"Silly Rabbit, Tricks are for Kids!"- the world's epic obsession with a sneaky rabbit

02 Jul

The “Trickster” is one of the most common types of entities in folklore all across the globe. Many tricksters are animals or shapeshifters who can take on the form of various animals; one of the most common being the rabbit or hare. Everyone is familiar with Bugs Bunny and his playful antics or the fable of Tortoise and the Hare, but you might be surprised to find that there are many other similar characters throughout history, the world over.

^{Drawing beautifully hand-rendered for this article by artist}^{Kristen Roberts}^{, who was inspired by "Br'er Rabbit being a symbol of rebellion for enslaved people in pre-Civil War America, hence the jumping over the scythe."}

Tricksters are archetypal characters in lore (and perhaps reality), that can be cunning, foolish or an entertaining blend of both. In culture, they serve as a useful tool to challenge societal norms and reshape people’s behaviors — Like with satire, tricksters challenge authority and the status-quo. In literature, they can serve as a plot device; a catalyst to further the story. Tricksters can sometimes even be the hero, using their intellect to outsmart villains. As Krystal D’Costa puts it in her Scientific American article entitled The Legacy of the Trickster Hare, ”Tricksters operate toward two ends. First, they are self-absorbed and will go to any lengths to satisfy their own needs, particularly when it comes to sexual desires. Second, as a totem, the trickster makes the world habitable. He rids it of monsters or employs deceit or self sacrifice to award mankind some additional benefit that aids with their social progression”.

The character of the rabbit/hare in trickster stories is small, but mighty. What they lack in size or strength, they make up for with speed and cunning. Sometimes, however, the hare is too smart for its own good which can lead to disaster or even death. Luckily, this mischievous mammal seems to spring back to life every time. It’s important to note that, though both rabbits and hares are used interchangeably in the lore, they are different creatures — Rabbits are a type of hare with the hare being larger, having longer hind legs and longer ears. Another important distinction is that, although both are capable of swimming, rabbits are not as well equipped to do so as hares. Hares are not domesticated, but many breeds of rabbits are-- hence the common phrase "wild hare". Let’s explore the various roles of this “hare-y” hopper around the globe by diving down the proverbial rabbit hole... bear in mind we’ll be leaping around quite a bit so try not to get your whiskers in a twist.

^{1902 publication of Puck Magazine was the first to feature an anthropomorphic rabbit wearing clothes and carrying a basket of eggs, accompanying a goddess-like woman}

Easter and its Peculiar Obsession with Bunnies

An obvious place to start might be with the Easter Bunny whose history burrows deep. Most historians trace the hare/rabbit of Easter back to Germanic Pagan tradition. Easter gets its name from Ēostre (alt. Ēastre or Ostara): a West Germanic spring goddess named after the Germanic month of April, Ēosturmōnaþ— As a spring goddess, she was worshiped every year during spring festivals. As far as where the bunny comes into the story we can’t say for sure, but luckily we can look to German scholar Adolf Holtzmann for some direction. In his 1874 book Deutsche Mythologie, Holtzmann states,” The Easter Hare is inexplicable to me, but probably the hare was the sacred animal of Ostara; just as there is a hare on the statue of Abnoba (The Gaulish goddess of the Black Forest)." This potential explanation is debated amongst some scholars, although it appears to be the best lead we have. It seems a safe bet; however, as hares appear in folk customs all across Northern Europe.

^{Psycho bunnies were a running joke theme in many Medieval manuscripts!}

Perhaps the best explanation for the hare in the spring ritual is the rebirth aspect of the spring season and the concept of fertility — According to Plutarch (AD 46-119 — Greek philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist and priest), ”For psychologically oriented symbologists, neither the speed nor the ‘timidity’ of the hare is critical, but rather the rate at which it multiplies: this makes the animal a symbol of fertility and passionate sexuality”. But, aside from the Cadbury Bunny, what the heck kind of rabbit would lay an egg?! In the June 8th, 1889 issue of The Journal of American Notes and Queries stated, "The hare was originally a bird, and was changed into a quadruped by the goddess Ostara; in gratitude to Ostara or Eastre, the hare exercises its original bird function to lay eggs for the goddess on her festival day."

In the previously mentioned Scientific American article, Krystal D’Costa relays a story from Germanic oral tradition which may provide another angle: “One story tells of a poor woman who didn’t have money for gifts as Easter approached. She decorated some eggs and hid them for her children. When they found them, they saw a rabbit hopping away, and so believed the rabbit had brought them the eggs". Although spring celebrations are timeless, the presence of the Easter Bunny is not particularly old and the explanations of its origins may be apocryphal, but folklore is a living language and as we continue, we will see how the legendary hare is ever-evolving.

Mayan Mural Art from San Juan del Lago Atitlan, Guatemala. Artist unknown.

^{Image of Mural Art depicting a Mayan god with a hare in San Juan de Laguna Atitlan, Guatemala. Artist unknown. Photo by Willow Coyle}

Mesoamerican Mythology

Mesoamerica is home to many stories revolving around the rabbit, one of the most popular being Mayor Rabbit (alt. Uncle Rabbit). Mayor Rabbit appears in many Mayan parables and is the most important trickster character in this region. It is not entirely clear why he is referred to as “Mayor”, but it seems likely it could be a reference to ancient Mayan rulers such as Eighteen Rabbit or Rabbit God K. In the Mayan stories, Mayor Rabbit parables often represent the human struggle to overcome the material state and material attachments — It was widely believed that spirits carrying physical attachments after death would not find peace.

^{Photography by Edwin Cox Navichoc, capturing his mother hard at work, weaving a beautiful textile of a rabbit at our temporary home in San Pedro.}

Most accounts of Mayor Rabbit involve the character tricking people out of their possessions, using them to acquire things or evading capture or pursuit due to the aforementioned deeds. In the dedication to his book How Rabbit Got His Ears: a 600-Year-Old Mayan Indian Tale, author MJC (Pen name), states, ”The interesting thing to note is that Mayans told this tale to relate how it was the betrayal of certain Indian people the gave way to the Spanish taking power in Mexico. Rabbit represents those betrayers”. Those betrayers likely succumbed to promises of material riches and the stories of Rabbit served as cautionary tales for the Mayan people.

^{Phooka image by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black}

Celtic Lore

The Púca is another classic trickster-hare and one that represents itself differently in various parts of Europe —Woven within Celtic folklore, we find the shapeshifting Púca (Plural Púcaí and alternatively known as Pooka, Phouka, Pwca, Pouque, Puck and perhaps more). The name comes from Old Irish, but may have originated in Scandinavian languages — It generally refers to spirits, ghosts or devils and sometimes carries a malevolent connotation. This trickster entity can take many animal forms, including the hare and it can also take on the form of a human, albeit with animal feet/legs and/or ears. Many, however, describe the creature as a mix between a dog, rabbit and goblin with glowing, golden or red eyes and often black or white fur. Like tricksters in general, the Púca can be mischievous or beneficial. In Irish tales, the more malevolent type are said to offer rural travelers a ride on its back, only to provide a terrifying jaunt which lands them right back where they came from. Other accounts describe a more helpful entity that appears to intervene before a terrible disaster or assist should someone be on the verge of encountering a malevolent entity.

The 1950 film starring James Stewart, Harvey describes the more benevolent type and the Pooka is portrayed as a rabbit named "Harvey". In the film, Harvey intervenes at one point, which ultimately saves Stewart’s character from much heartache. For protection against the more rascally of the Púca, it is suggested you have with you a charm as an offer, cold iron as a weapon or spurs for use when riding the “beast”. This trickster is also notorious for flinging drunks off their backs after they’ve accepted a ride; then galloping off with, presumably, a teasing grin and a snicker.

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt also thought of the hare as a trickster and these furry creatures were revered — As Linda Iles puts it in her article, Wenet the Swift One: Hare Goddess of Ancient Egypt, ”The hare also appears as a standard hieroglyphic phonetic sign. This hieroglyph which is called ‘Wn’ symbolized the very essence of life itself, and depicts a hare over a single ripple of water, the very substance from which life first appeared out of the primordial waters of Nun in ancient Egyptian creation myths”. The form of the hare was shared among many Egyptian deities with the most popular being Wenet (alt. Wenut or Unut), the Hare Goddess. Though she was originally depicted as a snake, her form later took on that of a human female with the head of a hare.

^{Goddess Wenet Illustration by Gutsprung Art}

In an article entitled, The Hare Goddess Wenet, Museologist Bernadette Biedermann explains,” Not only is the Mound of Wenet a site of sacred creative energy, the ability of the hare to elude destruction, shows the Goddess Wenet as associated with the hare, to provide a haven for the spirit, where it is rejuvenated on its journey through the Otherworld, a place where it cannot perish”. Biedermann goes on to quote Plutarch (AD 46-120), who tells us, ”A trickster figure, the hare outwits larger and stronger animals…”. Though she rarely appears in literature or inscriptions, we know that Wenet’s name can be represented with 5 hieroglyphs, 2 of which are the hare and the snake (who is also famous for trickery). It is possible Wenet was a trickster entity but perhaps the details were lost as worship was usually conducted within the closed confines of cults. Rabbit-worshiping cultists? Sounds like our kind of people!

Street art from San Pedro del Atitlan. Artist unknown.

^{Street Art in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala. Photo by Willow Coyle}

Native American

The Jistu is a trickster rabbit within the Cherokee, Creek, Alabama and Yuchi tribes of North America — Throughout the various tribes, this entity goes by more than ten names, but generally Jistu means “Rabbit”. Jistu generally appears as a harmless, but mischievous character who often indulges in inappropriate behavior. Much of Native American lore is preserved only in memory, but luckily we’re graced with storytellers who are willing to share their culture. In a Smithsonian sidedoor Podcast episode entitled Cherokee Story Slam, Native American storyteller, Robert Lewis gives the origin-story of Jistu. He recounts a tale of Jistu approaching the “Creator of Everything” requesting long ears, knowledge and wisdom. Jistu was instructed to perform a series of tasks for the creator, each of which involved cunning and trickery to achieve and in each case the rabbit proved successful. With his trials complete, Jistu returned to the creator expecting his request to be fulfilled. According to Lewis, the creator tells Jistu, ”I think you have more knowledge than any other creature, but I will give you long ears”. The creator grabs Jistu’s ears, makes them long and flattens them. Jistu asks the creator why he flattened his ears to which he replies, ”So you can hear better”. Lewis tells this story to remind the children listening that if they pay attention in school and listen, they will become wiser and more knowledgeable, like the rabbit. “Knowledge is power!" In some southeastern Native American tribes, the rabbit is credited with bringing them fire (which he of course, obtained through trickery). In this way, he is similar to the snake in the Garden of Eden who brought knowledge to Adam and Eve, and the Greek God of Fire, Prometheus.

Amongst the Mi'kmaq and Penobscot tribes of the northeast we find another Native American trickster rabbit, Ableegumooch and his otter trickster rival, Keoonik. Ableegumooch is much like Jistu however, many of the tales involve trickster rivalries which often end in one or the other character being killed only to resurrect at a later time. The Algonquin and Ojibwe people of the Anishinaabe group also have Manabozho (also known as the "Great Hare"), who is a devious trickster god. This morally neutral trickster deity was eventually mixed in with some of the Br’er Rabbit stories (which will come up later).

These same northeastern tribes also tell of Nanabozho who is a life-giving force — Various stories credit this entity with reshaping a Post-Diluvian world and crafting rainbows. Native American tribes have many tricksters, the most common being the coyote, who no doubt shares commonalities with the rabbit. The archetype of the trickster (particularly the rabbit/hare), are weaved into so many cultures and North America is no different. Now, let’s explore further and dive deeper...

Asia & The Pacific

Asia and the Pacific are home to many tricksters — Many cultures in this region share very similar stories with different animals in place as the trickster, but we’ll try to track down the hare. Oftentimes, the rat and the rabbit are interchangeable in Chinese and Malay stories and they can be compared and contrasted. Considering Asia and the Pacific are massive, and the fact that China’s traditions and legends have also been influenced by India, obtaining a broad view is rather difficult — Suffice to say, many of these tales carry with them many of the aforementioned trickster traits.

In his research paper A Comparative Study of Malay and Chinese Trickster Tales, See Hoon Peow compares and contrasts the rat and rabbit in Malay and Chinese culture. In contrasting the characteristics of Sang Kancil (a clever mouse-deer in Indonesian and Malaysian fables), and the rat and rabbit of China, See Hoon Peow states, ”…the rabbit and the rat are more calculating and conniving in their trickery. They can be benevolent and help others, as in some of the tales. However, they are more purposive in their trickeries, e.g., the rat in becoming the first ranked animal in the zodiac, preserving its status or stealing things".

Some of these stories were told in association with political power struggles within and between states, as alluded. This region of the world, both massive and complex, deserves an entire multi-volume book series exploring all the tricksters. You’ll find many books and articles regarding the subject of trickster; however, a broad overview connecting stories in the regions of Asia and the Pacific is lacking. It’s certainly another rabbit hole worth diving down — make sure to pack a lunch.

Africa & the American South

There is a particular evolution of the trickster rabbit/hare that has a very complex history — Many parts of Africa have a trickster rabbit; however, due to the slave-trade, the enslaved Africans would find that their stories would take on an entirely new context and form in the New World, particularly in the American South.

With Africa being an entire continent, you can imagine how many tales there must be; however, they generally have the same themes as the hares we find elsewhere. As the Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica put it, “In African tales the trickster’s prey is usually earnest, hardworking, and slow-witted and soon yields to the smooth arguments and attractive promises of his opponent… ”. This can be seen with Kalulu of Zambia, in the trickster hare tales of the Fulani people of the Sahel region, Soongoora of Zimbabwe and MANY more. There is also the West African tale of Zomo that practically mirrors that of the Native American Jistu — They have the same quest (with different trials), and both find themselves to be successful and are rewarded. The main difference is that Zomo is granted wisdom whereas Jistu receives long ears, allowing him to listen better and thus becoming capable of acquiring more knowledge and wisdom.

With the Euro-American slave trade, many Africans had only their oral traditions to bring with them to the New World and they would ultimately morph due to their new conditions. This is where we get Br’er Rabbit (an abbreviation of brother and rabbit) — A name given later on by white authors who appropriated the tales for publication; namely Joel Chandler Harris and Enid Blyton. In her book American Trickster, Emily Zobel Marshall states, ”On the plantations, Brer Rabbit, like Anansi in the Caribbean, functioned as a resistance figure for the enslaved whose trickery was aimed at undermining and challenging the plantation regime”. Marshall goes on to tell us “…as Brer Rabbit tales moved from the oral tradition to the printed page in the late nineteenth-century, the trickster was emptied of his potentially powerful symbolism by white American collectors, authors and folklorists in their attempt to create a nostalgic fantasy of the plantation past”.

Book Cover of Brer Rabbit and His Tricks by Ennis Rees

Sadly, despite the fact that publications depicting Br’er Rabbit brought the tales to the masses, they ultimately perpetuated the stereotypes of African Americans for generations with the use of a condescending tone and “slave-speak”. Luckily, as Marshall argues, 20th Century African American novelists reclaimed the character of Br’er Rabbit, using him to break down the stereotypes and give readers, ”…practical and psychological methods for challenging the traumatic legacies of slavery and racism”.

You can draw many parallels between Br’er Rabbit and those characters of Native American lore. This is likely due to the fact that Joel Chandler Harris, in writing his Br’er Rabbit stories, also included some Native American lore as well as European. There may have also been plenty of “story-swapping” amongst different groups of people during the time of American slavery. These stories are rich with culture, but with Br’er Rabbit it’s vitally important to understand the cultural context behind the parables and identify the inherent racism of many of the published works.

One author in particular who has retold these stories in a more respectful manner, without the racist stereotypes and condescension, is Julius Lester (celebrated author and civil rights activist). In Puffin Modern Classics' Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit, Lester tells us that as a child, his grandmother would regale him with the stories of Br’er Rabbit, which were his favorite. He tells us that she refused to use the racist “slave speech” that Joel Chandler Harris used in his books — She told Lewis these stories with,” Love and affection”. Many of you reading this may have fond memories of this entertaining rabbit and you should- they’re part of our history and culture. Just remember to treat them with respect and honor the people who, despite enduring the horrors of slavery, gave us a treasure that continues to teach children of all classes and colors important lessons.

Modern Media

The ancient trickster hares and rabbits have burrowed their way into modern pop-culture in a global manner that has made the archetype even stronger and more identifiable. By viewing them through modern media, we’re better able to interpret the meanings as the characters are often very direct, as opposed to the allegorical nature of the old tales. Using the content-driven nature of the entertainment industry, we are able to continually update the social context of these stories and use satire to call attention to issues anywhere from a microcosmic view, to a microcosmic view, and anywhere in-between. Some examples of these bunnies and rabbits are purely for entertainment with little-to-no real substance while others are thought-provoking... Let’s explore a handful.

Bugs Bunny has appeared in many forms since his inception in animation and has become the ninth most portrayed film personality in the world — He is our modern template for the trickster rabbit. Bugs embodies the trickster perfectly and entertainingly, even engaging with the audience by speaking to them directly. His hi-jinks have highlighted the concept of trickster entities and brought them to all generations across the globe, cementing the concept in an easy-to-digest format. Bugs has played many roles from simply a cunning rabbit, foiling wrong-doers to portraying characters from many famous historical stories and parables.

Another interesting representation of a Púca-like entity is the character Frank from the 2001 film Donnie Darko. Frank appears in the form of a man in a ghoulish black rabbit costume. Frank influences and leads the titular character (Donnie) throughout the film with the ultimate intention of saving a small town from multiple negative incidents by sacrificing Donnie. The main difference between the character of Frank and other trickster lore is that Frank sacrificed someone else, whereas the trickster rabbit lore would have had Frank sacrifice himself. (Of course, in a separate timeline, Frank is actually the one sacrificed).

Comparison of film stills from movies: Harvey and Donnie Darko.

^{You can clearly see Harvey influenced Donnie Darko's director Richard Kelly... a double feature is recommended!}

We previously mentioned the character Harvey from the 1950 film of the same name. In the film, the Protagonist, Elwood P. Dowd has an invisible “Pooka” as a best friend. This benevolent, possibly imaginary, character is supposedly a 6’, 3 ½” anthropomorphic rabbit who has a lot of thoughts to share about people. *Spoilers ahead* Though his eccentricities are tolerated (and even enabled in some cases), by many in Dowd’s life, his sister tries to have him committed to a sanitarium. The film illustrates the conservative nature of American society at the time and how differences and eccentricities were often not tolerated. Once committed to the sanitarium by order of his sister, the taxi driver who drove them there shares his experience with the other patients he’s dropped off for “Treatment”. The Taxi Driver reports that after their treatment, ”They crab, crab, crab. They yell at me. ‘Watch the lights. Watch the brakes, Watch the intersections!’. They scream at me to hurry. They got no faith in me, or my buggy. Yet, it's the same cab, the same driver. And we're going back over the very same road. It's no fun. And no tips... After this, he'll be a perfectly normal human being. And you know what stinkers they are!”. Although Harvey is invisible, he serves the same purpose as the trickster rabbit and the film serves as a poignant critique of the society of the time.

Another modern media adaptation of a trickster rabbit breaks all the rules… The Trix Rabbit of cereal celebritydom. Unlike the folkloric rabbits, the Trix Rabbit’s tricks fail almost 100% of the time — he neither assists nor deceives. As Fandom.com puts it,” To many people, the Trix Rabbit is regarded as the most sympathetic cereal mascot, most likely due to his constant deprivation of his own cereal from many kids, even if he was on the box of the product itself”. In all his time, the Trix Rabbit has been successful only 5 times and only due to overwhelming “Yes” votes from children in polls conducted by General Mills. Though the Trix Rabbit doesn’t quite seem to fit the mold of the classic trickster, a friend of mine has a different interpretation — “I’d say that the Trix Rabbit does exactly as intended. He tricks kids into ‘stealing’ his cereal back from him but ultimately they lose out because it’s unhealthy”. Silly kids, the trick is on you.

To Conclude this Fluffy Tale...

Many of these stories have morphed and melded over time and across cultures. Though it may be nigh impossible to trace the origins of some of these stories, they continue to play a role in the human experience and can be used for cross-cultural analysis. Despite the variations these legends and tales take on, the folklore remains stable. So old are many of these ideas that they are encoded in our DNA... not unlike the template of The Hero’s Journey. The effects of these stories are like the trickster hare itself: They’re small but mighty. A society can change through violent uprisings and revolutions or, they can change through constant, gradual, subversive alterations... which is what trickster tales can provide. These tales can give us both context of the past and critiques on the present, but it’s up to us to create the future. This is certainly not the ultimate compendium of floppy-eared, mischief-making mammals — Although there are many more stories of impish bunnies not mentioned here (seriously… There are a TON of them), we're now pretty familiar with this character but we urge you to dig deeper into the “Wascally Wabbit”.

Do you have a rabbit or hare stories you would like to share? Something personal to you or something that would give us more insight? Feel free to share your knowledge with us!

Street mural in San Pedro del Laguna Atitlan, Guatemala.

^{Mayan mural in San Pedro La Laguna Atitlan by Tito, Deyvid Perez & Rudy Ortiz 2021. Photo by Willow Coyle}

#trickster #rabbit #hare #shapeshifter #Easterbunny #Ostara #Abnoba #UncleRabbit #MayorRabbit #BrerRabbit #BugsBunny # #Pooka #Phouka #Pwca #Pouque #Puck #Legends #Myths #InternationalFolklore #WeirdWanderings #Harvey #DonnieDarko # #Zomo

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