoma_brufd]

Been to lots of Falconry shows in my youth, truly amazing birds. Again loving all these interviews, it's awesome to hear their perspectives!

[ovrair]

I actually did some falconry the other day, it was really fun, I flew a giant owl called Bart. Bart was the best

[Raggedy_Andy]

I am a bit of a medieval history buff, and a fantasy fiction fan. A couple of months ago I discovered Shadiversity and subsequently Knights Watch. I absolutely love your content, and despite your problems with youtube, I hope you persevere. Best wishes from a new fan in northern Ney York state!

[thefightingknight]

This is definitely one of the coolest things in the medieval era. I wish it was still a thing today.

[d_p]

Great interview! I'd love to see more videos about medieval era animals, training, and husbandry

[Hot_Dice]

Top notch stuff Shad! I’m lucky in that my good friend’s father (born in Soviet Ukraine) is a falconer. Though I’ve never been on a hunt, I have had the chance to handle and feed some of these gorgeous birbs. 🦅🦅

[Falconknight]

Love falconry! Thank you for making the video and sharing the interview! First!

[mandragoradravgis]

notes for self - In England (specifically?) imported Gyrfalcons, Peregrines, Goshawks from Scandinavia. Sakers & Lanners from the Mediterranean. Sparrow hawks from Ireland.
(likely the "Eurasian sparrow hawk")

Goshawk - eats grasshoppers, mice. Hunts ducks. Doesn't need stamina. Can be left in a cupboard for several days after a feeding. Can sit unstimulated for days. Explodes off the glove. Sleepy.
Kestrel -eats cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers. Catches sparrows.
Peregrine - requires a lot of land. Needs fitness all week long.

[Maddog]

Fascinating. It really is amazing how much information and skills are just lost from the general pool over time. Really makes you wonder what has been completely forgotton?