How the bunny became the symbol of Easter

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday. And yet, in many countries it is symbolized by a floppy-eared, buck-toothed, egg-dispensing lagomorph. Where exactly did the Easter Bunny tradition originate?

Finding an answer is not as easy as it seems.

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When searching, keep in mind that when examining folklore and art history, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between rabbits and hares.

Both are part of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha and of the family Leporidaeand have often been treated as equals in religions, fables, and visual culture.

Will they be related to Easter because they are often considered sacred?

Hares were revered in Celtic mythology and are depicted as cunning tricksters in the myths of Native American tribes, including the Michabo and Manabush.

Similar tales are found in Central African fables and the related figure of Br’er Rabbit, the quintessential hero of cunning. That cunning perception lives on even in cartoons, like Bugs Bunny.

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According to British folklore, witches can transform into rabbits and hares, and in many cultures they are considered omens of both good and bad luck.

Hares are fast and agile runners, which may explain the general perception of them as cunning or mysterious and dark.

Supporting that point of view is the fascinating transnational phenomenon of the “three hares” symbolwho appear running in an endless circle with their ears touching to form a triangle.

GETTY IMAGES.

It is found in many medieval churches in the UK, in cathedrals and synagogues in Germany, in French parish churches and elsewhere in Europe.

But also in artifacts created in Syria, Egypt and Pakistan’s Swat Valley dating back to the 9th century AD.

The oldest example is in the Dunhuang caves in China.a Buddhist holy place created in the century VI AD.

The appeal of the “three hares” symbol lies in part in its central optical illusion: Individually, each hare has two ears, but there appear to be only three in total.

The reason it was so widely dispersed is possibly due to international trade in the first millennium AD.

Along with many other ubiquitous artistic symbols, it most likely appeared on objects that were bought, sold, and exported along the Silk Roads that linked Europe with Asia.

The symbol is believed to imply prosperity and regeneration through its cyclical composition and overlapping forms.

These themes of renewal and rebirth seem linked to the paschal message.

Could it be that the Easter Bunny derived from that ancient Buddhist symbol?

The hare of disinterest

The “three hares” symbol is believed to have originated from a story in the Jatakas (tales of the life of the Buddha) about the “hare of selflessness”.

In that story, the hare is a previous incarnation of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. He is so generous and devoted that when he meets a starving priest, he sacrifices himself by going into a bonfire to feed him.

As a reward for his virtue, the image of the hare was projected on the Moon.

This story, and the lunar associations of hare in general, probably came from much older religions in India.

In fact, the Moon has a mark on its surface that resembles (with a little imagination and squinting) a hare.

Rabbit Grinding the Elixir of Life under the Moon, by Mori Ippo, 1867. (NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART).

Rabbits that inhabit and gaze at the Moon proliferate in the visual cultures of China, Japan, and Korea.

Taoist traditions in China tell the story of a rabbit who lives on the moon and mixes the ingredients of the elixir of life.

The indigenous culture of North and Central America have very similar myths connecting hares and rabbits to the Moon, presumably because they also detected lagomorphic markings on the lunar surface.

Apparently, the rabbit is an honored creature, synonymous with heavenly powers and rejuvenation not only for Christians at Easter, but throughout the world.

bunnies and fertility

While it is true that the symbolism and animal fables of the East have entered the iconography of the West, the origins of the Easter Bunny could be located in a closer east.

Most Christian symbols derive from biblical sources, although some survived from the artistic cultures of ancient Greece and Rome.

The Bible Offers Mixed Attitudes Towards Rabbits.

In the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus they are called unclean animals. However, in Psalms and Proverbs they are described as possessing some intelligence, although they are ultimately condemned as weak.

What fascinated the ancient Greek and Roman writers most about our cleft friends was their fertility.

In Titian’s “The Virgin with the Rabbit” (1520-30), a bunny symbolizes chastity. (Getty Images).

The philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC), for example, observed how rabbits could reproduce with amazing speed.

Another influential writer, Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79), mistakenly believed that their rapid procreation was due to the fact that hares were hermaphrodites, with both males and females sharing the birth.

whatCould the Easter Bunny be related to this classic idea of ​​fertility?used to express the rejuvenation and fecundity of the northern hemisphere spring?

Such amazing abilities in biological reproduction certainly had an impact on European symbolism.

In medieval and Renaissance art, rabbits were frequently depicted alongside Venus, the ancient Roman goddess of love and sexuality.

Lust is one of the seven deadly sins, and when depicted in allegorical form by artists (“luxury“), sometimes takes the form of a woman with a rabbit.

The Roman author Aelian (~175-~235 AD) said that hares were capable of superfetation, the ability to gestate an embryo while already pregnant.

It has long been the subject of ridicule, but recent science has shown that hares are capable of such a feat.

Aelian and other observers of this phenomenon believed that hares and rabbits could give birth without copulating.

This is why, in the medieval and renaissance periods, rabbits could be symbols of chastity or unlimited sexuality, depending on the context.

That can be seen when we compare the serene and luminous “The Madonna with the Rabbit” (1520-30) by Titian with the bewitching “Allegory of Luxuria” (1426) by Pisanello.

In Pisanello’s “Allegory of Luxuria” (1426), a rabbit takes on an entirely different meaning. (Getty Images).

In Titian’s painting, the pure white bunny is a symbol of Mary’s celibacy. In Pisanello’s drawing, the rabbit symbolizes lust.

These biological traits of rabbits and hares also caused an association with fertility in otherwise unconnected cultures.

In Aztec mythology, there was a belief in the Centzon Tōtōchtina group of 400 divine rabbits who were said to throw parties to celebrate abundance.

And in Europe, different societies used rabbits as an icon of fertility and linked them to reproduction deities.

According to the writings of Saint Bede the Venerable (AD 673-735), an Anglo-Saxon deity named Ēostre She was accompanied by a rabbit because she represented the rejuvenation and fertility of spring.

Its festive celebrations were in April, and it is commonly believed that the English name for Easter –Easter– is derived from Ēostre, and that the rabbit is his legacy.

Does this close the case on the origins of the Easter Bunny?

The problem with trying to give a definitive answer is the lack of evidence.

Apart from Bede, there is no clear link between Ēostre and Easterand Bede cannot be considered a direct source on Anglo-Saxon religion because he was writing from a Christian perspective, so while probable, the connection has never been proven for certain.

Just like in “Alice in Wonderland”, the white rabbit can never be fully grasped.

The more we trace the origins of the Easter Bunny, the more he disappears down dark rabbit holes, making it impossible to find a logical answer to a surprisingly complex riddle.

* This article was published on BBC Culture, whose English version you can read here.

Source: Elcomercio