You can find it being used in many medieval churches in the UK – in South Tawton (Devon), Long Melford (Suffolk), Cotehele (Cornwall), St David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, and Chester Cathedral. It depicts three hares running in a never-ending circle with their ears touching to form a triangle. Hares are fast and agile runners, which may account for the general perception of them as either wily, or mysterious and obscure.īacking up this view is the fascinatingly transnational phenomenon of the 'three hare' symbol. According to folklore in the United Kingdom, witches can transform into rabbits and hares, and in many cultures they are seen as harbingers of both good and bad luck.

It's impossible not to see cartoon rabbits – including Bugs Bunny – also following in this ancient tradition of the animal's craftiness. Similar tales are to be found in Central African fables and the related figure of Br'er Rabbit, the ultimate hero of cunning. The symbol that spread around the worldĪre rabbits connected with Easter because they've often been considered holy? Hares were venerated in Celtic mythology, and are portrayed as canny tricksters in the myths of Native American tribes including the Michabo and Manabush. Why magic's secret symbols fascinate us The ancient enigma that still resonates today They are both part of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, and the family Leporidae, and have often been treated in the same way in religions, fables, and in visual culture. The chase will incorporate both rabbits and hares – when examining folklore and art history, it is sometimes hard to distinguish between the two. Three rabbity themes cut across global mythology and religion: bunnies' perceived sacredness, their mystical link to the moon, and their connection with fertility. Where exactly did the Easter Bunny tradition derive from?Ĭoming 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. And yet everywhere we see it symbolised by a floppy-eared, bucktoothed, and egg-dispensing lagomorph. Easter is a Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday.

Illusion art museum