Word: falcon
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Icky Wine. The center of Julie's life, however, is Daughter Emma (pronounced Emmer by the family), a blue-eyed blonde who most resembles her father. Julie chauffeurs her to nursery school every day in her 1965 Falcon station wagon, and at least one day a week sends the nanny off and takes over completely. The two paint together (Julie took up oils this fall) or belt out duets of Daisy, Daisy, although Emma doesn't like to hear Mummy rehearse-which is why she has to practice while driving to work...
Ever Since Chaucer. The scene could just as well have been ancient Babylon or the court of Richard the Lionhearted. Falconry's techniques of training and manning hawks have not changed in more than 3,000 years, and falconers still speak a language that was modish in Chaucer's days. "She's an intermewed eyas, and not yet enseamed" means: "She is a young falcon that has recently molted and is still too fat to hunt." A few falconry terms have made their way into modern vocabulary. A "cad" is a person fit for no other occupation...
...land is at all open, the falconer's choice by far is the princely peregrine falcon, a relatively small (about 2 lbs.) saber-winged hawk that puts on a breathtaking display...
Just as a falcon reaches its prey, it cocks a fist and lashes out; then it rolls over, "binds" to the stunned bird with its talons, and gives the coup de grace with its razor-sharp beak. If it is perfectly trained, and the load is not too heavy, it will carry the kill back to its master like a retriever...
...does man induce this incredible partnership? Affection is lost on these creatures; fear is unknown, punishment useless. Food is the only lure. A falconer first hoods his hawk to keep it calm; he then teases the hungry bird with bits of meat. The hawk may refuse until death or release. If the man wins the contest of wills, and the hawk learns to associate him with food, the bargain is struck and the rest is relatively simple -for a time. A falconer may hunt his hawk for several months, perhaps even six. But sooner or later, almost every hawk returns...