She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal. In Aztec and East Asian lore, there is a rabbit on the moon using a mortar and pestle. They’re a potent emblem of Shamanic journeys and may even be called upon to monitor those rituals. In Jewish folklore, rabbits (shfanim) are associated with cowardice. The character of the "Easter bunny" first appeared in 16th-century German writings, which said that if well-behaved children built a nest out of their caps or bonnets, they would be rewarded with colored eggs left in the night by an Easter Hare. Fictional rabbits and hares. Although most parts of Asia know of the story of the Moon Rabbit, each part region has their own version of the story but today, i’ll only go over the Korean version of the story. Venerable Bede, an ancient historian, is the only source for Eostre (also referred to by some as Ostara), a British goddess associated with spring. Copyright © 2020 Suzanna J. Linton All rights reserved. Like many tricksters, Brer Rabbit uses his brains over his brawn, which somewhat speaks to the difficulty slaves faced in their physical subjugation to Southern plantation owners. The Aztecs … A hare … Rabbits make appearances in folklore all over the world. In medieval societies in Europe, the March hare was viewed as a major fertility symbol. Just sayin’.) If you'd like to know more about the folklore of hares and rabbits, go here and here. However, in East Asian lore, the rabbit is making rice cakes or the elixir of life for the Goddess of the Moon1. Rabbits are often used as a symbol of fertility or rebirth, and have long been associated with spring and Easter as the Easter Bunny. Later, it appears in both the writings of Sir Thomas More, with "As mad not as a March hare, but as a madde dogge,"and later in a 16th-century book of proverbs. This post begins a long run of animals in folklore. In hare mythology, the hare is a creature with pagan, sacred and mystic associations, by turns benign, cunning, romantic or, most famously, in its March courtship rituals, mad. That idea may have come out of China, where the rabbit is considered a pharmacist4. 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. Spring equinox, or Ostara, is a time for fertility and sowing seeds, and so nature's fertility goes a little crazy. Rabbits are often used as a symbol of fertility or rebirth, and have long been associated with spring and Easter as the Easter Bunny. It is believed that this woman caught hold of a tree and then dragged it with herself to the moon. The tale varies but the result is always the same. Clara must see through the fog of war to save a nation--and her soul. Jun 19, 2015 - Explore Shelby Brown's board "Mythology and Folklore Class" on Pinterest. Author and folklorist Suzanna Linton says, The English village of Dartmoor claims three hares in a circle as its symbol. Their ears are interlocked, and form a perfect triangle. Centzon Totochtin In Aztec mythology, the Centzon Totochtin ("four-hundred rabbits") are a group of deities who meet for frequent parties; they are divine rabbits, and the gods of drunkenness. Add a few rabbit hairs to. Additionally, rabbits are often used as symbols of playful sexuality, which also relates to the human perception of innocence, as well as its reputation as a prolific breeder. [1][2] In East Asia, it is seen pounding in a mortar and pestle, but the contents of the mortar differ among Chinese, Japanese, and Korean folklore. It's no surprise that these playful, intelligent and mysterious creatures have attracted the attention of mystics and storytellers throughout the world. In the folklore of various cultures and ancient civilizations, rabbits have represented a kind of Trickster figure; in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean mythology, rabbits live on the moon. The Rabbit and Possum each wanted a wife, but no one would marry either of them. https://www.learnreligions.com/egg-laying-bunnies-and-mad-march-hares-2562459 (accessed April 4, 2021). Learn Religions. Wolpertinger. Seen on a clear night the full Moon might, with a bit of imagination, contain the outline of a hare.Throughout Africa there is a myth that at the start of the world, the Moon was so pleased with the Earth that she wanted to give mankind the gift of immortality. 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.". She continues to live in South Carolina with her husband and assorted pets. 2 pgs. Although the phrase itself is often attributed to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland adventures, it actually appears much earlier. When the chief came to ask his business, the Rabbit said he brought an important order from the council that everybody must get married without delay. Paranormal Activity 6: A Love-Hate Tale, Next Post So he went on to the next town, and the Possum followed close after him. Unlike rabbits hares do not bear their young below ground in Burrows, but in what is known as a form, which can be a nest of grass or a shallow depression. Magical uses for rabbit energy include protection, good luck, and messages from the underworld. Because rice is a staple of the Asian diet, to say the rabbit (sometimes referred to as the “jade rabbit”) is making rice cakes is saying he is making the essence of life2. Learn how your comment data is processed. There are hares as goddesses and the companions of goddesses, hares as messengers, as fertility symbols, and as tricksters. Rabbits and hares. 1 Jackalopes 2 Wolpertingers 3 Gallery 4 Navigation Legends of horned rabbits date as far back as Huichol myth, where they were described as mysterious creatures that gave the deer their horns. "Egg-Laying Bunnies and Mad March Hares." The moon rabbit is an insignia of both male and female lunar deities in the Classic Maya period. As the Rabbit traveled faster, he got there first and waited outside until the people noticed him and took him into their home. But the natives of North America had their own trickster rabbit stories. The rabbit—for good reason—is often associated with fertility magic and sexual energy. Hares are associated with Easter and eggs, with madness in March, with the moon, with the … rabbits in japanese mythology. Comment below! Though I only scratched the surface, like a hare scratching a form in a field, rather than a rabbit digging a deep burrow, I was amazed at the widespread, varied nature of hare folklore and mythology. All rights to the art, video, and text above reserved by the artist, filmmaker, and the author's estate. The folklore of the Moon Rabbit is not only a story in Korea but also a popular story all across Asia. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Mythological_rabbits_and_hares&oldid=995666550 ". Is there a particular animal you’d like to see discussed? The fox brought fish and the monkey brought fruit. Do you have any suggestions for future posts? They talked over the matter and the Rabbit said, “We can’t get wives here; let’s go to the next settlement. https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2020/04/folklore-rabbits-hares.html Rabbits have stood out in the human imagination for untold centuries. This motif appears in numerous churches and other buildings throughout the town. Wenenut is the female counterpart of the hare-headed God, Weneu. The species' role as a prey animal with few defenses evokes vulnerability and innocence, and in folklore and modern children's stories, rabbits often appear as sympathetic characters, able to connect easily with youth of all kinds (for example, the Velveteen Rabbit, or Thumper in Bambi). Everybody jumped on the Possum, who had not thought of bringing his weapons on a wedding trip and so could not defend himself. But how did the jade rabbit get in the moon in the first place? In the spoken Hebrew the use of the word rabbit is similar to the word "chicken" used in the English language. With Native American Ojibwe mythology, Nanabozho, is an important god or divine being, related to the creation of the world. Ever hear the phrase "mad as a March hare"? The folklore originated in China and then spread to other Asian cultures. Categories: Legendary mammals. Toggle navigation. I’m the messenger for the council, and I’ll tell the people that I bring an order that everybody must take a mate at once, and then we’ll be sure to get our wives.”. In American folklore, we have Brer Rabbit, whose source may be trickster rabbit stories brought by African slaves5. In today’s Friday Folklore, we’ll take a brief look at rabbits in folklore. The Possum thought this a fine plan, so they started off together for the next town. That idea passed to Japan but, instead of making medicine for the elixir of life, he’s making mochi, which is a sweet rice cake. •The fifth month: Five pairs of rabbits produce and three are not ready, so five pairs of rabbits are born (5). But when the Rabbit got to the town he sent out the word that, as there had been peace so long that everybody was getting lazy, the council had ordered that there must be war at once and they must begin right in the town. Feb 24, 2015 - This story is not a Brer Rabbit story; instead, it is Uncle Remus's version of a flood story. The Rabbit pretended to feel sorry for him and said, “Never mind, I’ll carry the message to the people in the next settlement, and you hurry on as fast as you can, and this time you will get your wife.”. Sighted only rarely in some areas for much of the year, it retains a mystique long forfeited by rabbits. I can’t end a post about the rabbit in folklore without talking about Eostre and the supposed origins of Easter and the Easter bunny. To bring yourself boundless energy, carry a talisman engraved or painted with a rabbit's image. In the folklore of various cultures and ancient civilizations, rabbits have represented a kind of Trickster figure. Brer Rabbit East Asia Europe folklore jade rabbit rabbits. In some magical traditions, the wild rabbit is associated with, Rabbits and hares are able to go to ground quickly if in danger. Below are the points that relate directly to the subject of this blog post: (And, as a side note, the celebration of Easter existed long before it got to the British isles and was referred to as Pascha. And so on. English mythology is the folk tradition which has developed in England over a number of centuries. It’s called “Rabbit and Possum on the Prowl”. I couldn’t find any sources indicating what Aztecs say the Moon Rabbit is making. When I was growing up and my father wanted to tell us stories about trickster animals, we didn’t hear about a trickster rabbit. He only gives information about the name and the time of her festivals. 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. The Rabbit archetype is anything but a “fuzzy bunny” lightweight in the world of Animal Symbolism. Wigington, Patti. The Possum traveled so slowly that he got there after all the animals had mated, leaving him still without a wife. Jacob Grimm of the Brother’s Grimm is the one who came up with the idea of rabbits being associated with Eostre. She was inspired to be a writer by Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern trilogy. I’ve looked into this and found so much conflicting information that I knew something was up. In Chinese, Japanese, and Korean mythology, rabbits live on the moon. However, in East Asian lore, the rabbit is making rice cakes or the elixir of life for the Goddess of the Moon1. A Letter to Myself: Celebrating Little Victories. The story exists in many cultures, particularly in Aztec mythology and East Asian folklore, where it is seen pounding in a mortar and pestle. http://www.rabbitmatters.com/rabbit-stories.html, http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/cultural/kie/moon/kie_moon_06.html, A Letter to Myself: Celebrating Little Victories. In Africa, the hare was considered to be part of the Moon. The obvious one—a 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. Because rice is a staple of the Asian diet, to say the rabbit (sometimes referred to as the “jade rabbit”) is making rice cakes is saying he is making the essence of life2. "Egg-Laying Bunnies and Mad March Hares." Then I came upon this blog run by a “pagan skeptic” who summed up beautifully everything I had been reading. The following is a story about the trickster rabbit. This story narrates an incident about a young woman whose name was Rona who upset the moon which resulted in her seizing and capture by the moon. To this day in Japan, you can buy rabbit-shaped confections to eat during the moon viewing season in autumn. See more ideas about mythology, folklore, fairy tales. Let's look at some possible uses for some of that "mad March hare" energy in magic. Legends of the Noble Rabbit The association between rabbits and the lunar cycle, fertility and longevity did not confine itself within the Egyptian mythology. The Possum never got a wife, but he remembers the lesson, and ever since, he shuts his eyes and pretends to be dead when the hunter has him in a close corner. In some Native American lore, the rabbit is credited with killing the sun (after going on a rampage of his own) through trickery but also for bringing fire to man (a gift some tribes credit to the raven, who is another trickster animal). Bringing along Okuninushi in order to carry all their luggage, he soon lagged behind his brothers from the burden. But that was my dad for you. Hearing of the beautiful goddess Yagami-hime in the land of Inaba, every one of the brothers decided to try and woo her. It’s still called that in most places today. Suzanna J. Linton grew up in rural South Carolina on a steady diet of books and tall tales. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/egg-laying-bunnies-and-mad-march-hares-2562459. I couldn’t find any sources indicating what Aztecs say the Moon Rabbit is making. Wigington, Patti. 1“Rabbit Stories, Tales and Folklore”, RabbitMatters.com, http://www.rabbitmatters.com/rabbit-stories.html, 2“Korean Folklore–The Rabbit in the Moon”, Korea Blog, http://blog.korea.net/?p=13278, 4“Rabbits in the Moon”, Japan: The Official Guide, http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/cultural/kie/moon/kie_moon_06.html, 5“Rabbit”, Funk & Wagnall’s Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, vol. (2020, August 28). The moon rabbit or moon hare is a mythical figure who lives on the Moon in Far Eastern folklore. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Every animal took a mate at once, and the Rabbit got a wife. Mar 18, 2014 - The Moon rabbit in folklore is a rabbit that lives on the moon, based on pareidolia that identifies the markings of the moon as a rabbit. 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