There was no shortage of game in the dense forests of medieval Europe, and hunting was one of the favorite pastimes of the court. The killing game was usually accompanied by alcohol and it was not difficult to have a fatal accident ...
They gathered at dawn at the stables and, standing upright lamb and strong cider, chose their weapons. They could use any, but the best for boar hunting were the special heavy spears with long blades and equally long shafts. Between two such spears, a horse with a crossbow usually rode.
On the trail of the game
They mounted their mounts - Ragna was riding Astrid - and headed into the forest with a pack of furiously barking dogs. Her father was in the front. Count Hubert, unlike other people of small stature, did not choose tall horses. He went hunting on the back of Thor, a strong black pony who was as quick as larger horses in the woods, but much more agile than them.
Ragna found Wilwulf to be a good rider. The count gave him Goliath - a fiery apple stallion. The Englishman tame the horse with ease and sat on it as freely as on a chair.
The text is an excerpt from Ken Follett's book "Let there be light", which was published by the Albatros publishing house
A pack horse followed the hunters with baskets full of bread and cider from the castle kitchen. They reached Les Chênes and then turned onto the Bois des Chênes, the game-rich largest forested area on the peninsula. They rode through the trees while the dogs hunted with their noses to the ground, sniffing for a wild pig.
Astrid was walking lightly, clearly enjoying the forest ride in the fresh morning air. Ragna felt a growing impatience intensified by the awareness of the lurking danger. Boars are large animals with huge teeth and strong jaws. An adult boar could knock a horse down and kill a human. Even the wounded kept attacking, especially if they were cornered.
Crazy Chase
Boar spears were equipped with crossbows, because deadly wounded boar spears could attack the hunter. Hunting these animals required peace of mind and strong nerves.
One of the dogs caught the lead, barked triumphantly, and yanked it forward. The others ran after him, followed by their horses. Astrid made her way confidently through the bushes. Ragna's younger brother Richard was ahead of her. He sat in the saddle with the overconfidence that is characteristic of young men his age.
Women also took part in the hunt.
Ragna heard the screech of a startled boar. The dogs went mad and the horses sped up. The chase began and the girl's heart began to beat faster. The boars were quick. Not like horses out in the open, but in forests, in the thicket, it was hard to catch them. She noticed a herd escaping across the clearing:a large sow five feet long and probably weighing more than she was, two smaller females and a bunch of striped piglets that ran surprisingly fast on their short legs. The wild boar herds consisted of females; boars were usually loners and only in winter, during heat, would join the group.
Horses loved chase, especially when they were chasing prey with their dogs. Running through the forest, they trampled undergrowth and young trees. Ragna was gripping the reins with her left hand, her right hand holding a spear. She rode bent over Astrid's neck to avoid meeting the branches, which for the reckless rider might have turned out to be more dangerous than a boar (...).
Lethal Weapon
They fell out of the forest into the pasture. The terrified cows, moaning pitifully, ran away. Moments later the horses caught up with the sow. Count Hubert stabbed one of the smaller females with his spear and managed to kill her. Ragna was chasing the piglet, and when she caught up with him, she leaned out and put a spear on its hindquarters.
The old sow turned to attack. Richard lunged at her fearlessly, but pushed inaccurately and struck the creature's muscular back. The blade bit an inch or two, and the spear shaft snapped open. Richard lost his balance, fell off his horse and hit the ground with a thud. As the sow attacked him, Ragna screamed fearing for her brother's life.
Suddenly Wilwulf burst from the rear, spear raised, ready to strike. He exaggerated the boy lying on the ground and, leaning dangerously low on the horse's back, jabbed the sow with a spear. An iron point pierced the animal's throat and lodged in its chest. The tip must have reached the heart of the sow because it fell immediately dead.
The text is an excerpt from Ken Follett's book "Let there be light", which was published by Albatros publishing house.
The hunters pulled the reins and dismounted from their horses. Out of breath and happy, they congratulated each other. Richard, who had barely escaped alive, was pale as linen, but when he heard other youths praise his courage, he began to act like a hero.
Servants gutted the game, and the hungry dogs pounced on the insides. There was a strong smell of blood and dung in the air. The angry farmer silently herded the frightened cows to the neighboring pasture.
When the pack horse, covered with baskets, joined the others, the hunters began to quench their thirst and divide the loaves of bread among themselves. (...) They were getting ready to return. - We will go by the quarry The Count announced. - There will be more boars there for sure (…).
Duel with the devil
It got warmer. The horses galloped faster knowing they were going home. Ragna already thought the hunt was over, but she saw a flattening of the earth torn by wild boars looking for roots and moles to feed on. The dogs caught the trail right away. They broke forward, followed by the horses and soon Ragna saw game. This time there were four boars. They forced their way through the thicket of oaks and beeches and split up after a while. Three ran to the narrow path and the fourth fell into the brush.
The hunters followed the three freaks, Wilwulf and Ragna the fourth. It was an adult boar with long sabers, and though it sensed danger, it made no sounds. (...) Odyniec was strong. The horses kept the pace but couldn't catch up to him. Each time Ragnie thought they were close enough to strike, the animal fled in the opposite direction.
She didn't think she could no longer hear the other hunters. As the boar fell into the clearing and the horses sped faster, Wilwulf ran over the boar from the left and Ragna from the right. The Englishman caught up with him and stabbed with his spear, but the boar jumped off at the last moment. The blade bit into his back but didn't slow him down.
Hunting in the Middle Ages was one of the most popular court entertainment.
Odin turned sharply and headed straight for Ragna. The girl leaned to the left and jerked the reins, forcing Astrid to turn at full speed towards the charging animal. She charged the boar, spear lowered. The bastard tried to dodge again, but he was late, and Ragna drove the blade straight into his open mouth. She gripped the shaft with all her strength, pushing against it until she was afraid it would fall out of the saddle.
Wilwulf turned his horse and struck again, this time targeting the boar's thick neck. A moment later, the animal fell to the ground (...). Surrounded by the rest of the riders, they had to explain how they had killed the boar together. The boar was the largest among those they hunted that day, and the words of appreciation were endless.
Source:
The above text is an excerpt from the latest novel by Ken Follett, "Let There Be Light", which has just been released by Albatros. Set in England at the dawn of a new era:the medieval book tells about the events leading up to the story described in the best-selling Pillars of the Earth.