Hunt for a big game was a dangerous affair. Not just because you could break royal monopoly, but also because the animals hunted were intrinsicly dangerous. A meeting with a bear or a wild boar, could easily end badly for the hunter. Yet no beast commanded more fear and awe than a mighty auroch. Below you can see a young Auroch cow springing from the thicket suprising the hunting party of Her von Buwenburg. Cowardly squire abandonned his master on frightened horse, himself climbing to safety on a nearby tree. Her Hawart rushing bravely spear in hand to ward off the beast. (Of his courage testifies his folio in Codex Manesse depicting him fighting a bear. This bear already “miniaturized” you can find here.)
Aurochs were indeed powerfull and majestic beasts, it was writted tey were capable of lifting on their horns an armoured knight. Still encroachment of civilisation, deforestation and expansion of agricultural lands reduced their habitats further and further, leading to their eventual extinction. In France no one have seen an auroch by the end of carolingian period, in german states they became rare by the XIIIth century, and extinct by the XVth. The last herds populated deep marshy forests in west Moldavia, Romania, Lithuania and Poland. Despite efforts of royal foresters, total ban for hunting and encroachment to their woods, the last known auroch died in Jaktorów forest (Poland) in 1627r. of old age.
Codex Manesse is however set in XIII century, so such hunt could take place on invitation of some Polish duke or Hungarian king.
Anyway not wanting to risk their life or legal complications Her Geltar and Der Kohl von Nussen decided to entertain themselves with a hunt for small game. Small game included foxes, ferrets, otters, sables, hares, squirrels, various kinds of fowl both land such as pigeon, phaesant or partridge and waterfowl such as duck, wild goose, swan etc. Roe deer was also sometimes included in small game depending on time and location.
Hunt for small game was usually more widely permitted, unless occured in someones private forest, as nobles were often entitled to set the rules for hunting on their lands as they pleased. On the agricultural lands however, it was encouraged in part as pest control (as weasels and foxes posed a risk for chickens, while hares and birds eaten out freshly sown grain, endangering future crops). The peasants of course would hunt with simpler and cheaper tools than swift greyhounds or crosbows, enjoyed by above presented lords. Most common tools of the simple folk included nets, snares, simple bows or slings.
MINILab Models 