Watership Down

Where to Now?

While technically being a monothestic faith, with Frith 
as the sole lord over all, most(*) of its concepts and 
ideas are passed along through story. These stories 
portray the lapine heroes as they encounter various 
aspects of rabbit life in the forms of natural forces 
(i.e. weather and animal). The animals that are faced 
are the ideal of that type. Yona the hedgehog for 
example, shows how all hedgehogs act in relation to 
rabbits. Even animals that are told of in pural such as 
foxes are not exempt. Any fox encountered in a story is 
the stereotypical example of all foxes, none having a 
seperate personality. The stories provide two main 
functions; first, they give rabbits a sense of history. 
Stories are made to describe what has happened to rabbits 
in the past and what brough them to the point they are at 
today. Secondly, they provide rabbits with a sense of 
confidence and self being as they learn of past rabbit's 
exploits and abilities. Together, they give listeners ample
entertainment and are a common source of moral 
during times of stress.


 * Although all of the Sandleford rabbit's 
stories are told vocally, rabbits in the Warren of Shining 
Wires used 'shapes' made from pressing stones into warren 
walls to tell traditional lapine myths. 


  The Lapine Creation Story  



The lapine creation story is perhaps the most important 
story within the rabbit world. A paraphrased version of 
it is told here.



Before the world existed, there existed Frith. Frith 
created the world and the stars with his droppings, and
upon the world he created the rivers, mountians, plants 
and animals. At the time of their creation, all animals 
were the same. Both kestral and sparrow ate flies and 
seeds, and the fox and rabbit were friends and ate grass 
together. The first of the rabbits was named El-ahrairah 
and he had wives without number. Because of El-ahrairah 
and his many wives, the earth soon grew so densely populated 
in rabbits that they ate all the grass, leaving the other 
animals hungry, and so the animals began to complain to 
Frith. Frith went to El-ahrairah and warned him that he 
must keep his people under control, but El-ahrairah 
said that he multiplied so to show his love of Frith 
and his people did the same. Frith was angered by 
El-ahrairah's impudent remark, but decided that the world 
needed cunning and jest, so instead of killing El-ahrairah, 
he chose to play a trick on him. So Frith called forth 
all of the animals one by one in order to bestow upon them 
a gift, making sure El-ahrairah would arrive last. When 
the fox and stoat and weasel came, Frith gave them sharp 
teeth and claws and the desire to hunt and kill all of 
El-ahrairah's children. When El-ahrairah caught wind of 
his new enemies, he started to dig a burrow in which
to hide, and so when Frith came to him, El-ahrairah 
was only half out of the ground. Frith asked El-ahrairah 
to come out sohe may bless the rabbit, but El-ahrairah 
refused so he may keep digging for his life. Encouraged 
by the rabbit's determination even in the face of trial, 
Frith gave to El-ahrairah strong legs with which to run, 
and a tail that shone like a star to warn other rabbits 
as he took flight. Frith also made this promise to 
El-ahrairah:

 "...All the world shall be your enemy, Prince with 
a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will 
kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, 
runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full
of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed." 

And by this, El-ahrairah knew that although Frith would not 
be mocked, he was still the friend of rabbitkind.

This is the tale that all rabbits have heard. This is the 
rabbit's promise that regardless of the trials and hardships 
that they may face, as long as they remain faithful to 
Frith, they will never be destroyed completely.

  Figures in Lapine Mythology  



  Frith -    The lord over 
all creation, personified 
as the sun. Although not actually characterized as such, it 
is assumed that rabbits believe Frith to be a form of 
animal himself, given that the world was created from 
Frith's droppings. He is highest watcher over all 
lapine-kind, and it is to Frith that thanks are given, 
requests are asked of, and the occassional curse is made.


  El-ahrairah -   The Prince with 
a Thousand Enemies. El-ahrairah figures foremost in 
lapine tales, even more so than Frith. He is the father 
of all rabbits, and it is through his examples of 
strength, cunning, perserverence, and quick mindedness
that rabbits get the encouragement to lead their dangerous 
lives. Although an important aspect of lapine myth, it 
should be noted that he is not revered as a god, although 
an occassional plea is made to him for strength.


  Rabscuttle -   The leader of 
El-ahrairah's owsla. He is a constant companion of 
El-ahrairah on the prince's journies, although his 
actual accomplishments seem few. He is intended to show 
to the listener what a good owsla rabbit should be: loyal 
and strong.


  Prince Rainbow -     A servant of 
Frith, set up to watch over El-ahrairah and make sure that 
the prince rabbit does not overstep his bounds. 
Unfortunately for El-ahrairah, Prince Rainbow seems 
to take to his task with a bit too much relish and 
despite Frith's promise appears to be intent on 
destroying rabbit-kind. Prince Rainbow, while never 
mentioned as such, appears to be the lapine allegory 
of Man.


  The Black Rabbit of Inlé -   The
personification of Death. The Black Rabbit is the force that
eventually claims the life of each rabbit in the end,
and although is generally viewed with fear is also 
a servant of Frith. While it is the Black Rabbit that 
takes the spirit of each rabbit, it is also he who 
protects the lapines from unfair deprivation at the 
hands of elil as told in the the story El-ahrairah 
and the Black Rabbit of Inlé.


  King Darzin -   A rabbit 
king who is under the control of Prince Rainbow. He 
appears to personify other warrens in relationship 
with each rabbit's home.


  Rowsby Woof -   The personification of dogs to the 
rabbits. Rowsby Woof is a bumbling creature 
who is foolishly loyal to man and attempts to 
protect his gardens from El-ahrairah and continously 
fails. Given the canine threat to rabbits, Rowsby Woof 
is a method of adding jest to an actually deadly foe, 
much like Sunday School songs which invoke the 
idea of Satan getting burnt by his own flames.


  Hufsa -    A rabbit pawn 
used by Prince Rainbow to attempt to spy upon El-ahrairah. 
Hufsa seems to have little purpose except to show 
El-ahrairah's continual cunning in evading the scheme.


  Yona -   The personifaction 
of hedgehogs, Yona is a simple creature who at times 
acts as a friend of El-ahrairah, and at other times 
gives Prince Rainbow essential information in catching t
he prince rabbit in his schemes. Yona shows the lapine 
relationship with other benign woodland creatures, a 
sort of wary neutrality.


  Hawock -   The personifaction 
of pheasants. He serves no purpose except as a character 
in The Trial of El-ahrairah. 

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