The weapons used for hunting would mostly be the same as those used for war:
bow,
crossbow,
lance or
spear,
knife and
sword. Bows were the most commonly used weapon. Although the crossbow was introduced around the time of the
First Crusade (1100), it was not generally used for hunting until the second half of the 15th century. Cudgels (clubs) were used for clubbing small game in particular by women who joined the hunt. "Boar spears" were also used. With the introduction of handheld
firearms to hunting in the 16th century, traditional medieval hunting was transformed. The hunter would also need a
horn for communication with the other hunters. In addition to this the hunter depended on the assistance of certain domesticated animals. Three animals in particular were essential tools for the medieval hunter: the
horse, the
hound and the
hawk or
falcon.
Horse The horse was the most important animal of the great medieval household. The
stables, also called the "marshalsea," would be separate from the rest of the household, and its head officer—the
marshal—would be one of the household's senior officers. The marshal would have
pages and
grooms serving under him to care for the horses. A large household would have a wide array of horses for different purposes. There were cart- and
packhorses employed in the day-to-day work of the household,
palfreys used for human transport, and
destriers, or warhorses, a powerful and expensive animal that in late medieval England could obtain prices of up to £80. Although it had the necessary qualities, the destrier would not be used for hunting, due to its value. Instead, a special breed called a
courser would be used. The courser, though inferior to the destrier and much smaller than today's horses, still had to be powerful enough to carry the rider at high speeds over large distances, agile, so it could maneuver difficult terrain without difficulty, and fearless enough not to be scared when encountering wild beasts.
Hound The dog was essential for several purposes. Its good sense of smell made it invaluable in finding the quarry. It would then assist in driving the hunted animal and, when the animal was finally at bay, the dog would either be the instrument of attack, or distract the quarry while the hunter moved in for the kill. Different breeds would be used for different tasks, and for different sorts of game, and while some of these breeds are recognizable to us today, the dogs were nevertheless somewhat different from modern breeds. Foremost among the hunting breeds was the
greyhound. This breed was valued first and foremost for its speed, but also for its ability to attack and take down the game. Since the greyhound did not have much stamina, it was essential that it not be released before the quarry was in sight, toward the end of the hunt. Furthermore, greyhounds, though aggressive hunters, were valued for their docile temper at home, and often allowed inside as pets. The
alaunt, or alant, was a somewhat more robust animal than the greyhound, and therefore used against larger game, such as bears or boars. The alaunt was considered a reckless animal, and had been known to attack domestic animals, or even its owner. The
mastiff was an even more rugged breed, and though also used on the larger game, was mostly considered useful as a guard-dog. What all these dogs lacked was the ability to follow the scent of the quarry, and run it down. For this purpose the
running-hound was used. The running-hound was somewhat similar to today's
foxhound. This dog had, as the name indicates, excellent stamina, as well as a good nose. Another dog valued for its scenting skills was the
lymer, a forerunner of today's
bloodhound. Handled on a long leash, the lymer would be used to find the lay of the game before the hunt even started, and it was therefore important that, in addition to having a good nose, it remained quiet. Silence in the lymer was achieved through a combination of breeding and training. Other dogs used for hunting were the kennet (a small hunting dog, from ONF 'kenet', a diminutive of 'chien'), the
terrier, the
harrier and the
spaniel. The hounds were kept in a
kennel, inside or separate from the main domicile. Here the dogs would have oak beds to sleep on, and often also a second level where the dogs could go when the ground level became too hot or too cold. Outside the kennel there would be grass for the dogs to eat whenever they had digestive problems. To care for the dogs would be a hierarchy of servants such as pages, varlets, aides and veneurs; the page being the lowest, often a young boy. Pages would often sleep in the kennels with the dogs, to keep them from fighting and care for them if they got sick. Though this might seem harsh by modern standards, the warm dog house could often be much more comfortable than the sleeping quarters of other medieval servants.
Hawks and Falcons hawking, from the
Codex Manesse (Folio 7r). Medieval terminology spoke of hawks of the tower and hawks of the fist, which roughly corresponds to falcons and hawks, respectively. The female hawk was preferred, since it was both larger than the male and easier to train. A male
saker falcon is approximately two thirds of the weight of a female; falconers call male peregrines
tiercels, derived from the Latin word for "third". Hawks were captured all over Europe, but birds from
Norway or
Iceland were considered of particularly good quality. Falconry, a common activity in the Middle Ages, was the training of falcons and hawks for personal usage, which included hunting game. Falcons and hawks have different physical makeups which affects their mode of hunting. Ducks, herons, and cranes were the common game hunted by falcons and hawks. The main differences between the two species of birds lies in their wings and tails. Falcons have long, narrow wings with a long tapered tail. As a result, they fly at incredibly high levels. To kill game, they elevate high up in the sky and then dive at their target. Their dives can go up to 200 mph. They utilized their talons on the downward dive to slash game. Usually their strikes kill the game with the first slash. Hawks, however, have shorter, rounder wings and longer tails. They glide along at lower altitudes. To kill their game, they glide toward their target and then use a burst of speed to close in. They utilize their talons to dig in and clutch onto their game until it is dead. As a result of their makeups, falcons and hawks were utilized by owners for different terrains. Falcons were used in open fields while hawks were used in marshlands and woodland. Training a hawk was a painstaking process. It was normal at first to "seel" the bird's eyelids—sew them shut—so that it would not be scared or distracted. The trainer would then carry the hawk on his arm for several days, to get it accustomed to human presence. The eyes would gradually be unseeled, and the training would begin. (Seeling is no longer practised in falconry and is illegal in most countries). The bird would be encouraged to fly from its perch to the falconer's hand over a gradually longer distance. Hunting game would be encouraged first by the use of meat, then a
lure, and eventually live prey. Such prey included
herons, sometime with their legs broken to facilitate the kill. Hawks would be housed in
mews, a special edifice found in most large medieval households, mostly a certain distance from the main domicile, so that the hawks would not be disturbed. The mews could be rather elaborate structures. There would be windows in the wall, and the ground would be kept clean so that the bird's regurgitations could be found and analyzed. Among the species used were: •
Hawks •
Goshawk •
Sparrowhawk •
Falcons •
Gyrfalcon •
Hobby •
Lanner •
Merlin •
Peregrine •
Saker Of all the falcons, the gyrfalcon was considered the best one. They were thought of the highest quality when white ones were imported from Greenland. King Frederick II considered them the best "out of respect to their size, strength, audacity, and swiftness". Of the hawks, the goshawk was the most highly valued. They were more expensive and brought in more money for training. Goshawks from Scandinavia in particular were highly sought after. ==Quarry==