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The charter which is generally accepted to authentic (if abbreviated) is S 1271 (KELLY 2000, no. 12). [his records king Berhtwulf of Mercia receiving land at Pangbourne from the bishop of Leicester (Fig. 3), in 843, in return for freedom from maintaining some of the king’s men, including those “who carry hawks or falcons or lead dogs or horses” (qui osceptros uel falcones portent aut canes aut cabellos ducunt). The use of conjunction here is interesting: vel does not necessarily indicate exclusivity, and this could imply that osceptros (for accipitres) and falcones are differing terms for the same thing. This list is repeated almost verbatim in two other spurious charters, though in both cases something authentic lies behind them. S 183 purportedly reports king Coenwulf of Mercia granting the same privileges to Abingdon Abbey (Fig. 3) in 821 (KELLy 2000, no. 9), but seems to have been based on an authentic charter issued by this king (EDWARDs 1988; THACKER 1988). S 278 alleges a similar grant to Abingdon by Egbert of Wessex in 835 (KELLY 2000, no. 11), and again it seems to draw on pre-ex- isting authentic material (EDwARDs 1988; KEYNES 1994). Asser’s listing of falconarios et accipitrarios, then, could derive from a formula describing the various retainers involved in hunting which he had encountered in West Saxon legal documentation while at Alfred’s court. Fig. 3. Place-names discussed which do not contain “hawk” or “falcon” (map J. Schiiller, ZBSA, after E. Lacey).

Figure 3 The charter which is generally accepted to authentic (if abbreviated) is S 1271 (KELLY 2000, no. 12). [his records king Berhtwulf of Mercia receiving land at Pangbourne from the bishop of Leicester (Fig. 3), in 843, in return for freedom from maintaining some of the king’s men, including those “who carry hawks or falcons or lead dogs or horses” (qui osceptros uel falcones portent aut canes aut cabellos ducunt). The use of conjunction here is interesting: vel does not necessarily indicate exclusivity, and this could imply that osceptros (for accipitres) and falcones are differing terms for the same thing. This list is repeated almost verbatim in two other spurious charters, though in both cases something authentic lies behind them. S 183 purportedly reports king Coenwulf of Mercia granting the same privileges to Abingdon Abbey (Fig. 3) in 821 (KELLy 2000, no. 9), but seems to have been based on an authentic charter issued by this king (EDWARDs 1988; THACKER 1988). S 278 alleges a similar grant to Abingdon by Egbert of Wessex in 835 (KELLY 2000, no. 11), and again it seems to draw on pre-ex- isting authentic material (EDwARDs 1988; KEYNES 1994). Asser’s listing of falconarios et accipitrarios, then, could derive from a formula describing the various retainers involved in hunting which he had encountered in West Saxon legal documentation while at Alfred’s court. Fig. 3. Place-names discussed which do not contain “hawk” or “falcon” (map J. Schiiller, ZBSA, after E. Lacey).

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Frederick II of Hohenstaufen was an early global actor in the 13 century, bringing together falconers and falconry tradi- tions from far and wide.
Frederick II of Hohenstaufen was an early global actor in the 13 century, bringing together falconers and falconry tradi- tions from far and wide.
Fig. 1. General distribution of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (map J. Schiller, ZBSA, after E. Lacey). it is sufficient to note that this evidence is not as clear an indication of the neat separation of falconry and hawking as OGGINs (2004) would have it.
Fig. 1. General distribution of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (map J. Schiller, ZBSA, after E. Lacey). it is sufficient to note that this evidence is not as clear an indication of the neat separation of falconry and hawking as OGGINs (2004) would have it.
Fig. 2. Geographical distribution of regions described in charter boundary clauses (map J. Schiller, ZBSA, after Hitt 1981). Brooks 2000, 187). Whatever the precise circumstances, it makes use of well-known and verifiable places, and it is safe to say that any forgeries would need to do the same in order to express their claims! The final detail that must be borne in mind is the chance survival and preservation of these documents. The result is that our charter evidence is skewed both geographically and chronologic- ally: almost all extant charter bounds relate to the southern west midlands and the north-western parts of south-western England (Fig. 2), and the overwhelming majority purport to date from the mid-10" century (HILL 1981). Any identification of trends and patterns, therefore, must take these biases into account.
Fig. 2. Geographical distribution of regions described in charter boundary clauses (map J. Schiller, ZBSA, after Hitt 1981). Brooks 2000, 187). Whatever the precise circumstances, it makes use of well-known and verifiable places, and it is safe to say that any forgeries would need to do the same in order to express their claims! The final detail that must be borne in mind is the chance survival and preservation of these documents. The result is that our charter evidence is skewed both geographically and chronologic- ally: almost all extant charter bounds relate to the southern west midlands and the north-western parts of south-western England (Fig. 2), and the overwhelming majority purport to date from the mid-10" century (HILL 1981). Any identification of trends and patterns, therefore, must take these biases into account.
Fig. 4. All place-names containing “hawk” or “falcon” in Anglo-Saxon charters (map J. Schiiller, ZBSA, after E. Lacey). they are (poorly) attested in the archaeological record (YALDEN/ALBARELLA 2009, 138), though we must bear in mind the difficulties in recovering bird-bones archaeologically (POOLE/Lacey 2014; SERJEANTSON 2009). In light of the earlier correspondence between Boniface and king /thelberht of Kent (after c. 748-755; OGGINs 2004, 38; TANGL 1916, 23; EMERTON 2000, 157), it would seem quite natural to read this toponym as referring to a rock frequented by some such species of hawk that is able to bring down a crane, despite the fact that none of these birds habitually perch on stones in flat, open environments like Butleigh (CRamp et al. 1980, 149; 351; 362).
Fig. 4. All place-names containing “hawk” or “falcon” in Anglo-Saxon charters (map J. Schiiller, ZBSA, after E. Lacey). they are (poorly) attested in the archaeological record (YALDEN/ALBARELLA 2009, 138), though we must bear in mind the difficulties in recovering bird-bones archaeologically (POOLE/Lacey 2014; SERJEANTSON 2009). In light of the earlier correspondence between Boniface and king /thelberht of Kent (after c. 748-755; OGGINs 2004, 38; TANGL 1916, 23; EMERTON 2000, 157), it would seem quite natural to read this toponym as referring to a rock frequented by some such species of hawk that is able to bring down a crane, despite the fact that none of these birds habitually perch on stones in flat, open environments like Butleigh (CRamp et al. 1980, 149; 351; 362).
Tab. 1. Toponyms referring to hawks (hafoc) and falcons (fealca/fealcen) in the Anglo-Saxon charters. The ‘x’ is used to in- dicate that the event occurred at a single point in time between the two dates (but that we do not know the date of this event more precisely); this contrasts with a dash, which is used to indicate a duration of time.
Tab. 1. Toponyms referring to hawks (hafoc) and falcons (fealca/fealcen) in the Anglo-Saxon charters. The ‘x’ is used to in- dicate that the event occurred at a single point in time between the two dates (but that we do not know the date of this event more precisely); this contrasts with a dash, which is used to indicate a duration of time.
A few of these interpretations need justification, though some general remarks can be made first. The data conforms more or less to the geographical biases outlined above, as does the dating. Only two place-names note the birds in the plural (heafca bece, S 801; Fealcnaham, S 1457, S 1511); all the others are in the singular. Another reason these fall in the minority is that they express genitival relation- ships. Of the 31 place-names represented here (five are repeated: S 771 and S 1001, S 561 and S 1208, S 567 and S 605, S 311 and S 1819, and S 1457 and S 1511), 22 are compounds and nine are genitival. While the sample size is too small for particularly meaningful statistics, it appears that there is a pref- erence for compounding /afuc in place-names (e.g. hafoccumbe ‘hawk-combe’) rather than genitival names (e.g. hafeces del ‘pit of the hawk’).
A few of these interpretations need justification, though some general remarks can be made first. The data conforms more or less to the geographical biases outlined above, as does the dating. Only two place-names note the birds in the plural (heafca bece, S 801; Fealcnaham, S 1457, S 1511); all the others are in the singular. Another reason these fall in the minority is that they express genitival relation- ships. Of the 31 place-names represented here (five are repeated: S 771 and S 1001, S 561 and S 1208, S 567 and S 605, S 311 and S 1819, and S 1457 and S 1511), 22 are compounds and nine are genitival. While the sample size is too small for particularly meaningful statistics, it appears that there is a pref- erence for compounding /afuc in place-names (e.g. hafoccumbe ‘hawk-combe’) rather than genitival names (e.g. hafeces del ‘pit of the hawk’).
Tab. 2. Recurring topographical generics in Anglo-Saxon ‘hawk’ place-names in charters. At first, these place names seem rather innocuous. The elevated ground of ridges, mounds and combs fit the preferred nests and roosts of peregrines, and the Accipitridae (like sparrowhawks and gos- hawks) are content with these features as long as they border woodland. These topographies can also host merlins (Falco columbarius), one of the smaller falcons used in falconry, but are not hospitable for the hobby (Falco subbuteo), one of the other similarly employed smaller falcons (CRampP et al. 1980).
Tab. 2. Recurring topographical generics in Anglo-Saxon ‘hawk’ place-names in charters. At first, these place names seem rather innocuous. The elevated ground of ridges, mounds and combs fit the preferred nests and roosts of peregrines, and the Accipitridae (like sparrowhawks and gos- hawks) are content with these features as long as they border woodland. These topographies can also host merlins (Falco columbarius), one of the smaller falcons used in falconry, but are not hospitable for the hobby (Falco subbuteo), one of the other similarly employed smaller falcons (CRampP et al. 1980).
Tab. 3. Recurring semantics in Anglo-Saxon ‘hawk’ place-names in charters. A strictly biological approach to the charters would suggest that the hilly and woodland landscapes are named after hawks because these two environments represent the preferred habitats of falcons and hawks, and that the watery places are perhaps places where these birds had been spotted drink- ing, or, in the case of goshawks and sparrowhawks, spotted hunting at streams near their woodland homes. The interpretation of cranhunteresstone, above, however, suggests that we may want to look at this more carefully and at least consider the possibility that these names do not (necessarily) refer to where wild hawks live, but where falconers’ hawks were flown. ge ‘* - = = “ie « 1 1 Pe oe aa a 1 sitet 1 a etme a r
Tab. 3. Recurring semantics in Anglo-Saxon ‘hawk’ place-names in charters. A strictly biological approach to the charters would suggest that the hilly and woodland landscapes are named after hawks because these two environments represent the preferred habitats of falcons and hawks, and that the watery places are perhaps places where these birds had been spotted drink- ing, or, in the case of goshawks and sparrowhawks, spotted hunting at streams near their woodland homes. The interpretation of cranhunteresstone, above, however, suggests that we may want to look at this more carefully and at least consider the possibility that these names do not (necessarily) refer to where wild hawks live, but where falconers’ hawks were flown. ge ‘* - = = “ie « 1 1 Pe oe aa a 1 sitet 1 a etme a r
Fig. 5. Place-names containing “hawk” in medieval Wels charters (map J. Schiiller, ZBSA, after E. Lacey). to the study of toponyms: forgeries would need to use well-known and extant place-names in their boundary clauses in the same way as authentic documents.
Fig. 5. Place-names containing “hawk” in medieval Wels charters (map J. Schiiller, ZBSA, after E. Lacey). to the study of toponyms: forgeries would need to use well-known and extant place-names in their boundary clauses in the same way as authentic documents.
Related topics:
Anglo-Saxon StudiesOld English LiteratureEarly Medieval HistoryOld English LanguageOld EnglishPlace Names
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