The caliph and the falcons: a ninth‐century history from Iceland to Iraq
Abstract
In the late ninth and early tenth centuries, an extraordinary number of falcons were given to the ʿAbbāsid caliphs in Baghdad, many of which were white. Gifts from competing dynasties in the northern provinces of the Caliphate, at least some of these birds were almost certainly gyrfalcons from near the Arctic Circle. This article argues that they came from Scandinavia and that their appearance in Baghdad can be linked to Norse settlement in Iceland. The journey of these gyrfalcons demonstrates the importance of access to northern goods for caliphal politics and the impact of scarce animal resources on early medieval trade.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Viking Age and Medieval Scandinavia
Medieval History and Crusades
Eurasian Exchange Networks
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Early Medieval Europe
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 299–322
- Publication date
- 12 March 2026
- Language
- EN