22 Whitman, [Vol- n 



Sub. F. Falconinae. True Falcons. 



G^^«. Falco. Falcons. 



XXXVII. wealhhafoc. Peregrine falcon {falco pere- 

 grinus ; <^ wealh, foreigner + hafoc, hawk, i. e. the foreign 

 or Welsh hawk ; cf. OHG. waluchapuh. ' In the A.S. 

 period the favorite hawk for falconry was obtained from 

 Wales' {WW. 417). The falcon, on account of its bold 

 spirit and great strength, has always been considered the 

 best bird for falconry, a sport that was very popular 

 among our Anglo-Saxon forefathers. The exact date of 

 the introduction of falconry into England is not known, 

 but about the year 750 Winifred or Boniface, then arch- 

 bishop of Mons, sent ^thelbald, king of Kent, a hawk 

 and two falcons; and Hedilbert, king of the Mercians, 

 requested the same Winifred to send him two falcons, 

 which had been trained to kill cranes (cf. Warton's Hist, 

 of Eng. Poet. 2. 40. note). 



WW. 132. 36: falco uel capus, wealhhafoc; M. Gl. 307. 11: falco uel 

 capun ~ ; W W. 40b. 20, 514. 12: falconum, wealhhafeca; 259. 8, 417. 10; 

 kerodius, wealhhafuc ; ZdA. 240. 15 : ~ wealhheafoc ; Cp. H. 83 : ~ walch- 

 habuc ; F. 10 : falc, walhhabuc ; Ep. 497 : horodius, uualh[h]ebuc ; Er. 497 ; 

 ~ uualhhaebuc ; Ld. 50 : horodion, ualchefuc ; Shrn. 29 ; erodionem \ipoiiln>\ 

 valuchaebuc ; Spl. Ps. 103. 19 : weahhafoces hus lateow is heora, herodii 

 dorrius dux est eorum ; Nar. 16. 13 ; 5a fugelas nocticoraces hatton waeron in 

 wealhhafoces gelicnisse (vulturibus similes). 



The falcon forms the theme of one of Cynewulf's Riddles 

 (78), which appears in Grein's Bibliothek as the 8oth : 



Ic eom aeSelinges eaxlgestealla, 



fyrdrinces gefara, frean minum leof, 



cyninges geselda. Cwen mec hwilum 



hwitloccedu bond on legeS, 



eorles dohter, Beah hio aeSelu sy. 



Hsebbe me on bosme, 5aet on bearwe geweox. 



Hwilum ic on wloncum wicge ride 



herges on ende ; heard is min tunge. 



Oft ic woSboran wordleana sum 



agyfe sefter giedde. Good is min wise 



and ic sylfa salo. Saga, hwaet ic hatte ! 



