Noble falconry. Falconry: and fluff, and feathers, and love

The falcon is a regal, free, proud bird. To tame him is a delicate, skillful matter, requiring patience and care. Every year, the tsar's hunters, traveling around Siberia and the northern forests, sent dozens of wild falcons, gyrfalcons, hawks, falcons, dermligs to Moscow, to the Sokolnichiy yard, where experienced falconers trained them for the sovereign's hunting. They started by not letting the bird sleep for several days - from this the falcon became lethargic, indifferent and allowed a cap to be put on its head, and fetters on its legs. Then he was left without food for a day, after which they took him in his hand and fed him, removing the cap. They were given only selected meat - sometimes lamb, sometimes beef, but most often they fed the falcons with pigeons, which for this purpose were kept in great numbers on the royal dovecote. When the bird was warped, it was accepted drive in- to call, to lure: they sat on a chair in the hut, and the falconer with a piece of meat in his fist gradually increased the distance that the falcon had to fly in order to get food by sitting on the hunter's hand.

They repeated the same thing in the field, holding the bird on a lace, and then, having exhausted it for three days with insomnia, they let it out into the field without a lace, but with legs entangled, and again lure it in a fist for the bait. Having achieved that the falcon, at the call of the hunter, dutifully sat on his hand, they began to pit his game: first they threw dead ducks, pigeons, owls, crows into the air, then they set them on live birds, holding them on a cord and only allowing them to peck the prey; the falcon again received food from the falconer's fist. Finally, the last thing the falcons were taught was the fight against other strong, dangerous birds - herons, hawks, buzzards, which they could meet in the field while hunting. For the first fight, the Korshaks were blinded, and the herons were put on a case on their beak so that they would not kill or maim the inexperienced young falcon. And only after all this, the trained predator was released on a free hunt, without a lace and fetters. This was always done in the presence of Alexei Mikhailovich himself, who assessed which of the young would be hard, and which would be kind.

The methods of training the falcons were kept secret. A trained hunting bird was expensive and highly valued, so falcons and gyrfalcons in expensive outfits were sent as a gift only to those sovereigns in whose friendship the tsar was especially interested - the Crimean Khan, the Polish king, the Turkish sultan. Yes, to tell the truth, among the rulers of that time one could rarely meet truly skillful hunters and connoisseurs of noble fun. Alexei Mikhailovich knew only one such person - the Persian Shah.

The position of the royal falconer was honorary and responsible, among other amusing palace positions, the most important in proximity to the sovereign. The falconers knew one master over themselves - the tsar himself and enjoyed his exceptional confidence. On the other hand, Aleksei Mikhailovich questioned them severely, he punished the guilty mercilessly.

The rules of falconry and the ceremonial rank of appointment as falconers were contained in a special charter, which was called the "Order of the Falconer's Way" and was compiled by Alexei Mikhailovich himself. This book, written in the figurative Russian language, is remarkable for the striving for unselfish admiration of beauty that is captured in it.

Here's how it happened, for example, the placement in the falconers. In the morning, the falconers dressed up the front hut of the Sokolniki yard for the holiday. In the red corner they cleaned up a place for the king, laying a carpet on the bench with a headboard - a silk pillow made from down of wild ducks. In the middle of the hut, strewn with hay on the floor and covered it with a blanket, they arranged polyanovo- a place for the newly elected, with four chairs in the corners for a pair of gyrfalcons and a pair of falcons. Behind the polyanov they set up a table, on which they laid out a bird's outfit - a hood made of worm-like velvet trimmed with pearls, a velvet breastplate and tail embroidered with gold and silver, silver bells, satin onuchki and a debtor - a leather lace, one end tightly sewn to a hunting mitt; a falconer's outfit was placed next to it - an ermine hat, mittens, a golden braid, a sash with a small velvet bag made in the form of a bird of paradise bird of paradise, in which the sovereign's letter was kept with an appeal to the newly elected, finally, lure- a whistle to call a bird, a hunting horn and a towel. The newly elected was taken to another hut for the time being.

When everything was ready, the falconers, dressed in new colored caftans and yellow morocco boots, bestowed by the sovereign on the occasion of the celebration, stood decorously near the table and along the benches near the walls. Aleksey Mikhailovich, dressed in a dark green hunting caftan and yellow boots, like those of falconers, on entering, looked around the hut - is everything all right - and sedately sat down in his place.

After a little time, the falconer carefully approached the king:
Is it time, sire, for a model and a rank to be?
- Time, - answered Alexei Mikhailovich, - announce the sample and rank.

Podsokolnichiy addressed the initial falconers:
-Initial! A time for command and an hour for beauty.

According to these words, the falconers began to ceremoniously dress the gyrfalcon, which they handed over to the newly elected. After waiting for them to finish, the falconer again decently approached the king:
-Is it time, sir, to receive, and to send on the new election, and set decoration?
- Time, accept, and send, and set.

The falconer put on his mitten, having recovered and repented, accepted the gyrfalcon, crossed himself and stood at a distance from the king, as the charter required, quietly, orderly, humanely, quietly, carefully, cheerfully, holding the bird honestly, obviously, dangerously, harmoniously, sub-correctly. After standing a little, he ordered the messenger:
-By the sovereign's decree, call the newly elected to the sovereign's mercy, this is the time for his honor and honor to be, and the hour has come for his fun, so that he goes without delay.

Two old falconers led the newly elected, prayed, bowed to the tsar in the ground and, putting the young man on the clearing, took off his hat, sash and mittens. Instead, the initial falconers took turns putting on a newcomer a bandage with a bag taken from the table, a golden braid; the horn and lure were attached to the rings at the left and right sides. The senior officer would stand behind him, holding an ermine hat over the head of the newly-elected one until the order was given.

After waiting, the podsokolniki called the clerk, who, taking out a letter from the bag-hamayun, loudly and solemnly read out the sovereign's appeal to the newly elected, - so that in everything he " to want good, to serve faithfully, and to amuse us, the great sovereign, with all your soul, to the death of your belly, and to follow our sovereign desire diligently and tirelessly, and love your brethren as yourself. And you will learn to be unwilling and unjoyful, and in all our sovereign affairs disobedient, lazy, drunk, foolish, ugly, and disobedient to the falconer and all the brethren, slanderous, slanderous, inflicting, and filled with all kinds of bad things, and you are not only to be bound with iron fetters, but also for the third fault, without any mercy, to be exiled to Lena". And so that the sovereign's word was always before the eyes of the newly elected, they put on mittens with pictures embroidered on them: on one of them - royal favor and treasury, on the other - prison and merciless execution.

And the frightened newcomer bowed and swore to serve the sovereign faithfully, and to amuse him, and to please him, and to follow his sovereign hunting until the death of his belly.

After that came the most solemn moment of the rite of passage. The falconer approached the king and spoke in a mysterious language, led by one initiate:
-Vreli mountains sotlo?
In the language of falconers, this meant: “Is it time, cydar, to do business?”
- Make a gift (make a gift), - answered Alexei Mikhailovich.

Then the falconer, turning to the newly elected, cheerfully and impudently proclaimed:
-Great Sovereign and Grand Duke Aleksey Mikhailovich, autocrat of all Great and Small and White Russia, instructed you to give away the gyrfalcon and other birds for your sovereign hunting, and you would follow his state hunting diligently, with joy from all your heart, and keep his sovereign hunting like an apple eye, and amuse his sovereign without any laziness and cunning until the death of his stomach!

With these words, he gave him a dressed-up gyrfalcon. And although the knees of the newly elected often trembled with excitement and fear, he accepted the gyrfalcon in an exemplary, beautiful, and careful way, and stood before the sovereign in an orderly, joyful, hopeful, surprising manner; and did not bow to the great sovereign until they put on him an ermine hat, which crowned the whole thing. And then the falconer brethren surrounded him, congratulated him on the great royal mercy and heartily asked him not to forget his promise in the future, and not to leave his obedience, and not to dismiss their comradely advice.

And on leaving the front hut, a dinner table was waiting for the falconers, set by the sovereign's favor to them, and on that table, in its place, he found a newly elected outfit of krechets, four gold pieces, eight yefimki and three embroidered towels - the first sovereign's salary, so that he knew that for the king, faithful service does not disappear.

Alexei Mikhailovich hunted mainly in the vicinity of the village of Izmailova near Moscow. Falcons and gyrfalcons were lowered in turn. In special books, the course and results of the hunt were recorded: Bumar the gyrfalcon got a crow from twenty rates; Gyrfalcon Berdyay mined a karshak from above for a long time, and when he knocked down from above, he wanted to flow into the grove, but the Gyrfalcon did not allow him to the grove and finished him off from the top rate; and the old chelig Gamayun got two scoops - one was bruised so that it fell down no one knows where, but then he himself flew away from the hunt, forcibly returned in the evening, etc.

But younger son Alexei Mikhailovich no longer liked hunting - so he never hunted in his whole life. The sovereign Pyotr Alekseevich preferred other amusements.

Since ancient times, hunting with the help of hunting birds has been not so much a way of obtaining food and hunting trophies as an entertaining entertainment and art at the same time.

Falconry is popular in our time - in many countries of the world this activity has grown into one of the most beloved hobbies. the mighty of the world this. Why only them? But because it costs a lot of money to acquire and maintain your own bird of prey - often not less than several tens of thousands of dollars.

However, there are people who themselves were able to tame birds of prey and attend hunting not only to bring home trophies, but also to relax their souls. In Russia, falconry is not as common as, say, in United Arab Emirates. But every year there are more and more more people who are fond of this type of hunting.

Hunting with the help of birds of prey is not only one of the bright pages of history modern Russia, but also one of the main symbols of the national tradition. The Russians, being hunters by nature, did not just elevate hunting to the rank of spiritual entertainment, but connected their whole life with it since time immemorial. This is reflected in many chronicles, tales and legends. What can I say - even in the legend about Ilya Muromets there are such words: "... Ilya Muromets saw a hero in an open field ... He lowered a bright falcon from his hand ...".

The dawn of falconry in Russia fell on the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Every year, more than two hundred birds of prey were brought to the capital, which were in the falcon yards. At each yard there were at least 10-15 falconers - people who looked after and trained birds. None of the outsiders had the right to visit the falconer's yards and only the direct owners of the birds could see them.

Most often, they went hunting with goshawks, saker falcons, gyrfalcons and peregrine falcons, and the last two species of birds of prey were in a special account for many hunters. Sapsan is major representative falcon family, which is distinguished by its incredible beauty. Only in Russia they called him “falcon”, compared valiant warriors with him and dedicated epics and legends to him. It is likely that the peregrine falcon amazed our ancestors not only with its beauty, but also with its flight speed - an attacking bird reaches a speed of 300 km / h.

On a special account among the kings and aristocrats was the gyrfalcon. This is the largest representative of the falcon family, which can be a wide variety of colors, ranging from white to gray. It was the white falcon that, because of its rarity, was called “red” in Russia and cost several times more than any hunting birds.

Pomytchiki were engaged in catching birds, who were elected from various classes and, thanks to their activities, got rid of many duties. To find the gyrfalcon, these people went hundreds of kilometers from the capital, to the coasts of the Barents and White Sea or to Siberia. Pomytchiki passed hundreds of kilometers off-road, with difficulty climbed steep cliffs in order to get even small and flightless gyrfalcon chicks.

After they managed to get the chicks, they went back, observing the greatest caution. If the gyrfalcon chicks were harmed in any way, the hunters could be very severely punished or even executed. Almost all Russian tsars and tsarinas were fond of falconry, finding in it a way of excellent pastime and entertainment.

Modern hunting with a falcon

In modern times, falconry has not lost its relevance and continues to be no less popular than several centuries ago. More and more true connoisseurs of hunting with the help of birds of prey appear, who diligently revive ancient traditions. There are several organizations whose activities are somehow connected with falconry:

• National Foundation of Saint Tryphon. The organization is engaged in both conducting falconry and providing services related to it, and they accept everyone who wants to provide all possible assistance in all the undertakings of the organization.
• Sokolofffund. The organization has developed the “Program for the Revival of Falconry in Russia” and is engaged in the provision of falconry services and teaches everyone the art of hunting with the help of birds of prey.
• In Saint Petersburg there is hunting club"Merlin", which unites all lovers of falconry.

Every day falconry is becoming more and more popular not only in Russia, but all over the world. People want to return to their roots and feel the spirit of ancient traditions that have existed for many centuries.

Defining force falconry is not power at all firearms, a for the most part high-flying birds, which include all large falcons - gyrfalcons, saker falcons, peregrine falcons, swiftly and hopelessly overtaking even the most evasive and sophisticated birds and animals for their victims. falconry miraculously settled in the vastness of medieval Europe and, due to significant costs, space, time and often legislative restrictions, turned out to be the most popular sport of all the nobility without exception.

Falconry was practiced in ancient times, and the first mention of it was found during excavations of the Assyrian fortress Dur-Shurrukin. Before the beginning new era hunting was in use mainly in the East - India, Persia, the Middle East, China, Mongolia and nomads Central Asia. Only in 1250, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II wrote the first treatise "The Art of Hunting with Birds". Two hundred too years later, in the English "Book of St. Alban" it is already stated that. that only a prince or a duke could keep a peregrine falcon. In the late Middle Ages, falconry completely came under the care of the monarch and his court, and under Louis 13, falconry was divided into several components, depending on the "leaks" and birds - objects of hunting, each of which was in charge of a single person. Falconry is called hunting with any hunting birds in general, in the narrow sense - only hunting with a falcon and a gyrfalcon.

In the courtly upbringing of aristocratic society, hunting, falconry in particular, very quickly became one of the favorite pastimes. Unlike other types of hunting, hunting with birds of prey required a lot of time, assertiveness and the desire to comprehend a cruel but beautiful art. A future knight or a noble person from birth should certainly know how to catch a bird, how to feed and care for it, how to teach it to obey gestures and whistles, recognize a victim and hunt for it. Many treatises were devoted to the science of falcon training, which established taking it from the nest immediately after birth. After the first molt, the claws were cut to the bird, and a bell was tied to the paw. Step by step, the falcon was taught to sit on a special perch on the arm, taught to whistle, then, having freed the eyelids, re-accustomed to the light and teased with artificial victims. This whole painstaking process took up to a year. Finally, the first hunt came. As soon as the game appeared, the bird soared sharply into the air, tracked down the prey, rushed at it and held it until then. until the whistle of the owner brought him back.

How did falconry suddenly become a favorite pastime of the nobility?

• Firstly, keeping, training and "carrying" birds is not an easy or cheap task.

• Secondly, hunting with birds of prey became that path between boring evenings in salons, with the help of which it was still possible to show male agility and prowess. It goes without saying that the aristocracy only skimmed the cream off the finished product, and the rest of the time, hundreds of birds were looked after, kept and fed in non-hunting times, followed the course of molting, specially trained people arranged for the winter. Falconry gradually found itself in the span between sport and everyday ritual, and it was not low production that came to the fore, but the aestheticism of the whole process.

Birds of prey are birds of prey that actively pursue their prey, possessing the greatest strength, energy, viscosity and dexterity, which is why they are most suitable for prey hunting. The hunters include traditional species used in the old days:

• merlin,
• falcon,
• peregrine falcon,
• saker falcon,
• derbnik,
• hobby,
• eagle - golden eagle,
• big and small hawks.

With the help of the golden eagle in Central Asia, foxes, wolves and goitered gazelles are still hunted.

When hunting, you will need a certain set of equipment that makes it easier to manage a bird of prey:

• glove,
• hood,
• lure,
• oputenki,
• bells,
• debtor,
• carbine,
• bag,
• stylet.

Arab falconers prefer the "trumpet" to the glove. Birds of prey are carried while hunting on a hand protected by a glove made of suede or soft leather: for carrying some birds, a “cage” is used, a wooden frame made of beams that serves as a perch for birds. As a rule, traps are put on the legs of birds of prey; a debtor is threaded into the harness - a strap with which the bird is tied to the glove: in turn, a bell is attached to the legs or to the tail of the bird of prey, a ringing bell, by the sound of which they monitor the moving bird of prey and, most importantly, determine the place where it sat down with prey. Falcons, gyrfalcons and golden eagles are worn in hoods: hoods are not needed for hawks - unlike falcons, they themselves rush to the victim, and do not “pounce”. Previously, in the falconry of the nobility, the owner could boast of his hunting equipment as a sign of wealth. Therefore, the bird was decorated in every possible way with silver bells, embossed leather bands and debtors, hoods decorated with stones, and breastplates and shoulder pads were embroidered with gold.

Falconers often resort to pair work - hunting birds of prey in pairs. As a rule, having risen to a height, the pair attacks the game in turn: one pursues the victim, falling on it, the other waits at the top. After the bet, the first goes up again, the second goes on the attack. And so time after time.

The optimal time for falconry is autumn; however, they hunt in the spring, less often in the summer. It is worth remembering that poisoning in rainy or hot weather, as well as during strong wind and extremely impractical in winter. Birds of prey should not be tired; use them every other day. Before hunting, the bird is kept - they are not fed; otherwise a well-fed falcon will lose motivation. The dignity of the falcon is estimated by the number of bets and going up. The bet is a blow associated with the fall of a falcon, or a “blow”: in the first variant, the bird, without the direct participation of the falconer, who only opens his hand to free it, immediately rushes after the prey; in the second case, the falconer throws the bird from his hand. Overlays differ in methods and meaning.

Falconry is almost as old as hunting itself. As soon as the man-hunter felt that he could not provide himself with the usual prey, he began to try to use various assistants for hunting, and if the dog was always and everywhere out of competition, then after it came the turn of the swamp lynx - house, cheetah and polecat. But only hunting birds have traveled the path with the hunter to the end and continue to hunt to this day and delight the souls of hunters in different corners Sveta.

Photo - Olga Frunze

Indications about the origin of hunting with birds of prey (falcons, hawks, golden eagles) in Russia date back to the 11th century. It came to us from the countries of the South-East and Asia Minor, and originated in India.

In particular, the Mongol feudal lords arranged this hunt with special splendor as a sign of wealth, strength and power. With us, too, this hunt was a privilege of the royal court and princes. The most common was hunting with falcons; falcon dogs were used to lift the bird into the air. Hunting with birds of prey reached its highest development in the 17th century. under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, although Prince Oleg in Kyiv (XI century) also had a falcon yard.

Fragment of the picture LITOVCHENKO Alexander - Italian envoy Calvucci sketches the favorite falcons of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich

Falcons for the royal court were caught by special hunters. Falconry in Russia was not only of sporting importance, but was also often a means of establishing good neighborly relations: falcons were sent to neighboring countries as gifts. Hunting with birds of prey broke up at the beginning of the second half of the 18th century. with the advent of hunting weapons and shotgun shooting.

It is obvious that Europeans learned about this hunt from Asian nomads during the era of the Great Migration. There are two main versions of the penetration of falconry into Europe. According to one - it appeared thanks to the Scythians and Sarmatians in the I-III centuries. n. e., while the movement from Asia went, as it were, to cover the Mediterranean along the territory of the northern coast of Africa and through the central and northern parts of Europe. According to another, it came to Europe along with the Huns or Avars.

The first reliable evidence of falconry in the Western European region dates back to the fifth century. In a manuscript from 499 CE. e., the author reports that in his youth, along with a horse and a dog, he also had a well-trained hunting bird. A well-known mosaic from the city of Argos (Peloponnese), depicting a falconry scene, also dates from the 5th century BC. n. e., the mosaic from Carthage also belongs to the same time. Since that time, hunting birds are constantly mentioned in the so-called barbarian Truths, which regulate legal relations among the Germans.

As for our country, the question of where falconry came to Russia from and, especially, when, is still open. Obviously, the Slavs, especially the southern ones, were the first to adopt this type of hunting from the steppes, and we do not know about this only because of the lack of writing. The first reliable information about falconry among the Slavs dates back to about the 9th century, that is, to the time when it was already widespread in the West. This is an image of a man on a horse with a bird on his hand, found in Moravia (historical region Czech Republic) in the town of Staro Miasto.

The opinion about the appearance of falconry in Russia in connection with the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols looks untenable. A number of written testimonies and archaeological finds indicate that hunting with birds of prey existed long before their arrival. East Slavs could get to know her, "in contact" with the steppe nomads, as well as from the western or southern Slavs who were in contact with the Germans and Byzantines. Among the latter, it has been known since about the 5th-6th century AD. e. The development of falconry in Russia could also have been influenced by the Scandinavians, in whom it was quite developed, as mentioned in many Scandinavian sagas, and the remains of hawks and falcons are constantly found in the graves of noble Vikings. Contacts with Byzantium also had their impact, because if we adopted their religion, then the customs and entertainments of the Byzantine court also did not go unnoticed by the ruling elite of the then Russia.

One way or another, but, apparently, falconry was known in Russia already in the 10th, and even in the 9th century. Moreover, one gets the impression that whatever its origin, but already according to the very first sources, falconry appears before us in a mature form and, to a greater extent, not as a trade, but as an entertainment for the nobility. With some certainty, we can talk about the predominance of the aesthetic component over the fishing one at that time. The prey of falconers could not be compared with other hunts, for example, the capture of birds with the help of weights or animals with nets, widespread in Russia. Here is what Pallas wrote about hunting with an advantage on the trans-Ural lakes: “Another manages to catch twenty or more of them (i.e. geese) at one time, and almost not a single night was spent in vain. In addition to ordinary large geese and geese, from which the most delicious roast is made in the world, various kinds of ducks and loons are caught in the same way.

A lot of written evidence of falconry in southern Russia has been preserved. According to their conditions, these territories were most suitable for hunting with birds of prey. It is known that Prince Oleg (IX century) kept the falcon yard. Under Prince Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054), the Church of St. Sophia in Kyiv was built, where on the wall frescoes of the stairs leading to the choirs there is a scene of hunting a hare with a bird of prey. By the time of his reign, the first set of laws, the so-called Russian Truth, also dates back, where there are a number of articles on hunting and birds of prey, for the theft of which a large fine was due. The mention of hawks and falcons can be found in the chronicle text "Dukhovnaya" or in the teachings of Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125). Igor, Prince Seversky, judging by the Ipatiev Chronicle, having been captured by the Polovtsy, hunted with hawks. Monument ancient Russian literature The 12th century "Tale of Igor's Campaign" also contains a lot of information about falconry.

Photo - Olga Frunze

In northeastern Russia, falconry was no less popular than in southern Russia, although hunting conditions were different due to vast forests and swamps. Of all the cities of northeastern Russia, Mr. Velikiy Novgorod, standing at the intersection of the main trade roads, one of which connected the East with the West ("Volga Way"), and the other - South and North ("The Way from the Varangians to the Greeks"). It is here that the presence of both eastern and western influences is felt in falconry.

Even at the dawn of the creation of the Russian state, the falcon appears as a coat of arms, a symbol of the founder of the dynasty of the first princes of Russia. Historian O.M. Rapov (1968) says that “the mysterious figures on the coins and seals of the Ruriks, on the rings and pendants that belonged to the princes and their combatants, and even on the bricks of the Church of the Tithes in Kyiv, are nothing more than the silhouette of an attacking falcon. According to some sources, the very word Rurik, Roerig and even Rarog is identified with the name of a falcon in general and saker or gyrfalcon in particular. In modern Slavic languages, such as Polish, Slovak, Czech, etc., this word denotes a saker falcon - a bird similar to a gyrfalcon.

Gradually, interest in falconry, and, above all, on the part of the Novgorod nobility, increased. There was also an increasing need for hunting birds. The demand for them served to the fact that raptor catchers began to appear. Catching birds of prey is becoming profitable business. It was precisely due to the fact that by the time the first set of laws of the so-called “Russian Truth” appeared, interest in birds of prey had increased so much that it was necessary to introduce an article on punishment for the theft of these birds as a special clause.

Probably, it was in connection with the wide development of falconry during the reign of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich (son of Alexander Nevsky) that an equestrian falconer appears on the prince's seal. By the time of his second reign (1294-1304), the surviving authentic letter of this prince to the posadniks, treasurers and elders of Zavolochye about providing food and carts to his battalions when they return with birds from the sea dates back to the time of his second reign (1294-1304). And the references in this letter to his father “how things went under my father and under my brother” tell us that Alexander Nevsky also had his own interest in bird hunting.

How much the Novgorod princes loved falconry, sometimes to the detriment of their direct duties, is shown by several examples from the annals. In 1135, the Novgorodians reproached their prince Vsevolod Mstislavich: “Almost gathered hawks and dogs, but you don’t judge and rule people.” Almost 130 years later, namely in 1270, they charged Yaroslav Yaroslavich with a similar reproach: “You, prince, are you telling a lie, and many hawks and falcons are dangling? Thou hast taken away from us the Volkhov with gogol catchers and other waters with leaky catchers, and there are a lot of dogs, you have taken the field from us with hare catchers. The mention of only hawks in the first episode is not accidental - the territories where the hunts took place were mostly covered with forests, which made the hawk the most suitable bird for hunting. In addition, it was easier to get it. Falcons appear only when more convenient conditions are created for hunting with these feathered predators. The hawk in the falconry of medieval Novgorod, apparently, is the main bird of prey. This is also confirmed by archaeological excavations: the bones of hawks (goshawk and sparrowhawk) prevail over the remains of other birds of prey.

History has brought to us the names of some Novgorod pomytchikov, people involved in the delivery and sale of birds of prey to wealthy nobles and princes. These are Mark, Savva, Mikifor and Mikhailo, who led the Pechora princely gang. These people are mentioned in documents from the time of Ivan Kalita, and refer to the years 1327-1329. Thus, Moscow had its own views on the northern trades and, in particular, the washing, trying to somehow tie the northern businessmen to itself. This seems to have been important in settling business with the Horde, to whom gifts were sent, the most valuable of which were furs, "fish teeth" and birds of prey. At the same time, in the 13th-14th centuries, interest in falconry in the Novgorod land, apparently, assumes such proportions that secular stories on this topic begin to penetrate even into sacred books as pictorial material.

For example, in the Novgorod psalter of the 14th century, although in a stylized form, one can see a falconer with a bird of prey on his hand in the form of an initial letter. The image of a falconer and a bird of prey is also present on Novgorod lead bulls. In particular, in the excavation dating back to the 1420s, a seal of Veliky Novgorod was found with the image of a man with a bird on his right hand.

In the 13th-14th centuries, interest in falconry in the Novgorod land, apparently, assumes such proportions that secular stories on this topic begin to penetrate even into sacred books as pictorial material. For example, in the Novgorod psalter of the 14th century, although in a stylized form, one can see a falconer with a bird of prey on his hand in the form of an initial letter.

In addition to Novgorod, falconry was also practiced in other cities of northeastern Russia. These are Yaroslavl, Tver, Rostov the Great and many others. Names of many places medieval Russia associated with falconry. For example, near Veliky Novgorod there is an area referred to in historical sources as falconers or falconers. The area between the Volkhov and Volkhovets rivers is still convenient for falconry. Here in the spring after the gathering spring water flocks of ducks and even swans gather in numerous puddles. This was probably the nearest falconry site to the city in the early era.

In addition to falconry, hunting birds were caught, as already mentioned, for shipment to the Horde and other countries. Of all the birds of prey, the gyrfalcon is the most valuable. Probably from the end of the XIV - beginning of the XV centuries. gyrfalcon is increasingly being kept in the falconers of wealthy people and is becoming one of the primary export items. Novgorod, as a large trading city, sold various goods to Europe and the East, and large falcons, along with furs, were valued very dearly. Since that time, until the loss of its independence, Novgorod has a monopoly on the production of large northern falcons and part of white hawks. Gyrfalcon along with the northern falcon (northern peregrine falcon) was a worthy gift at that time. For example, when Ivan visits Novgorod III Vasilyevich in 1476, noble people presented six gyrfalcons and one falcon as gifts. Namely: Prince Vasily Shuisky presented two gyrfalcons and a falcon, Kazimer - two gyrfalcons, Yakov Korob - a gyrfalcon and his son Ivan - also a gyrfalcon. After the loss of independence, all Novgorod crafts associated with the north pass into the subordination of Moscow.

LITOVCHENKO Alexander - Italian envoy Calvucci sketches the favorite falcons of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich

It is known that any privilege can quickly turn into a fashion and significantly affect the change in the primary essence and meaning of the phenomenon. This is exactly what happened with falconry. The fashion for this activity has turned from a sport into something between a mandatory ritual for the nobility and balls where you can see others and show yourself.

As a result, prestigious, rarest birds from remote places began to be valued. White and semi-white forms of gyrfalcon were considered especially valuable. In the falconries of the nobility, they served more often to decorate magnificent parade exits, on which the owner could show off his fortune to his neighbors. For the same purpose, more beautiful care items or “clothes” of birds of prey were used - silver bells, embossed leather entanglements and debtor straps adorned with stones, hoods (hats for closing the eyes between prey attacks) and even breastplates and shoulder pads embroidered with gold. At the same time, the working qualities of the bird, its ability to hunt without fail, to return to the glove at the first call, hunting skills and "catchability" often left much to be desired. Before the falcons, the main "working" type of European hunting, the goshawk, receded into the background. Historical evidence brought us stories about how a bird from the hand of a huntsman or a forester "caught" the count's favorites.

In the table of ranks of the European school, the gyrfalcon, especially the white one, was put in the first place, although the coloring of the bird did not give any noticeable advantages. He was followed by the rest of the large falcons - the saker falcon, often called sharg or sharug in the Oriental (whence its Latin species name), the laggar imported from India, the Mediterranean red-headed falcon, as well as the fastest, but also the smallest of this group, the real , or wandering falcon, now known under the name of clearly Turkic origin, peregrine falcon.

Birds used in classical schools

Falcon

Merlin- the largest (the weight of the female is up to 2 kilograms) and the strongest falcon. Able to take prey both in the air and on the ground. The main food in nature is white and tundra partridges, birds inhabiting bird colonies (gulls, guillemots), corvids, lemmings in a significant number, and in the east also long-tailed ground squirrel.

It nests and lives year-round in the tundra, sometimes wintering in Central Asia, and in former times it was possible in Ukraine. Long-term, it is able to take much larger prey - swans, cranes, hares. In Arabic countries, bustards are trained. It has dark and light forms. Among the light ones, semi-white, marked and white are valued. The Altai form of this species, known in Central Asia as Shumkar.

Saker Falcons together with the Mediterranean and Indian forms form an almost continuous series of species and subspecies. AT different countries males and females, as well as birds of different colors, are known under different names- kush-tour, tour, itelge, lanner, laggar, taisha, shungar, lachin, sharg, saker (sacred falcon), turul, among the Poles - rarog or rarukh. All of them are somewhat smaller than the gyrfalcon, males up to a kilogram, females a little more. The usual food in nature is ground squirrels, gerbils, less often medium and small birds, more often it hunts above the ground to steal, the stakes are not as beautiful as those of peregrine falcons and gyrfalcons. Bearded, they attack hares, bustards, geese. All of them form the basis of the "park" of birds of prey in the Middle Eastern countries.

Peregrine falcon. From hunters since Kievan Rus known as simply a falcon, in Europe - wandering (whence the Latin peregrinus). Migratory falcon nesting in the forest-tundra and forest zone, wintering much further south. The main prey in nature are birds of medium and small size - waders, gulls, corvids, pigeons and small passerines, taken mainly in flight. Can take prey from land and water (contrary to popular belief). Long-term, pounce on almost any birds. Red-headed forms close to it are the Babylonian or desert falcon, shahin or lachin. It is often considered the southern form of the peregrine falcon. In Europe and Ukraine, it was rarely used, in the Middle East countries much more often. The weight of the peregrine falcons is up to a kilogram, the shahin is 350-700 grams.

Cheglok- a medium-sized falcon of the forest-steppe zone, hunting in the air mainly on small birds. Almost never takes prey from the ground, but often swifts, swallows and even pigeons. Weight - 300 - 400 grams. Even now - a fairly common bird in nature. A species close to the Hobby found on the Mediterranean rocky coasts is Eleonora's falcon. This species has adapted to nest in early autumn, feeding chicks with migratory passerines. When mature, it can attack corvids, pigeons and even small wild rabbits.

Derbnik. Possibly a dremlik, in Europe it is known as a pigeon falcon (according to the color of the back of males), in England - a merlin. Breeds in the tundra and in some places isolated in the steppes of Kazakhstan. Winters extensively in the forest-steppe and steppe zone, including in Ukraine. It hunts more often low above the ground up to one meter in stealing, but it can also make falconry rates in the air. Prey - small birds. Weight - about 200 grams.

Rarely used in the past, the Kestrel and Falcon are now occasionally gestated. The very name of the kestrel comes from the falconer's characteristic of it as unsuitable for hunting birds. Both species are quite common on the territory of Ukraine, and in some places the kestrel nests in cities, preying not on mice and lizards, as in nature, but on birds the size of a dove.

hawks

goshawk- a large and strong predator. The female weighs up to one and a half kilograms, the male - less than a kilogram. The usual coloration of adults is gray upperparts, striated underparts. Juveniles up to one year are brown above with drop-shaped streaks along the ocher-red bottom. In nature, it hunts birds of various sizes, as well as rodents up to a hare, and occasionally small mustelids. The basis of nutrition now is corvids, pigeons and passerine birds, although sometimes it produces partridge, ducks, gulls. The mature individuals of this species are almost universal in hunting.

It is the main bird of prey in the revived Western European school of falconry due to the rarity and inaccessibility of falcons. long time persecuted as a harmful predator, now its shooting is prohibited, except for the regulation of its numbers in hunting farms by rangers. In Western Europe, the population in the 19th century was undermined, disappeared over a large area (completely in England). Modern population goshawk in the UK (about 60 pairs) are the descendants of birds of prey that flew away from falconers. The sparrowhawk is now perhaps one of the most visible birds of prey, at least in autumn and winter, when it hunts in settlements. The main prey is passerines, although it can sometimes catch larger prey - up to and including pigeons. Previously, falconers were baited on crows. The weight of the female is up to 300 grams, males - 150-200.

Eagles

Golden eagle- widespread, but everywhere now rare view. Different nations called this eagle differently - khalzan, mountain eagle, royal eagle, golden eagle, etc. The main prey in nature are marmots and hares, although it can catch everything - from mice to young ungulates and birds the size of capercaillie and goose. Long-term, can attack foxes, wolves, goitered gazelles.

The largest (not counting the eagles) and perhaps the most aggressive of the eagles. Prey can be pursued both from below and attacking from a great height. Prey pursues stubbornly, although not very agile, not afraid of a fight with large animals. In nature, it often feeds on carrion, snakes, lizards and even turtles. Almost the only eagle used in falconry.

Probably sometimes used along with it also burial ground(in nature it feeds on ground squirrels, sometimes marmots and hares). Juveniles of this species are difficult to distinguish. The confusion with the names (for a number of peoples it is also a rock or royal eagle) exacerbates the matter. It has also been authentically used hawk (long-tailed) eagle. Smaller species, in nature, extracting mainly wild rabbit, common in the Mediterranean and somewhere in the Middle East.

There is information about the use of the marsh harrier in the Middle Ages as birds of prey in Central Asia, and the crow in Europe. In any case, there are now registered cases of prey by wild crows of a hare, a harrier - a mallard.

The modern revived schools of falconry in Europe and North America use a much wider range of birds of prey. From eagles - wedge-tailed, black, a number of other African and Asian species, buzzards (most often red-tailed in North America), almost all types of falcons and a number of others. Middle Eastern centers have maintained an exclusive commitment to the falcons.

Attack of a potential victim from a superior height in a steep dive - characteristic way hunting of some species of birds of prey in nature. It was at this moment of the attack that the peregrine falcon recorded the maximum flight speed among birds - more than 100 km / h. Such an attack on prey in falconry is called a bet.

The falcon, falling on the victim with such speed, should not collide with it, so as not to break on it, and cannot grab it with its paws, otherwise it will damage them or be unable to control further flight. After all, often the weight of the prey is close to the weight of the attacker or exceeds it, and the difference in speed is three times. Therefore, as a rule, the falcon hits the victim on a tangent only with its claws, but its momentum is so great (mass x acceleration) that serious injuries are inflicted on the victim, and (or) it breaks into an uncontrollable fall. The falcon, having slowed down and turned around after the attack, picks up somersaulting prey in the air on the fly, or grabs one that has already fallen to the ground.

Hunting with a bird of prey rates is as follows. A hunter with a bird walks through the lands in search of game. A hooded bird sits on a glove on his left hand. When the game is found, but not frightened off (it is not frightened off) and does not fly away, the hood is removed from the bird, and, having flown off the glove, describing circles around the hunter in flight, it gains height sufficient for an effective attack. This takes a matter of minutes, and the behavior of the falcon already shows that he is waiting for the appearance of potential prey and is ready to attack. Immediately the game is scared away - they are forced to take off. As soon as a possible victim is in the air, the falcon dives on it - makes a bet. And if everything is done correctly and skillfully - you are with prey.

It is necessary to clarify some points of the hunt. First, the detection of game. This is usually done by a pointing dog, making a stand, and while the launched falcon is gaining altitude, the dog tracks the location of the object of the hunt. When the falcon is “prepared” for the attack, the dog, at the command of the owner, forces the game to take off. Or you need to see the game yourself, and then at the right time, by yourself and scare it under the falcon. The latter option was used in the falconry of Russian tsars.

A large number of beaters scared away waterfowl and near-water birds from the coastal thickets of lakes and ponds with the help of noise produced by drums, rattles and screams. Before that, falcons were raised into the sky above the reservoirs: peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons. Secondly, the falcon gains altitude in circles with active flight and when it reaches the height necessary for the attack (its value depends on the training methods and the type of game you are hunting), it sharply changes the nature of the flight from active flapping to gliding with hovering over the hunting place. Such a change in the behavior of a bird of prey indicates its readiness for an attack. This method of hunting and preparing birds in English language called- "waiting falcon". Thirdly, the game from the place where it hid perfectly sees the predator flying above it and prefers either to sit out or flee on the ground, but not to take off.

These are instinctive actions and very rigidly fixed natural selection. To rise into the air means to immediately be attacked by a predator and you can hide only in grass, bushes or under water. Therefore, one has to use a dog or spend one's own strength on making the game fly up under the attack of a falcon and not allow it to immediately scurry after takeoff into a bush located a few meters away. It should be noted that after several hunts, the falcon perfectly remembers from under whom potential prey appears and carefully monitors its assistant. If they are hunting with a cop, then the launched falcon will immediately orient itself when climbing to a dog standing in a stance, knowing that it is from under it that the game will rise.

It is also possible to hunt with falcons by stealing over long distances. A hunter with a bird notices a relatively slow-flying game, which the falcon can certainly catch up with even in the falconer's line of sight. In former times in Russia such were: geese (single or pairs), raven, heron. All these are high-flying birds, much inferior to the falcon in flight speed, and because of their size they represent difficult prey and even dangerous for the hunting falcon. By last reason they, as a rule, do not hide from the hunting bird. They take off the hood from the falcon and, making sure that he noticed the flying game, let him off the glove.

The bird of prey gradually catches up with potential prey and at the same time gains height above it to attack. Then he attacks - makes a bet. As a rule, the falcon attacks are forced to repeat many times. It is very difficult to cope with large prey and you rarely meet it so that the falcon has a rich experience in such a hunt. After each miss, the falcon gains height again and makes a bet again. All this time, the falconer must see what is happening, moving behind the birds in a car through the fields or, as of old, on a horse. This hunt requires large open spaces.

For hunting by stakes, two types of falcons are traditionally used: peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, and their hybrids. You can prepare Saker Falcon and Shaheen, Laggar and Mediterranean Falcon, as well as their hybrids.

Special training begins when stable results are achieved at the initial stage of the preparation of the bird of prey. Let's repeat them again:

. The bird is fully accustomed to the perch
The bird is calm about your presence nearby
The bird actively reacts to the glove with food and confidently flies to it from 5-7 meters
The bird is calmly on the glove for an arbitrarily long time and while walking.

We have already talked a lot about the training of birds of prey and, in order not to repeat ourselves unnecessarily, we will refer to the above.

Features of training birds for hunting rates are:

1. the main irritant is the lure
2. the glove is applied as an irritant at a distance of up to 10 meters
3. the bird must be accustomed to the hood
4. The falconer will especially need experience, patience and calm
5. it is important to have a direction finding system for a departed bird

Birds must be weighed daily. Classes continue as before, until the distance increases when working with a glove up to 10-12 meters with and without a cord. Then we introduce the bird to the lure, just as described for stealing. After that, we transfer the classes to the field, observing all the precautions indicated above in case of a sharp change in the place of the classes. It is necessary for the first lessons in the land to choose a mowed or plowed field. In such a field, the bird will be better seen if it suddenly sits on the ground. In addition, seeing you from afar, in an open space, the bird will behave calmer in an unfamiliar environment. This will make it easier to approach her and lure her to the lure or glove. Sitting in the grass, the bird will be deprived of vision, will become nervous and, frightened by the approaching noise made by the falconer looking for it, may fly even further, not paying attention to the glove and lure. But we hope that the falcon does not fall to the ground, flying off the glove.

So, the bird knows the lure and instantly reacts to it, throwing itself from the perch. For several days you carried the bird on a glove across the field chosen for the first free flight, and the bird had the opportunity to get acquainted with this place, albeit from the height of your elbow. It's time to try the bird in flight. If you have such an opportunity, consult with a more experienced friend. Demonstrate all the reactions of your pupil and, having received approval, go out with the bird to the middle of the field. The nearest place where a bird can sit (tree, pole, building, etc.) should be no closer than 1 kilometer. The bird should not be weakened, emaciated or overfed. Must be keenly interested in the surroundings and demonstrate vigorous flight when baiting on a glove and lure from a perch.

It is advisable to accustom the bird to the inviting sound (whistle or cry) that accompanies the lure and glove with food offered to it. And also to the mini-transmitter fixed on it (on the paw or tail) - the transmitter and bells. It is necessary to carefully consider the weather - there should not be a strong and gusty wind, rain. It is better to practice in the morning or in the middle, but not in the evening. Because if the bird leaves, you will have more time to search for it before dusk.

You, with a bird on your arm, went out into the field to a convenient place. Unfasten the debtor and the swivel from the putz. Remove the cowl from the bird's head and let it look around. Calmly and slowly lift the gloved bird up above you and wait. Do not force the bird to fly off the glove!!! The bird looks around, can stretch its wings and shake itself. And after a certain period of time it will fly off the glove, flying away from you. This is where patience and calmness are needed! If the bird is healthy and not weak, it will confidently fly in the chosen direction and will not land on the ground. For the first time, lower it 50-60 meters away from you and, with the usual shout or whistle, throw out the lure, rotating it on the cord.

The bird may not be instantly, but it will turn its attention to you. Keep calm and spin the lure! It will turn around and fly towards you. When it approaches, habitually throw the lure on the ground and let the bird eat its fill. Make the next day hungry. In the future, repeat the same exercise to consolidate the reaction of the bird in a free state to stimuli (sound and lure). The next step in training is provocation to fly around you. Do everything the same as in the previous lesson, but when the returning bird approaches, hide the lure in your bag or behind your back and watch the bird. She will not be confused for long and will probably immediately begin to fly around you in a circle, looking for a lure. Let the lure fly around you a couple of times and, throwing out the lure, let the bird take it on the ground. If the bird begins to fly away from you again, call it by throwing out the lure and give it to the bird on the ground.

After a couple of days, the bird will learn its lesson and will know where the food comes from and where to expect it - near you, not in the field. First of all, keep an eye on the working weight and behavior of the bird and respond correctly to its changes. Do not be presumptuous when letting the bird go far away or often calling, deceiving her expectations of food. Take your time! After a week of classes, the bird will fly in circles above you (height is not important yet). He will allow himself to be deceived two times out of three - calling to the lure, hiding it at the last moment - and will enter the next circle to attack. The time will come to think about grafting and how to increase the height of the hunter's flight. But this is a different stage of training.

You can get to it by:

hard reflex on the lure
flight duration in circles up to 10-15 minutes
own peace of mind when the bird is a kilometer or more away from you

Sergei Aliskerov.