Those of you interested in the role of rabbits and hares in literature could do worse than start off with Terri Windling’s article on The Symbolism of Rabbits and Hares.
Teatime by Terri Windling
The article on the website The Journal of Mythic Arts is beautifully illustrated, including pictures by the author as seen above, runs over four pages and has links to books on Amazon for those looking to buy a book on hare and rabbit tales.
The hare is an emblem of many lunar goddesses such as Hecate, Freyja, and Holda. In fact, the hare is the symbol for the moon. Ever since the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., Easter has been celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 21st. The Hare is a symbol of Easter for two reasons: the European Spring goddess Eostre (from whom we get the name Easter) had the head of a hare, and the date of Easter is determined by the moon whose symbolism is strongly tied to that of the hare.
In Teutonic myth, the earth and sky goddess Holda, leader of the Wild Hunt, was followed by a procession of hares bearing torches. Although she descended into a witch–like figure and boogeyman of children’s tales, she was once revered as a beautiful, powerful goddess in charge of weather phenomena. Freyja, the headstrong Norse goddess of love, sensuality, and women’s mysteries, was also served by hare attendants. She traveled with a sacred hare and boar in a chariot drawn by cats. Kaltes, the shape–shifting moon goddess of western Siberia, liked to roam the hills in the form of a hare, and was sometimes pictured in human shape wearing a headdress with hare’s ears. Ostara, the goddess of the moon, fertility, and spring in Anglo–Saxon myth, was often depicted with a hare’s head or ears, and with a white hare standing in attendance.
Also read the two beautiful pieces of writing Hare Totem and Lepus
(NA) Since ancient times, locals have reported seeing hares regularly leaping in circles .. And who else do it in circles? .. Witches! Does it empower the popular belief that witches shape-shift into hares? Bet so! ;)
In Teutonic myth, the earth and sky goddess Holda, leader of the Wild Hunt, was followed by a procession of hares bearing torches. Although she descended into a witch–like figure and boogeyman of children’s tales, she was once revered as a beautiful, powerful goddess in charge of weather phenomena. Freyja, the headstrong Norse goddess of love, sensuality, and women’s mysteries, was also served by hare attendants. She traveled with a sacred hare and boar in a chariot drawn by cats. Kaltes, the shape–shifting moon goddess of western Siberia, liked to roam the hills in the form of a hare, and was sometimes pictured in human shape wearing a headdress with hare’s ears. Ostara, the goddess of the moon, fertility, and spring in Anglo–Saxon myth, was often depicted with a hare’s head or ears, and with a white hare standing in attendance.
Also read the two beautiful pieces of writing Hare Totem and Lepus
(NA) Since ancient times, locals have reported seeing hares regularly leaping in circles .. And who else do it in circles? .. Witches! Does it empower the popular belief that witches shape-shift into hares? Bet so! ;)
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