The 16th Century Hawking in Pyeongang area, Gangwon-do

16세기 후반 강원도 평강지역의 매사냥 실태와 그 성격 - 오희문(吳希文)의 『 尾錄』을 중심으로 -

Historically, hawking/falconry refer to the hunting for pheasants, birds and hares using a hawk. In spite of its long history, not so many studies were found and/or have been performed. Examining researches, hawking has been enjoyed solely by the royal families until the early Joseon Dynasty but it has been popularly spread among the people in the 18th century, emphasizing recreational factors of it. The researches, however, dealt only with the limited data published by the government while a diary, Swaemirok written by Oh Hi-Mun, an intellectual in the 16th century noted the realities and characteristics of hawking at that time. According to the diary, hawking has been spread all over the country in the 16th century and the people as well as the royal families enjoyed it. The hawking season has been continued for a year except for summertime trees and plants grow thick. For the hawking, they need to be permitted officially or under a tacit consent. In those days, beef and pork are very rare. A peasant acted as, therefore, an excellent alternative and was served up for a religious service. In view of the truth, it could be stated that peasant-hawking was important for recreational activities as well as for their living.