As new life emerges in spring, the Easter bunny hops back once again, providing a longstanding cultural symbol to remind us of the cycles and stages of our own lives. Easter is a Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday. Author and folklorist Suzanna Linton says. To that end, the critter is described as having the head of a hare (or rabbit), the body of a squirrel (or hare), the antlers of a deer, and wings (and sometimes webbed feet) of a pheasant or duck. furry! Always. In one pan-African story, the Moon sends Hare, her divine messenger, down to earth to give mankind the gift of immortality. is significantly different from the blockbuster Disney hit it was eventually turned into. Their strange presence symbolizes inexplicable phenomenons. The Jade Rabbit is the name of a scout rifle in the Destiny series of games. Although she descended into a witch-like figure and boogeyman of childrens tales, she was once revered as a beautiful, powerful goddess in charge of weather phenomena. Throughout northern Europe, folk traditions record a strong belief that witches would often take the form of a hare, usually for causing mischief such as stealing milk from neighbors cows. Interestingly enough, the popular lore associated with the Wolpertinger pertains to how they are only enticed by beautiful human females. In some stories, the Pooka is said to be a benign but mischievous presence, while in others it is portrayed as more malevolent, with the ability to bring harm to those who cross its path. All that, and he still looks great in a wigBugs is a true paragon of rabbitkind. They are most commonly seen as black horses with a flowing mane and luminescent orange eyes. Eventually, Jinora urged the spirits to reveal themselves to Tenzin, Korra, Bumi, and the rest of her family, and they helped the group gain access to the spirit world. Hes a lagomorph who gets things done, and you really dont want to mess with him. Based on the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, Usagi is a formidable warrior in adorable rabbit form, and is frequently ranked among the greatest comic book characters of all time (by Wizard magazine, Empire magazine, and IGN, among others). Images above: "Three Hares" by Jackie Morris, "Three Hares" by Brian Froud, "Nature in Art" by Eleanor Ludgate, "The Mockingbird and the Hare" by Kelly Louise Judd, "Wishing on a Blue Moon" by Karen Davis, "Girl and Rabbit" photographed by Katerina Plotnikova, "Brown Hare (Suffolk)" photographed by Michael Rae, "Thumper" (from my novel The Wood Wife) by Brian Froud, "Eostre" by Danielle Barlow, "Easter Rabbits" by Mr. Finch, "Hare" sculpture by Beth Cavener Stichter, "Desert Cottontail" sculpture by Mark Rossi, Desert Jackrabbit photograph (Wikipedia), my "Desert Bunny Girl with Prayer Feathers" sketch, "Mimbres Rabbits" by Pablita Verlarde (Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico), "Boxing Hares" photograph (The Independent), "The March Hare, Dormouse, and Mad Hatter" by John Tenniel, "Moon Rabbit" netsuke by Eiichi (Japan, late 19th Century), illustration from "The Tortoise and the Hare" by Charles Robinson, "Country Bunny" by Marjorie Hack, two more of my Bunny Girls, "Peter's Bedroom" and "The Math Lesson" by Chris Dunn, a rabbit study and "The Rabbit's Christmas Party" by Beatrix Potter, the March Hare at "The Mad Hatter's Tea Party" by Arthur Rackham, and "Young Hare" by Albrecht Drer. The Moon rabbit or Moon hare is a mythical figure in East Asian and indigenous American folklore, based on pareidolic interpretations that identify the dark markings on the near side of the Moon as a rabbit or hare. Author and folklorist Suzanna Linton says, The English village of Dartmoor claims three hares in a circle as its symbol. Although the phrase itself is often attributed to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland adventures, it actually appears much earlier. The Hare of Inaba ( or , Inaba no shirousagi)?, is a rabbit who wants to see Princess Yakami () of Inaba, so it makes a wager with a shark to see whose family is more numerous, the shark or the rabbit. Garden Visitor | It is often portrayed as taking the form of an animal, such as a rabbit or a horse, and is known for playing tricks on humans. Taoist traditions in China relate a story about a moon-dwelling rabbit who pounds together the ingredients of the elixir of life. So how can you channel this frantic, fertile energy into a magical working? This German mythological creatures was inspired to induce fear in the children to make them sleep. Created by Stan Sakai in the early 1980s, Usagi Yojimbo follows the adventures of Miyamoto Usagi, a rabbit ronin, as he wanders about on a warriors pilgrimage, occasionally serving as a bodyguard. As rabbits were not yet introduced to China during Western Han, the original image was not a rabbit but a hare. This article is about the mythological character. He is so generous and devout that when he meets a starving priest, he self-sacrificially clambered into a fire to provide him with a meal. These symbolic animals, still in use today, follow this cyclical order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. Br'er Rabbit is a trickster character. So here we go: Peppy Hare is a member of the original Star Fox team who serves as a mentor to the games protagonist, Fox McCloud. Tok Thompson is an anthropologist at the University of Southern California. The Three Hares Project has explored the imagery, studying its meaning and history, and points out that hares are "contradictory, paradoxical creatures: symbols of both cleverness and foolishness, of femininity and androgyny, of cowardice and courage, of rampant sexuality and virginal purity.". In Greece, the gift of a rabbit was a common love token from a man to his male or female lover. Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play, Harvey embodies everything strange and brilliant and wonderful about classic Hollywood. The oldest imaginary friend at Fosters, Mr. Herriman is a stickler for the rules, is well-meaning but often pompous, and can generally come off as a bit stiff (although he also has a wild-and-crazy hippy-esque alter ego named Hairy, so at least he gets to let loose sometimes!) A similar expression is found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in the Friar's Tale: For though this man were wild as is a hare,To tell his evil deeds I will not spare. However, in Psalms and Proverbs they are described as possessing some intelligence, although ultimately condemned as weak. You may take a spontaneous "hop" and land on a prosperous lead, for example. In Chinese mythology, Chang'e () is best known for stealing an elixir of immortality from her husband, the legendary archer Hou Yi (), and escaping to become the goddess of the moon. When vegetables start turning up mysteriously drained of their juice, the family cat springs into action with the zeal of a crazed, feline Van Helsing. Wenenut is the female counterpart of thehare-headed God, Weneu. To withdraw your consent, see Your Choices. Please enable JavaScript if you would like to comment on this blog. Coming up with an answer is not as easy as it may appear the hunt will take us down a few rabbit holes, not unlike Alice on her voyage through Wonderland. But Hare, in the role of Trickster buffoon, manages to get the message wrong, bestowing mortality instead and bringing death to the human world. If you have wild rabbits or hares that live in your yard, leave them an offering of lettuce, shredded carrots, cabbage, or other fresh greens. Then a rabbit grazing nearby offered herself as food to save his life. Hares were venerated in Celtic mythology, and are portrayed as canny tricksters in the myths of Native American tribes including the Michabo and Manabush. Telugu song 'Chandrullo unde kundelu' from the movie. This can be seen when we compare Titian's serene and luminous The Madonna of the Rabbit (1520-30) with Pisanello's bewitching Allegory of Luxuria (1426). The Federation is run by mammals and exists in a parallel universe from our own, where they are at war with the evil Toad Empire (ruled by a sinister computer system known as KOMPLEX, which has brainwashed all the toads. One tradition, known as the Hare Pie Scramble, was held at Hallaton, a village in Leicestershire, England. Magical uses for rabbit energy include protection, good luck, and messages from the underworld. Through history, rabbits and hares have been seen as sacred and the epitome of craftiness. The symbol of our village is three hares in a circle, their interlinked ears forming a perfect triangle -- an imge found in roof boss carvings in seventeen Devon churches, including ours. Coyote often has the role of trickster. Roger gets murdered early on in the book, leaving private eye Eddie Valiant to track down his killer. Apparently inspired by a medieval carving on the faade of Frances Amiens Cathedral (in which the vice of cowardice is represented by a knight fleeing from a rabbit), this scene is now a permanent contender for the title of greatest two minutes in bunny-related movie comedy history. Over a thousand years later, during the Iron Age, ritual burials for hares were common, and in 51 B.C.E., Julius Caesar mentionedthat in Britain, hares were not eaten due to their religious significance. For those of you who might not be familiar with the Lepi (Lepus carnivorus), they are the sassy sentient rabbits of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, native to the planet Coachelle Prime (although their rapid breeding rate quickly led them to colonize their entire star system, becauserabbits.) It's impossible not to see cartoon rabbits including Bugs Bunny also following in this ancient tradition of the animal's craftiness. The themes of renewal and rebirth seem linked to the Easter message. Indigenous North and Central American culture have very similar myths that connect hares and rabbits with the moon, presumably because they also detected lagomorphic markings on the lunar surface. Elves were often portrayed as morally ambivalent. In Greco-Roman myth, the hare represented romantic love, lust, abundance, and fercundity. You should probably listen to him. From 2013 to 2017, he was the editor for Western Folklore. Three rabbity themes cut across global mythology and religion: bunnies' perceived sacredness, their mystical link to the moon, and their connection with fertility. "Egg-Laying Bunnies and Mad March Hares." At the same time that Chandler Harris was recording Brer Rabbit stories from the African American oral tradition, folklorist Alcee Fortier was setting down the folk tales of the Cajun (French Creole) culture of southern Louisiana -- including delightful stories of a fast-talking rabbit Trickster called Compair Lapin. If we dig a little deeper into their stories, we find that they are also contradictory, paradoxical creatures: symbols of both cleverness and foolishness, of femininity and androgyny, of cowardice and courage, of rampant sexuality and virginal purity. Hares in Japanese folktales tend to be crafty, clownish, mischievous figures (usually male) -- as opposed to fox Tricksters (kitsune), who are more seductive, secretive, and dangerous (usually female). To amuse children, Eostre changed her beautiful pet bird into a rabbit. The Aztecs worshipped a group of deities known as the Centzon Totochtin, a group of 400 hard-partying rabbits who were the gods of drunkenness. Type of Entity: Supernatural. Hare of Inaba is a demon in the series. Their ears are interlocked, and form a perfect triangle. The Moon is so angry, she beats Hare with a stick, splitting his nose (as it remains today). Originated from South Germany, this folklore is described as a giant and nocturnal raven-like bird. In Greece, the gift of a rabbit was a common love token from a man to his male or female lover. Considered to be bringers both of good and bad fortune, they could either help or hinder rural and marine communities. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to ourFacebookpage or message us onTwitter. The trip stretched the crane's legs as the heavy rabbit held them tightly, leaving them elongated as the legs of all cranes are now. In the folklore of various cultures and ancient civilizations, rabbits have represented a kind of Trickster figure. This magical white hare laid brightly colored eggs which were given out to children during spring fertility festivals -- an ancient tradition that survives in the form of the Easter Bunny today. In some texts,Wenenu is identified as a form of Osiris [who] is depicted with a knife in each hand, although she is seen with the ankh and the scepter (Miller & Taub, pg 169). Carvings of rabbits eating grapes and figs appear on both Greek and Roman tombs, where they symbolize the transformative cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Ever hear the phrase "mad as a March hare"? Could the Easter Bunny have derived from this ancient Buddhist symbol? In medieval societies in Europe, the March hare was viewed as a major fertility symbolthis is a specific species of lepus that is nocturnal most of the year, but in March when mating season begins, there are bunnies everywhere all day long. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. In this story the hare is a previous incarnation of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. Rabbits were sacred to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and marriage -- for rabbits had "the gift of Aphrodite" (fertility) in great abundance. Yokai are supernatural creatures of the Japanese folklore, sometimes also considered as specters or demons. The flowers are blooming, birds are laying eggs and baby bunnies are hopping about. To their surprise, they discovered that the designs famous tin association is actually a dubious one, deriving from a misunderstanding of an alchemical illustration published in the early 17th century. [8] Indigenous American folklore [ edit] The sharks . While this DC Comics series only lasted from 1982 to 1983, this wacky band of characters still make occasional cameos in the DC universe, appeared in an arc of Teen Titans, and a reprint of their entire 26 issue series was released in September 2014. Main Your Privacy Rights No matter what shape the pca takes, its fur is always dark. Interestingly, this fiery bird is both a figure of harmony and disharmony, descending from heaven at times of peace and fleeing back to its astral abode when strife inhabits the land. Jo Walton has discussed the book at length, although I was initially introduced to Fiver, Hazel, and company through the animated film version; as a seven year old, I found it equal parts disturbing and fascinating (and Im apparently not the only onein writing this post I ran across a Facebook group called Watership Down (the film) traumatized me as a kid!). An earlier version of this article appeared on Tor.com in April 2011, and has been updated several times since. Anyone familiar with Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra know that the world of the avatars is full of amazing, often adorable creatures (baby saber-tooth moose lions, anyone?). Deities Associated With Hares and Rabbits Eostre (Anglo-Saxon) - in antiquity, worshipped in a spring festival; "Also known as: Eastre, Goddess of the Spring. (The stone formations are known by the names Hound Tor and Bowermans Nose.) Groening would also represent himself and his sons Will and Abe in rabbit form in the strip, which finally ended its run in 2012. Rather like in Alice in Wonderland, the white rabbit can never be fully grasped. The legend was brought along with Buddhism from India to China, where it was blended with local folklore. Presumed to be arising likewise, through lunar pareidolia, legends of Moon rabbits also exist among some indigenous cultures of North and Central America. They come in various appearances, and can look like animals, humans and even objects. In the Panchatantra tales of India, for example, Hare is a wily Trickster whose cleverness and cunning is pitted against Elephant and Lion, while in Tibetan folktales, quick-thinking Hare outwits the ruses of predatory Tiger. As if that wasn't enough, the males tend to get frustrated when rebuffed by their mates (go figure) and bounce around erratically when discouraged. Quetzalcoatl then collected and buried the remains of his . ), although they certainly deserve an honorable mention along with Mr. Bunny Rabbit (of Captain Kangaroo), the psychotic-but-adorable Bun-bun (Sluggy Freelance), Mr. Bun (aka Pauly Bruckner in The Unwritten), and Tim Conways performance as F. Lee Bunny on The Carol Burnett Show. With no food or water around, he thought he would die. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. The creatures were said to be shape changers which could take the appearance of black horses, goats and rabbits. The problem with trying to give any definitive answer is the lack of evidence. Hes actually dead (see also: creepy Frank, above). | Purple Crocus , Posted by Carla Huffman, MFT on March 05, 2017 at 03:30 AM in Hare/Rabbit | Permalink. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/egg-laying-bunnies-and-mad-march-hares-2562459. Terms of Use The eating of the hare may have been associated with various longstanding folk traditions of scaring away witches at Easter. How a Rabbit Reached the Moon: One night, the Man on the Moon came down to earth disguised as a beggar. What fascinated ancient Greek and Roman writers most about our leporine friends was their fertility. Bugs has been consistently foiling Marvin the Martian in his attempts to destroy the Earth since 1948, while still finding to torment a certain vengeful Norse demigod in Whats Opera, Doc? In Canada and the United States, a Cree cultural legend tells a different story, about a young rabbit who wished to ride the Moon. Ive always thought of the White Rabbit as a bit of a pill; hes neurotic and occasionally pompous and always in a hurry, but its hard to deny his pop cultural notoriety. The pca has counterparts throughout . Along with Sam, a wise-cracking, fedora-wearing dog, Max works as a private investigator with a healthy disrespect for the law; where Sam is grounded and professional, Max is gleefully violent and maybe a tad psychotic (in a fun way!) The legend of Lumiuk (Lumak, Lumaag) tells of an abused blind boy who finds refuge in the sea, where he . Rabbit-born individuals are whimsical and lucky. The rabbits are played by Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, and Scott Coffey (all of whom appeared in Lynchs Mulholland Drive), and the set and some footage from the series were used in Inland Empire, lending fuel to the theory that all of Lynchs films are somehow interrelated in some crazy way. You cant really separate the Simpsons from their origins in Life in Hell, the long-running comic strip dedicated to Matt Groenings ruminations on life, love, work, death, and all the fear, humor, irritations, and anxiety that existence entails. In Titian's painting, the pure white bunny is a symbol of Mary's celibacy. He chanced upon a Fox, a Monkey, and a Rabbit (usagi) and asked for some food. Matthew Wilson finds out. In the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus, they are referred to as impure animals. Another influential writer, Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), mistakenly believed that their breakneck procreation was due to the fact that hares were hermaphrodites, and that childbirth was shared by both males and females. Many video games have major characters based on the tale, including Reisen Udongein Inaba and the other Lunarians (some of whom pound Moon mochi to be made into magic medicine) from the Touhou Project series, the Broodals from Super Mario Odyssey, and Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit/Moon Rabbit are featured as playable characters in the video game Smite. The Moon rabbit legend is popular and part of local folklore throughout Asia. And in a slightly more recent mythos, bunnies were the bte noir of a certain thousand-year-old former vengeance demon. A scholar traces the folk figures history from the Neolithic era to today. Appearing as half bird, half mammal at the edge of day and night they are seen as liminal beings and not part of the natural order. [5][6][7], This legend also gave rise to the Mid-Autumn Festivals of China, Tt Trung Thu of Vietnam, Tsukimi of Japan, and Chuseok of Korea, Sampeah Preah Khae in Cambodia, all of which celebrate the legend of the Moon rabbit. Cookie Settings, Five Places Where You Can Still Find Gold in the United States, Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Otherand the Birds Loved It, Balto's DNA Provides a New Look at the Intrepid Sled Dog, The Science of California's 'Super Bloom,' Visible From Space, What We're Still Learning About Rosalind Franklins Unheralded Brilliance. This motif appears in numerous churches and other buildings throughout the town. Go here for a related post on Witch Hares. They hunt little children for food. Are rabbits connected with Easter because they've often been considered holy? The obvious onea rabbit's foot is said to bring good luck to those who carry it, although one might argue that it's not so lucky for the rabbit. The rabbit uses the sharks that line up to cross the other shore, but the sharks tear off its skin. Richard Adams brilliant heroic fantasy features a group of anthropomorphic rabbits complete with their own folklore, mythology, language, and poetry. When and how did Japanese jade rabbit begin to pound rice cake? For example, the Virgin Mary is often shown with a white hare or rabbit, symbolizing that she overcame sexual temptation. There's a reason for thatthis is the time of year when rabbits tend to go a bit bonkers. The Fox brought him fish from a stream, and the Monkey brought fruit from the trees, but the Rabbit could only offer grass. Driven by Stewarts delightful and deeply touching performance, Harvey is a lighthearted comedy with unexpected depths, an inspiring piece of fantasy that celebrates the triumph of a kind-hearted nonconformist over worldly cynicism and the pressures of respectability. The creatures can assume a variety of terrifying forms, including a horse, rabbit, goat, goblin, or dog. In one well-known story from Dartmoor, a mighty hunter named Bowerman disturbed a coven of witches practicing their rites, and so one young witch determined to take revenge upon the man. After a long, cold, northern winter, it seems natural enough for people to celebrate themes of resurrection and rebirth. The rabbit in the Moon is a major theme in the 2011 musical, This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 01:08. Bakeneko. Fenrir, also called Fenrislfr, monstrous wolf of Norse mythology. The female of the species is superfecund and can conceive a second litter while still pregnant with a first. Comments (10). [CDATA[ Set in Japan during the early Edo period, the series was lauded for its attention to detail in terms of period architecture, weaponry, clothing, etc., and drew heavily on Japanese samurai films (particularly the work of Akira Kurosawa, given the title) as well as Japanese history and folklore. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "Tell them," she says, "that just as the Moon dies and rises again, so shall you." Wigington, Patti. Freya (Norse) emblem of Freya, a mother goddess, giver of fruitfulness and love; associated with Holda, the Norse moon goddess, Hermes (Greek) God of the spoken word; the rabbit was sacred to Hermes as a fleet-footed messenger. White Rabbit has been a trippy byword for psychedelic drug use since the 1960s, as well as a recurring trope in both Lost and the Matrix movies (apparently, he moonlights as a harbinger of not-very-satisfying conclusions). The earliest known examples of the design can be found in Buddhist cave temples in China (581-618 CE); from there it spread all along the Silk Road, through the Middle East, through Hungary and Poland to Germany, Switzerland, and the British Isles. If you're doing a meditation that involves an underworld journey, call upon the rabbit to be your guide. It is usually depicted as a four-legged creature with a human face. Eostre (Anglo-Saxon) in antiquity, worshipped in a spring festival; "Also known as: Eastre, Goddess of the Spring. Written accounts from England around the same time also mention the Easter hare, particularly in terms of traditional Easter hare hunts and the eating of hare meat at Easter. Touched by the rabbit's virtue, he drew the likeness of the rabbit on the Moon for all to see.