O. Grimm, Raptor on the fist - synthesis

O. Grimm (ed.), in cooperation with K.-H. Gersmann and A.-L. Tropato, Raptor on the fist - falconry, its imagery and similar motifs throughout the millennia on a global scale, 2020

List of contents of the second book on raptors and falconry, published by the ZBSA (Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology)

In Raptor and Human: Falconry and Bird Symbolism throughout the Millennia on a Global Scale, I–IV. Ed. Karl-Heinz Gersmann & Oliver Grimm. Advanced Studies in the Archaeology of Hunting 1:1–4, Wachholz: Neumünster. Vol. II, pp. 887–934. , 2018

This chapter develops a perspective on raptors in the Iron Age and Middle Ages until c. 1500 AD in cultural areas inhabited by the speakers of the North Finnic dialects that became the Finnish, Karelian and Ižorian languages. It develops a long-term perspective on perceptions of raptors and relationships with them reflected in different traditions. This long-term perspective is complemented by linguistic evidence and is placed in dialogue with early historical written sources and general knowledge about practices involved in falconry. The discussion is extended to the position of raptors in the symbolism of historically neighbouring traditions of North Russian and North Germanic groups. The triangulation of this evidence suggests that falconry likely became known within perhaps a century of its introduction to Sweden, probably in the 6th century, but that it never achieved the social significance that it held in neighbouring cultures.

K.-H. Gersmann & O. Grimm (eds.), Raptor and human - falconry and bird symbolism throughout the millennia on a global scale. Workshop, ZBSA, 2014 (Kiel/Hamburg 2018), 2018

This paper is the introduction, discussion and summary of the following book: K-H. Gersmann & O. Grimm (eds.), Raptor and human - falconry and bird symbolism throughout the millennia on a global scale. Publication in August 2018 in considerable extension of the workshop at the Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (ZBSA) in Schleswig (Germany), March 5th to March 7th 2014. Advanced studies on the archaeology and history of hunting, vol. 1.1-1.4. In the book: altogether 101 articles by falconers and scientists from 20 c. countries, covering the area from Spain, Portugal and North Africa in the west to Japan in the east and including North and Central America.

This is a short intellectual biography of my father, Hans J. Epstein, focusing on his interest in falconry, via medieval history, and later his interests in naturalism (mostly lepidopterology). It is also of interest in terms of some of his contacts in the US, figures like Ernst Mayr, and Bill Cottrell.

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Birds in Indian rock art, 2020

In Indian rock art, birds are not the most often represented subject but they are still plentiful. Among their representations, from the Early Mesolithic (12,000/10,000 years ago) down to historic times, those of peacocks are largely dominant in all periods and are particularly present in the State of Madhya Pradesh, which is the State with most rock art in India. Thus, we shall mostly devote our study to Madhya Pradesh but also to the neighbouring State of Chhattisgarh. Our ethnological research has shown that beliefs and customs involving birds can be found in various tribes, such as the Gonds, the Korkus and the Bhils, whose art represents birds, among other traditional motifs.

K.-H. Gersmann & O. Grimm (eds.), Raptor and human - falconry and bird symbolism throughout the millennia on a global scale. Workshop, ZBSA, 2014 (Kiel/Hamburg 2018), 2018

The present article takes a closer look at the find contexts of bones of birds of prey (mainly those of goshawk) in settlement contexts in central and northern Europe. Based upon different criteria, such bones regularly found at “special sites” such as seats of power, cities and trading places are often taken as indications for falconry and falconers. Regarding seats of power, it is worthwhile to analyse where in particular the bones were found. In the case of the city of Schleswig (early post 1000s) in northern Germany and the royal hill fort of Mikulčice in Moravia (late pre 1000s), it can be demonstrated that the bones do not originate from the actual seats of power, but from areas at some distance. There is reason to suggest that groups of a certain social standing – high clerics (Schleswig), military followers (Mikulčice) – engaged in falconry whereas, in the present cases, nothing definite can be said about kings, possibly queens, and birds. Apart from archaeology, written sources from the central European Frankish kingdom (late pre 1000s) bear witness to professional falconers employed by those in power. As can be assumed, these falconers did not live at the actual seats of power themselves, which would allow to consider bones which were found at some distance from these seats as indicators for professional falconers. When it comes to bones of this kind from trading sites, such as those of the late 1st millennium AD (Slavonic Groß Strömkendorf, eastern Germany, and mid-east Swedish Viking Birka), they have to be considered foremost on the basis of the mercantile character of the sites: were birds at such sites meant for trade? One could doubt that tradesmen and craftsmen were yet other groups that engaged in falconry, even more so since late 1st millennium trading sites had nearby centres of power from which they were overseen and which would have been the obvious places for high ranking persons taking an interest in falconry.

Anthropozoologica

Anthropozoologica est une revue en flux continu publiée par les Publications scientifiques du Muséum, Paris, avec le soutien du CNRS.

Skeletal remains of birds of prey from (post-) medieval sites of high social status can sometimes be connected with falconry. This applies to bones of species such as sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and possibly also hobby (Falco subbuteo). Remains of kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) are more likely to come from local (breeding) birds, as it seems to be hardly used in falconry. Bones of common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and kite (Milvus sp.) are harder to explain, as these species Milvus sp.) are harder to explain, as these species Milvus were never used in falconry nor lived in these places. The same applies to remains of shorteared owl (Asio fl ammeus), while the presence of other owl species can easily be explained in terms of birds breeding or foraging locally. In this paper the possibility is discussed that there might yet be a link with falconry, with buzzards, kites and short-eared owls being part of the falconers' game bag. Indications for this are found in oral and written sources, but also in paintings and drawings.