The Falconry Museum

Hunting with hawks and falcons is a very spectacular activity. Falconry is the art of training birds of prey to follow and capture their quarry on command in the field. For the high flight, peregrines and gear-falcons are favourites, while goshawks and sparrow hawks are used for hunting low-flying game or animals on the ground.

Falconry is an ancient sport, extending back many centuries, with Turkestan as the probable place of origin. It spreads via China to Japan and comes during the Crusades to Europe. Falconry reaches a high level of perfection in the Arab countries and extensive literature on the subject reveals great ornithological knowledge. In Europe, Frederick II (1215 – 1250) gives a complete description of birds, their care and capture in his treatise “On the art of hunting with birds” (“De Arte Venandi cum Avibus”).

Rural Brabant, especially the Campine heath lands, with its wide horizons lying in the migratory flight of the peregrines, profits from the increasing demands for hunting birds. A class of falconers comes into existence, which have changed their ploughs for bow-nets, bait-birds and decoys. They also supply falconry accoutrements such as rufterhoods, jesses, leashes and gloves. Under the patronage of Maria of Hungary (1531 – 1555) the fame of Brabant’s falconers is established in the courts of Europe in the sixteenth century. To satisfy the increasing demand for more and stronger hunting birds, enterprising falconers travel to Scandinavia and Iceland to acquire gear-falcons.

Apart from Arendonk notably Valkenswaard is becoming a centre for falconry. The history of the falcon and of falconry goes back many centuries. People who had a trained falcon could easily provide for their families. During many centuries falconry was used to the amusement of royals and rich aristocrats.

During the 16th century the trick of catching and training falcons developed in Brabant, as it lay on the migration route of the Peregrine falcon. With Arendonk as its centre, the region develops its own specialised trapping system. During the autumn the birds are trapped in bow-nets, then tamed and trained for the chase. In that time Valkenswaard grew to become the most important centre. Many royals engaged the services of then falconers of Valkenswaard, bringing a lot of prosperity to Valkenswaard and at the same time adding to the prestige of the falconers.

Due to changes to the landscape and the arrival of the small shot muskets falconry slowly lost its attraction. The costs of keeping birds of prey became too much for the lords and princes, and in the 19th century the end of falconry was nigh. Nowadays flying falcons is only for a few enthusiasts.

The complete history of falconry, and especially the central role of Valkenswaard as an important centre, can be comprehensively viewed and listened to in the Falconry Museum.