From De Arte Venandi cum Avibus by Frederick II, Image by Wikipedia
I found an excellent blog post today, called Shakespeare and Hawking, on Shakespeare’s widespread use of birds as symbols, metaphors and for characterization. Shakespeare mentioned birds more than any other animal or object and his mentions of poetry point to the fact that he had a working knowledge of the sport.
Once strictly available to the noble class, falconry is now widely enjoyed by people from all levels of society around the world. In the United States, falconry is one of the most regulated of sports. Those interested in falconry will quickly discover the relatively high barriers to entry, including a challenging written examination and a two year apprenticeship, but if you are interested in nature, hunting, birds and the great outdoors, they are well-worth overcoming.
I encourage you to check out the link and discover more about how and why these magnificent birds of prey captured Shakespeare’s remarkable imagination.
Hawk Heaven 