Origins of Falconry

A falconer

The origins of falconry are debated, but the "Epic of Gilgamesh" appears to prove that the sport began in the Middle East nearly 5,000 years ago.

Falconry Origins

One of the problems in identifying the origins of falconry is that the sport actually predates written records in the Middle East and Asia, where the sport developed. In September 2005 at the Abu Dhabi Symposium on falconry, one theory was presented that, if true, would place the origins of falconry to be approximately 10000 B.C. in what is current day Iraq and Iran.

Mongolian Falconry

Nomadic and Bedouin tribes used falcons and other trained birds of prey to catch animals thousands of years ago. Many historians place the beginning of falconry on the steppes of Mongolia. Ancient Chinese documents have the royal family of the Zhou Dynasty employing advanced falconry during that period, which was roughly from 1045 B.C. to 221 B.C. That would make falconry in China more than 3,000 years old.

Chinese Falconry

Substantiating China's claim to extensive falconry history is the fact that by the time Marco Polo became a guest of the Great Khan in 1271 A.D., falconry was already long established as both a means for food gathering and sport. While Polo may have helped spread the popularity of falconry throughout the Silk Road, it appears that he was already well behind the times in other regions.

India-Pakistan Falconry

In the India-Pakistan region, falconry appears to have dated back to 600 B.C. in some documents. But it is the long-established history of falconry in the Middle East that most likely reveals the most ancient traditions of falconry.

Middle East Falconry

Today, nearly 50 percent of all falconers are in the Middle East, and for good reason. The sport has been vital to life there for thousands of years. The "Epic of Gilgamesh," possibly the oldest literary document on Earth, dates back to 2700 B.C. and is about the actions and adventures of Babylonian King Gilgamesh who ruled the lands of what is modern day Iraq. Historians agree that Gilgamesh refers to using falcons and others birds of prey for hunting, making it the oldest known document to record falconry.

Legendary Falconry

There are claims that the legendary rulers of the Pishdadian Dynasty as well as Zarathustra practiced falconry. Zarathustra is believed to have lived as early as 6000 B.C., supporting the claim that the Middle East was beginning of falconry. However, that evidence is only anecdotal at best since both the Pishdadian Dynasty and Zarathustra have no concrete evidence of existence and are only legends.

References

• International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey: A BriefHistory of Falconry
• PBS: Falcons and Man--A History of Falconry
• Silkroad Foundation: Marco Polo and His Travels