HARE

HARE: Infamous Trickster God.

Is there anyone without a hare? The trickster rabbit figure is everywhere. Is MANABOZHO, the Native American Great Rabbit, the same as the African HARE? Mythology is bounded by bounding hares.

We like to think it's all the same one. He's hare today and there tomorrow, zig-zagging and madly dancing through so many cultures. The Chinese Hare In The Moon, the Mad March Hare of Wonderland, and Brer Rabbit of North America (definitely a hare in rabbit's clothing).

Even the ancient Maya had a rabbit scribe, who — judging by illustrations of the time — has a wild hare-like gleam in his eye. Differention between species seems somewhat vague.

And so we come to the Yoruba HARE of Africa. 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 stories were taken verbatim to create Brer Rabbit. In Yoruba culture HARE head-dresses with bunny ears were worn in celebratory ceremonies. Cute.