This German mythological creatures was inspired to induce fear in the children to make them sleep. Chang'e dances into Smite, brings Jade Rabbit with her. Could the Easter Bunny be connected to this classical idea of fertility, used to express the rejuvenation and fecundity of springtime? 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. 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. But your good fortune comes in the oddest of ways. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine ((I should mention that our understanding of the Ostara/Eostre myth is controversial, with mythologists divided between those who believe she was and was not a major figure in the British Isles.). The legend was brought along with Buddhism from India to China, where it was blended with local folklore. No matter what shape the pca takes, its fur is always dark. These symbolic animals, still in use today, follow this cyclical order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. 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. The Fox brought him fish from a stream, and the Monkey brought fruit from the trees, but the Rabbit could only offer grass. 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. The Bible offers mixed attitudes towards rabbits. Last but not least, heres Bugs: wily trickster, Warner Bros. royalty, and comedy icon. The earliest example can be found in the Dunhuang Caves in China, a Buddhist holy site created in 6th Century AD. In other tales hes a clown, a thief, a lecher, or a cunning predator -- an ambivalent, amoral figure dancing on the line between right and wrong. Rabbits were sacred to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and marriage -- for rabbits had the gift of Aphrodite (fertility) in great abundance. 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. Read more: Norwegian Mythology & Folk Tales Let's look at some possible uses for some of that "mad March hare" energy in magic. Pca | Gods & Goddess Wiki | Fandom The trio has become the personifications of the holiday, when they descend to the mortal world and give out cellophane lanterns, mooncakes and gifts to children.[8]. Wigington, Patti. Or a total stranger tells you something that, when followed up, turns out to be an amazing opportunity. Inuit Myth and Legend | The Canadian Encyclopedia Based on the Australian science fiction novel The Year of the Angry Rabbit, the movie version moved the setting to Arizona, leaving the books satirical elements behind while retaining the basic premise: giant, mutant carnivorous rabbits threatening humans. For example, the novel was set in the present day (and not the 1940s), the cartoon characters interacting with humans are mostly drawn from comic strips (like Dick Tracy, Garfield, and Life in Hell), and not classic animated cartoonsand Roger Rabbit? You may take a spontaneous "hop" and land on a prosperous lead, for example. Even within Europe, different societies used rabbits as an icon of fecundity and linked them to deities of reproduction. Theres even a cartoon series based on the books, currently in its third and final season. A Guide to The Mythological Creatures of Japanese Irezumi Moon folklore from certain Amerindian cultures of North America also has rabbit themes and characters. Plus, they multiply almost as fast as Tribbles (but with less purring and many, many more teeth). This story, and hares' lunar associations in general, probably derived from much more ancient religions in India. [CDATA[ It is Hares role to lead the dead to the Afterlife in penance for what hes done. Sandy Thompson /500Px Unreleased Plus/ Getty. Bridget McGovern wasnt really all that screwed up by Watership Down, if you dont count the fact that she just stays up nights writing frantically about bunnies (and will always maintain a vague but potent distrust of Art Garfunkle). 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?). Humble Nanahuatzin sacrificed himself in fire to become the new sun, but the wealthy god Tecciztecatl hesitated four times before he finally set himself alight to become the Moon. In Chinese, Japanese, and Korean mythology, rabbits live on the moon. 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? Gods, Goddesses and Rabbits? The Surprising Ancient Myths of the Moon It is a goddess symbol, a Trickster symbol, a symbol of the Holy Trinity, a symbol of death, redemption and rebirthall these and so much more. The appeal of the "three hares" symbol is partly in its central optical illusion individually each hare has two ears, but it looks like there are three in total. 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. Those who encounter yokai can be affected by their actions negatively as well as positively. 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. Hares were likewise believed to be androgynous, shifting back and forth between the genders -- not only in ancient Egypt but also in European folklore right up to the 18th century. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was only the second non-American movie to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and it was the very first stop-motion film to win, which is pretty impressive. Whereas in Western folklore we refer to the "Man in the Moon," the "Hare (or Rabbit) in the Moon" is a more familiar image in other societies. The first reference of Echidna is in the Greek mythology of Hesiod called Theogony, written probably around the turn of the 7th-8th century BCE. Pliny the Elder recommended the meat of the hare as a cure for sterility, and wrote that a meal of hare enhanced sexual attraction for a period of nine days. The spring equinox, with its promise of new life, was held symbolically in opposition to the life-draining activities of witches and winter. Due to Tecciztecatl's cowardice, the deities felt that the Moon should not be so bright as the Sun, so one of the deities threw a rabbit at his face to diminish his light. Showing how humanity's view of him has changed. The Aztecs worshipped a group of deities known as the Centzon Totochtin, a group of 400 hard-partying rabbits who were. He wrote that a pagan festival of spring in the name of the goddess had become assimilated into the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Top 25 Cats From Mythology. The sharks . The kumiho is actually a demon who tries to lure men to their deaths by shape-shifting into a seductive woman. Captain Carrot (aka Roger Rodney Rabbit of Gnu Yorkno relation to the other Roger, presumably) leads the intrepid Zoo Crew ask they face an array of sinister anthropomorphic villains and, apparently, a world filled with animal-related puns (theres a character named after Burt Reynolds. In Potawatomi myth, Wabosso is the Great White Hare (and the younger brother of Nanabozho) who travels north to become the greatest of magicians among the supernaturals. The chase will incorporate both rabbits and hares when examining folklore and art history, it is sometimes hard to distinguish between the two. In Rome, the gift of a rabbit was intended to help a barren wife conceive. Bat Myths and Folktales from Around the World - FolkloreThursday Eostre, too, was a shape-shifter, taking the shape of a hare at each full moon; all hares were sacred to her, and acted as her messengers. 7. https://www.learnreligions.com/egg-laying-bunnies-and-mad-march-hares-2562459 (accessed May 1, 2023). Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They? 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. The Best Bunnies (and Other Strange, Rabbit-Type Creatures) in SFF Eggs and flowers are rather obvious symbols of female fertility, but in European traditions, the bunny, with its amazing reproductive potential, is not far behind. Released in 1972, Night of the Lepus was a monumental flop, completely panned by critics for its horrible plot, premise, direction, acting, and special effects, and for utterly failing to make giant bunnies seem scary (presumably forcing audiences to wait with bated breath another six years before they could be properly traumatized by the film version of Watership Down). Fans of Brian Jacques Redwall series will recognize this handsome gentleman as Basil Stag Hare of the Fur and Foot Fighting Patrol. Rabbit | Forgotten Realms Wiki | Fandom Easter is a celebration of spring and new life. Are rabbits connected with Easter because they've often been considered holy? Quetzalcoatl then collected and buried the remains of his . The moon does indeed have a marking on its surface which looks (with a little imagination and squinting) like a hare. A mystical hare inhabits the moon in Japanese folklore, as shown in Rabbit Pounding the Elixir of Life Under the Moon by Mori Ippo, 1867 (Credit: New Orleans Museum of Art). This list may not reflect recent changes . She shape-shifted into a hare, led Bowerman through a deadly bog, then turned the hunter and his hounds into piles of stones, which can still be seen today. Such astonishing skills in biological reproduction certainly had an impact on European symbolism. The legend may have been brought to North American by German immigrants, derived from the Raurackl (or horned rabbit) of the German folklore tradition. You should probably listen to him. Our Privacy Notice has been updated to explain how we use cookies, which you accept by continuing to use this website. Sam & Max have attracted a rabid cult following over the years, initially appearing in comics, then a series of video games and TV series in the late 90sI first encountered them in the now-classic LucasArts adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road, which I cant recommend highly enough12-year-old me was a little obsessed with it, back in the day, and Im pretty sure it holds up, even now. A six-foot-tall rabbit sporting formal wear, a monocle, and a top hat, the very proper, very English Mr. Herriman is obsessed with keeping order and protecting Madame Foster, who created him when she was a small child in the 1930s. He derived this name from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre, who Bede, an early medieval monk considered to be the father of English history, mentioned in 731 C.E. Privacy Statement In Destiny 2, players can visit the Moon and find miniature statues of chibi-styled jade rabbit dolls which accept offerings of rice cake.[18]. Wigington, Patti. History and Culture of Hare/Rabbit on the Moon (Jade Rabbit), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moon_rabbit&oldid=1151596373, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles containing Vietnamese-language text, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles needing additional references from August 2022, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2021, Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja), Articles with Chinese-language sources (zh), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The Moon rabbit was the subject of a humorous conversation between NASA mission control and the crew of, The Moon rabbit theme makes an appearance in the "Legend of the Stars" section of the. 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. In numerous traditions, these animals were archetypal symbols of women, femininity, female deities, and women's hedgerow magic, associated with the lunar cycle, fertility,longevity, and rebirth. The philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC), for example, noted how rabbits could breed at jaw-dropping speed. 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 pca has counterparts throughout . An early Chinese source called the Chu Ci, a Western Han anthology of Chinese poems from the Warring States period, notes that along with a toad, there is a hare on the Moon who constantly pounds herbs for the immortals. Gyokuto | Yokai.com It is with some justness that this supremely enigmatic animal continues to evade meaning. As Christianity took hold across Europe, hares and rabbits, so firmly associated with the Goddess, came to be seen in a less favorable light -- viewed suspiciously as the familiars of witches, or as witches themselves in animal form. In fact, the symbol is much older and farther ranging than early folklorists suspected. 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Your Privacy Rights It is usually depicted as a four-legged creature with a human face. Most Christian symbols derive from Biblical sources, although some survived from the art cultures of ancient Greece and Rome. The Easter bunny therefore seems to recall these pre-Christian celebrations of spring, heralded by the vernal equinox and personified by the goddess Eostre. Main In the folklore of various cultures and ancient civilizations, rabbits have represented a kind of Trickster figure. There's a reason for thatthis is the time of year when rabbits tend to go a bit bonkers. Could the Easter Bunny have derived from this ancient Buddhist symbol? It may be found in diverse cultures in China, Japan, India, Korea, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Roger gets murdered early on in the book, leaving private eye Eddie Valiant to track down his killer. In China, for example, the Hare in the Moon is depicted with a mortar and pestle in which he mixes the elixir of immortality; he is the messenger of a female moon deity and the guardian of all wild animals. It is characterized as having the body of a rabbit and the antlers of a deer. Did You Know? Figures of hares or white rabbits are commonly found at Chinese Moon Festivals, where they represent longevity, fertility, and the feminine power of yin. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. Tochtli - Symbolism and Importance - Symbol Sage So, weirdly, in the medieval and Renaissance periods, rabbits could either be symbols of chastity or boundless sexuality, depending on the context. "Egg-Laying Bunnies and Mad March Hares." The symbolism of the hare has had many tantalizing ritual and religious roles down through the years. Origin: The myth of the rabbit in the moon is very ancient. Japanese Otsukimi Folktale: The Rabbit on the Moon | Bokksu In Canada and the United States, a Cree cultural legend tells a different story, about a young rabbit who wished to ride the Moon. As a reward for his virtue, the hare's image was cast on the moon. 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. They were considered exotic pets in the city of Sigil, where they were considered clean and quiet. In some magical traditions, the wild rabbit is associated with, Rabbits and hares are able to go to ground quickly if in danger. Elves were often portrayed as morally ambivalent. But, you may ask us, what do they hunt? "Egg-Laying Bunnies and Mad March Hares." (2020, August 28). 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. 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. 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 1790, the local parson tried to stop the custom due to its pagan associations, but he was unsuccessful, and the custom continues in that village until this day. In some stories, Nanabozho is a revered culture hero -- creator of the earth, benefactor of humankind, the bringer of light and fire, and teacher of sacred rituals. With no food or water around, he thought he would die. In 2002, David Lynch released a series of avante-garde video films featuring a trio of humanoid rabbits, which he refers to as a nine-episode sitcom. The horror-comedy vibe of these shorts is reflected in the series creepy tagline, In a nameless city deluged by a continuous rainthree rabbits live with a fearful mystery. The nature of that mystery is never quite revealed, as the rabbits mainly wander around the sitcom-style set uttering curious non-sequiturs or reciting esoteric poetry; they are occasionally interrupted by a random, effusive laugh track. It is believed that the symbol implies prosperity and regeneration through its cyclical composition and overlapping forms. Read the original article. 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. Yokai: Introducing Spirits of the Japanese Folklore Eggs and flowers are rather obvious symbols of female fertility, but in European traditions, the bunny, with its amazing. Rather like in Alice in Wonderland, the white rabbit can never be fully grasped. Rabbit Magic, Legends, and Folklore - Learn Religions Pooka (Pca) in Irish Folklore - Irish Mythology & Folklore In the book, its the Hare, not the Rabbit, that loves to partyand maybe they were only drinking tea when Alice first encounters the March Hare, but something tells me he would fit right in with a certain clique of ancient Aztec party bunnies. Caesar would likely have known that in the classical Greek tradition, hares were sacred to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. 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. Quetzalcoatl, being the stronger of the two, managed to escape, but Mayahuel was torn into pieces and eaten by the demons. Please enable JavaScript if you would like to comment on this blog. Garden Visitor | They come in various appearances, and can look like animals, humans and even objects. 88 Chinese Mythical Creatures to Know About - Owlcation The Japanese anime Mad King Granzrt has characters who are humanoids with rabbit ears and they are natives of the Moon. The rabbit brought forth brightly colored eggs, which Eostre gave the children as gifts" (Miller & Taub, pg 169). In medieval and Renaissance art, rabbits were frequently represented alongside Venus, the ancient Roman goddess of love and sexuality. A scholar traces the folk figures history from the Neolithic era to today. Accounts from the 1600s in Germany describe children hunting for Easter eggs hidden by the Easter hare, much as in the United States today. Egg-Laying Bunnies and Mad March Hares. Protectress of fertility, goddess of rebirth and friend to all children. A famous poet of Tang China, Li Bai, relates how "The rabbit in the moon pounds the medicine in vain" in his poem, "The Old Dust".[3]. In some legends, rabbits and hares are the messengers of the underworld after all, they come and go out of the earth as they please. "The Old Dust Poem by Li Po - Poem Hunter", "The Jatakas: Birth Stories of the Bodhisatta", "China to Send 'Jade Rabbit' Rover to the Moon", "China lunar rover successfully touches down on far side of the moon, state media announces", "She wears it well Supermodel Kate Moss pays tribute to David Bowie in Ziggy Stardust outfit", "Oldest Brit winner David Bowie enters independence debate", "Lorde Assists Clairo On Another New 'Sling' Song, The Gentle 'Reaper', "Theater review: 'South Street' at the Pasadena Playhouse". Their strange presence symbolizes inexplicable phenomenons. Always. They are most commonly seen as black horses with a flowing mane and luminescent orange eyes. On the whole the Elves kept themselves away from the affairs of humans, appearing only occasionally to either cause or cure illnesses, based on their whims. It depicts three hares running in a never-ending circle with their ears touching to form a triangle. Richard Adams brilliant heroic fantasy features a group of anthropomorphic rabbits complete with their own folklore, mythology, language, and poetry. The chase will incorporate both. I could go on, but I dont have much to say about Radagasts sleigh-pulling Rhosgobel Rabbits (big! In one pan-African story, the Moon sends Hare, her divine messenger, down to earth to give mankind the gift of immortality. "Demonic" hares and rabbits are found on cathedral carvings and in other forms of Christian sacred artbut we also find the opposite: the pagan Three Hares symbol (mentioned above) representing the Holy Trinity, and unblemished white rabbits symbolizing purity, piety, and the Holy Virgin. One tradition, known as the Hare Pie Scramble, was held at Hallaton, a village in Leicestershire, England. The rabbitfor good reasonis often associated with fertility magic and sexual energy. His highly intelligent dog, Gromit, saves the day (as usual), but afterwards both Wallace and the rescued rabbit (now called Hutch) exhibit strange behavior. Recent books include The Truth of Myth, a textbook for World Mythology (with Gregory Schrempp) and a casebook entitled Posthuman Folklore. 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. 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. In Mayan art, glyphs, hieroglyphics, and inscriptions, a rabbit frequently is shown with the Moon Goddess and another deity related to the Moon. In Egyptian myth, hares were also closely associated with the cycles of the moon, which was viewed as masculine when waxing and feminine when waning. Wenenut is the female counterpart of thehare-headed God, Weneu. Chang'e - Mythopedia When and how did Japanese jade rabbit begin to pound rice cake? Hes actually dead (see also: creepy Frank, above). And if you liked this story,sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called The Essential List. Lust is one of the seven deadly sins, and when artists depicted it in allegorical form ("Luxuria"), it sometimes took the form of a woman with a bunny. Gary K. Wolfs original novel, Who Censored Roger Rabbit? The 'three hares' symbol has been found across the world, and from more than 1300 years ago (Credit: Alamy). Bugs made his official debut in 1940s A Wild Hare, a huge critical and commercial success (it even got an Oscar nomination), with the legendary Mel Blanc providing the bunnys now-famous New Yawk accent and delivering his catchphrase, Whats up, Doc? Since then, the rascally rabbit has starred in countless cartoons, movies, video games, even commercials, satirizing and spoofing decades worth of popular culture and accumulating plenty of SF/F cred along the way. Religious role of the hare Easter is a celebration of spring and new life. They hunt little children for food. When exposed to negative energy, dragonfly bunny spirits may turn into dark spirits, but otherwise make great pets and I totally want one. And in a slightly more recent mythos, bunnies were the bte noir of a certain thousand-year-old former vengeance demon. is significantly different from the blockbuster Disney hit it was eventually turned into. According to the legend, on clear nights, Rabbit still may be seen riding the Moon. This motif appears in numerous churches and other buildings throughout the town. Hares were associated with the Artemis, goddess of wild places and the hunt, and newborn hares were not to be killed but left to her protection. Similar tales are to be found in Central African fables and the related figure of Br'er Rabbit, the ultimate hero of cunning. Meanwhile, Aphrodites son Eros was often depicted carrying a hare as a symbol of unquenchable desire. In West Africa, many tribal cultures, such as the Yoruba of Nigeria and the Wolof of Senegal, have traditional story cycles about an irrepressible hare Trickster who is equal parts rascal, clown, and culture hero. Chronicling the adventures of the Monroes through the eyes of Harold, the family dog, the Bunnicula series spun off into seven books, ending in 2006 with Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow (although my favorite title in the series has always been The Celery Stalks at Midnight). In a scene in the sixteenth century Chinese novel, The singer/composer Cosmo Sheldrake references the rabbit in the moon in their song "The Moss".