CROATIAN INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE (UNESCO), The art of falconry

Falconry has been recognized by the Croatian Ministry of Culture as intangible cultural heritage. It is also inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In our country, falconry has a documented history lasting over a thousand years. At the court of King Petar Krešimir IV in the year 1070, the falconer Apricije held such a high rank that he had judicial authority and the right to use a seal. Moreover, the word sokolar (falconer) is one of the oldest Croatian words written in the Latin script, found in the so-called Confirmation of Radovan’s Charter from the year 1070. Legend also mentions a falconer at the coronation of King Tomislav in 925 – exactly 1100 years ago. The beauty of birds of prey has captured the human imagination since the dawn of mankind. Neanderthals, our predecessors, had a special relationship with birds of prey. In a cave near Krapina, they made a necklace from eagle talons 130,000 years ago. Today, this one of a kind necklace is housed in the Natural History Museum in Zagreb. All civilizations that have lived in the territory of Croatia have left artistic depictions of birds of prey. These would often feature falconry hunts as well. Birds of prey symbolized the power of kings and deities. They were used as motifs in jewelry, paintings and sculptures. Family coats of arms, house facades, city names, as well as coins and money, often feature the names or depictions of falcons, eagles and hawks. A part of the cultural heritage is also the folk tradition that dates back to pre-Christian times. It mentions the supreme Slavic god Perun, who in the form of an eagle sits on the tree of life, while beneath its roots hides the dragon of the god Veles. Even more fascinating and valuable is the old Croatian song that describes the god Jarilo hunting with a greyhound and a falcon. In the territory of our country, various deities were worshipped and the ruling power often changed. Celts, Illyrians, Japodes, Liburnians, Huns, Avars, Romans, Byzantines, Italians, Austrians and Hungarians are just some of the peoples who have left valuable artistic works in Croatia. Thanks to this, we have prehistoric pieces of jewelry adorned with birds of prey, Roman eagle on coins and military regalia, the eagle of Zeus from the Roman city of Asseria near Benkovac, Byzantine capitals of columns in the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, and in the Dalmatian hinterland, Bogomil stećci (medieval tombstones) with incredible sculptures of falconry hunts. In Catholic churches, the eagle often symbolizes St. John. Artistic depictions of falconers and falconry hunts are preserved in the collections of the most renowned cultural institutions, such as archaeological, historical and city museums, galleries, archives, libraries, as well as in the Glyptotheque of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. The oldest preserved Croatian depiction of a bird of prey is found on the side of the altar of an early Christian church in Zadar and dates back to the 11th century. The depiction of a horseman hunting with a bird of prey on his arm, found on an 11th-century stećak, is a pure artistic expression. In Split, in the Hrvoje’s Missal from 1404, there is a famous image of a falconer riding a horse, with a hunting dog and a falcon on his arm. In the same city, Marko Marulić, in his Judita from 1521, provided a nearly identical description: “The falconers rode (…), grey falcons perched on their arms, greyhounds and hunting dogs ran alongside them.” The Republic of Dubrovnik bought its freedom to trade in the Mediterranean by acquiring falcons, which were trained by the falconers of Dubrovnik. Detailed records of this can be found in the Dubrovnik archives. From the 19th century, there is a drawing from 1878 by the French artist Ferdinand Quiquerez that depicts a young man in Slavonia with a hawk on his left arm, equipped with falconry jesses. At the beginning of the 20th century, newspapers published a photograph and article about the Zagreb falconer, Mr. Oskar Furmin. Falconry is called an “art” because it involves the delicate weaving of emotions between a human and a wild animal – trust, respect and dedication. We live in an era that is ideal for falconry. Since 1994, falconry has been included in the Hunting Act. The tradition has been preserved and has not changed much since the time of Frederick II or Kublai Khan. The equipment has remained the same – glove, jesses and hood. Breeders in Croatia successfully raise falcons, hawks and eagles. They are available to everybody who is interested. Licensed mentors now prepare candidates for falconry exams, but it wasn’t always like that – falconry was once a privilege reserved only for certain social classes. Thanks to the new favorable conditions, falconry in Croatia is progressing quickly, attracting new members and gaining positive public attention. Vitold Košir, academic sculptor and falconer