HARE
Yoruba Trickster God
The infamous twitchy-nosed Trickster God
Is there anyone without a hare? The trickster rabbit figure is hare, there and everywhere, zig-zagging and madly dancing through so many cultures, legends and tales. The Chinese Hare In The Moon, the Mad March Hare of Wonderland and the Great Rabbit Manabozho of Native American fame.
We have picked the Yoruba people’s Hare as a particular favorite. He starred in one of the first Hare and Tortoise fables, one of the few occasions when the trickster was out-tricked. Many of his exploits were taken almost verbatim to create the Brer Rabbit tales.
In Yoruba ceremonies Hare head-dresses were worn in celebratory mode. That’s right. Ceremonial hats with bunny ears. Cute.
Hare Facts and Figures
Name: Hare
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names:
Gender: Male
Type: God
Area or people: Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present
Role:
In charge of: Mayhem
Area of expertise: Trickster, Mischief, Mayhem
Good/Evil Rating: OKAY, not bad
Popularity index: 9871
Cite this article
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Article last revised on May 19, 2019 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders
References: Coming soon.