The Historical Rabbit

“The rabbit is a caressing animal and equally fond as the cat of the head being stroked.” From The Complete Rabbit Fancier,1823.

Nicola here. Today I’m blogging about rabbits and their relationships with humans. Perhaps it’s the second UK lockdown and the approach of winter that’s making me think about things that are warm and cuddly, or the fact that I was chatting on Facebook with some friends and one of them sent me a picture of her adorable house rabbits. So rabbits and their history it is.

First of all, where did the rabbit come from? Well, the European wild rabbit evolved about 4000
years ago in Spain. Two thousand years later, the Romans were the first to farm them, keeping them in wooden enclosures. The spread of the Roman Empire and the ability of the rabbit to tunnel under a wooden fence was largely responsible for spreading the wild European rabbit across the globe. Oddly, though, the rabbit appears to have died out in England after the Romans left; there is no Old English word for rabbit as far as we know, and the species was not re-introduced to the UK until the 12th century.

Meanwhile in France in the 5^th century, monks were busy inventing the rabbit cage or hutch and the habit of keeping rabbits for food and fur became widespread, reaching England once again/ There are a lot of place names in England with the word “warren” after them that take their name from the medieval practise of keeping a rabbit warren on a manorial estate. We know, for example, that there was a warren at Ashdown House in the middle ages and the bumps in the ground that indicate the system of burrows are still visible today – and still inhabited by the descendants of those original rabbits!

Medieval warrens were big business as one rabbit was worth more than a workman’s daily wage in the 13^th century. Often there would be a lodge near the warren where the warrener and his family lived. One rare surviving example is Thetford Warren in Norfolk, (pictured on the left) which these days is in the care of English Heritage. It’s an isolated spot and the lodge is a semi-fortified little building like a small castle. The warrener and his family lived on the top floor whilst the ground floor was used for all the paraphernalia of his work. His job was to protect the warren from animal predators and human poachers as well as to breed and raise the rabbits. The picture below and to the right shows a medieval warrener at work; the rabbits seem to be getting the better of him, as they are almost as big as dogs and are ignoring the nets set up to trap them!

By the 18^th century, rabbits were once again running wild in the countryside and became a food item for the poor. During the two World Wars of the 20^th century the government in the UK encouraged people to keep rabbits for food; my father-in-law completely refused to eat rabbit as an adult because he had eaten so much of it as an evacuee during the Second World War and these days it’s rarely eaten in this country for meat.

Which moves us on to nicer things – rabbits as pets.  Sources suggest that the keeping of rabbits as pets began as early as the middle ages when ladies kept rabbits in much the same way they kept lapdogs.

Breeding programmes developed early on, which resulted in the many and various different breeds that you find today. Paintings from the 15^th century show rabbits in a variety of different colours, even with white “Dutch” markings. The Flemish Giant was being bred in Ghent as early as the 16^th century and 17^th century writings refer to “silver” rabbits imported into England from India and China. The Lapin de Nicard was a forerunner of the dwarf breeds – it weighed only 3 and a half pounds like the tiny rabbit in the picture! In contrast, the giants are the size of a large dog. The English Lop rabbit, which became a famous breed, was first developed in the 18^th century. There was a positive explosion of rabbit breeds up to the 19^th century when the keeping of rabbits as pets and for show became very widespread. The rabbit fitted perfectly the ideal of a happy Victorian household - benign in temperament, fluffy and cute to look at.

According to Beeton’s Dictionary of Natural History, published in 1871, there were four different types of rabbit: “The warreners, parkers, hedgehogs and sweethearts. The first makes their burrows in open ground or warrens, the hedgehogs are found in thick hedgerows and wood covers (it’s not clear whether this was a rabbit or an actual hedgehog he was describing!) the parkers live on uplands and in gentlemen’s parks and pleasure grounds and the Sweethearts are the tame varieties.”

Rabbits pop up a lot in art and literature. The rabbit in art has a number of symbolic meanings, as a sign of both sensuality and of innocence. It appears with the Madonna in religious images but also on Playboy magazine. The white rabbit in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a representation of stress and fear in a hostile world – just reading about him dashing about makes me feel anxious! Bugs Bunny is a wise-guy type of rabbit, and Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny in Beatrix Potter’s stories are mischievous. There is another side to rabbits as well – I hadn’t realised until I saw the film Fisherman’s Friends recently that the rabbit is considered unlucky to fishermen!

The rabbits in Beatrix Potter and in Watership Down have magical powers - they can talk. These days they possess this sort of dual identity as both cosy and magical creatures.

I was going to post a picture of my favourite toy rabbit here but unfortunately the puppy got to it and now it needs re-stuffing. It was Peter Rabbit who was, in fact, the first soft toy to be patented!

There are other superstitions about rabbits as well – a rabbit or hare seen running down a street means that a fire is imminent; Carrying a rabbit’s foot is a cure for rheumatism; saying “White rabbits” on the first day of the month is good luck. And finally there is the wise Romanian proverb: “With money one can even buy rabbit-cheese.”

Do you have a favourite literary rabbit or a rabbit superstition? To finish, here's a picture of a boy with a Regency Rabbit, painted by Henry Raeburn in 1814.

Comments

[Christina Courtenay]

What a fascinating post, Nicola! I was given a "lucky" rabbit's foot as a child and kept it on a keyring. At the time, it didn't occur to me to wonder what had happened to the rest of the poor creature and I loved stroking the soft fur. Now I find it revolting! We have wild rabbits in our garden all through the summer and I love watching them - they are so sweet. Don't think I have a favourite literary rabbit but have never given it much thought!

[Mary T]

The only literary rabbit that comes to mind is Peter Cotton Tail from a bedtime story our mother told us kids when we were young. I believe his siblings were named Flopsy and Mopsy (smile). I loved those two names.

When I first retired, I loved sitting on my porch early in the morning, with a hot cup of coffee, watching the birds, squirrels, and rabbits. But a couple of years ago, a couple of Hawks moved into the neighborhood, and the rabbit population has decreased considerably.

I found this post really interesting though. I love it when you ladies go down the "rabbit hole" (smile).

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, Christina, I'm so glad you liked the post. Like your "lucky" rabbit foot I had a lucky fox tail as a child and now I'm revolted by that too! Perhaps it's fortunate that as children we didn't wonder about the rest of the animal or we might have had nightmares. How cute that you get wild rabbits in the garden! They are fun to watch.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thanks, Mary! Yes, we all enjoy being down various rabbit holes! What a pity about your hawks - whilst they can be beautiful to watch in their own right, it is lovely and relaxing to be able to see the bunnies hopping around!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Fascinating, Nicola! I'd not heard of saying "white rabbits' on the first of the month, but why not? *G* I like watching bunnies around here; they'd graze on the lawn at twilight. But a nearby hawk or two has made sightings less common.

[theo]

We have been, or rather Thing 2, has been a bun lover for a long time now. (We love them, but she keeps them.) She currently has a Flemish Giant which is a HUGE rabbit. HUGE. And he's just the sweetest thing. I think he weighs around 14 pounds. Sir Gregor is his name. About a year ago, they adopted a tiny little gray rabbit who had been kept in a garage in a small cage with little human interaction. But the garage caught on fire and from there, the house, and though the bun survived, she was badly burned on her back. Over this past year, the burns have healed though she'll be forever scarred, but at two pounds or so, she is Sir Gregor's protector in all things. She's learned pretty much how to be a bun and how to warm up to people, but she'll go after anything that she perceives as a threat to Sir Gregor, in a heartbeat! You do know they growl? And make other noises?

They're free range buns who have the run of the house, but do require some rabbit proofing because they all like to chew. But there's nothing like watching TV at night with a kitty sitting by your side and a bun in your lap, or vice versa.

[Kareni]

Most of my bunny experience has been of the chocolate variety; I am happy to have both dark and milk but eschew white.

In terms of fictional rabbits, I like Rosemary Well's Max and Ruby who starred in some children's books that were well loved in my house by both parents and child. I'm also a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz's dust bunnies.

[Mary M.]

I have rabbits living in the shrubs in front of my townhouse and enjoy greeting them occasionally when I drive into my carport. I'm always surprised and glad to see them, as we have a coyote problem in the area.

A friend of mine had a pet rabbit with run of the house. One night I watched him (the rabbit) encounter an obstacle: an old brass cash register sitting on the floor. (Friend's husband sold oddities on eBay.) The bunny could easily have hopped around or even over it, but he didn't. He kicked it. He kicked it again. And again, but it just wouldn't get out of his way. He finally limped off in a huff.

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

I have no experience with rabbits per se. However, I think they are majorly adorable. My very good friend Chrissy has a lovely pet rabbit. And she is also certified as a wild rabbit rehabilitator. During the season when wild bunnies are often found without the mothers nearby, she is a faithful surrogate, constantly feeding and eventually releasing the rehabbed rabbits back into the wild. We live several states apart, but she kindly sends me adorable pix. On a more personal note, my grandmother used to make rabbits - with ears! - out of a large dinner napkin. Somehow, she also used to make it hop. I never managed to copy her technique.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, Mary Jo. Perhaps "White rabbits" is an English thing? I'll have to look up the derivation.

[Nicola Cornick]

Theo, the Flemish Giants are amazing! I'd love to see one in real life because when I see the pictures they look so huge that I can't believe they are real. Sir Gregor is the perfect name for him and it's so lovely to hear how gentle he is.As for the little bunny protector, she sounds wonderful. Such a great story - thank you so much for sharing!

[Nicola Cornick]

LOL, Kareni, I like those too but I love the white ones. Dust bunnies - there are plenty of those in this house!

[Nicola Cornick]

Mary, that is hilarious about the rabbit kicking the cash register. Clearly they have strong personalities as well as making those funny noises Theo mentions. I had no idea!

[Nicola Cornick]

Binnie, that's such a gorgeous story about Chrissy raising the wild rabbits. I'm so glad that there are people who will do that to care for the abandoned babies!

I'm full of admiration for your grandmother's skill with the napkins. Hopping as well!

[theo]

I think this link will work. Here's the two of them. Sir Gregor is all balled up and Penny is all stretched out but this is how they often sleep. When Sir Gregor is stretched out, he takes up most of the living room floor.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZwfsQZhKD1dEWT2aA

[Maggie Robinson]

I loved this historical hop through Rabbitdom! Our youngest daughter has a March birthday, and as a little girl always got a lot of stuffed Easter rabbits. She begged and begged for a real one and we finally gave in when she was in middle school. Daisy was supposed to be a dwarf bunny, but somehow grew as big as her cage in no time after eating through the bars. Nothing was safe near her--electrical wiring, plaster, wallpaper, clothing that was carelessly left within reach. Our middle daughter decided one day to "liberate" Daisy on the deck so she could experience a taste of freedom outdoors. Daisy proved too fast for her once that cage door opened. She ran off the deck and disappeared into the woods. We lived on an island at the time where everyone knew everyone's business, so our neighbors kept sighting Daisy and would call us to come over and beat their bushes. One friend was actually hosting a man who worked for the World Wildlife Foundation, but alas, he was unable to catch her despite his vaunted experience. I hear her black and white descendants are still spotted now and then!

[Jan]

My Nana had a pet rabbit named Thumper. He had the run of the kitchen and usually had a box to happily chew through. She would pet him while sitting at the dining room table, and he would offers escape to hop across the top of it, much to our delight.

[Annette N]

What a beautiful post.

You have reminded me of Pebbles. When my daughters were small and Mr Wonderful was in Viet Nam, I lived in an apartment on a busy street in Dallas Texas. We had a large screened in porch.

We had a small toy Fox Terrier and a very large black and white rabbit. The girls had named him Pebbles after the little girl on the Flintstones.

He was an interesting guy. He got much larger than the dog. And the two of them would play chase. We had hardwood floors and a very long hall. He would chase the dog down the hall, get to the end and turn around and the dog would be chasing him.

He would sit on the front porch and watch the traffic. At times when a driver would see this large rabbit sitting there it would create quite a surprise.

He was house broken...he taught himself. He also loved to chew on things. He ate on furniture, he ate some decorative baskets....but his favorite were electrical cords. I was always surprised he did not kill himself...but he would be shocked and go right back to it.

He liked to be held. Then when he was older, he no longer was a lap rabbit.

He also got too big and became a very male rabbit. He went to a rabbit place where he was going to have many young lady rabbits to keep him company. I think when I explained that to him, he got a big smile on his face.

He was a fun guy. And I do believe that he enjoyed his time with us. I know the dog missed him when he was gone.

Literary rabbits, of course, the Velveteen Rabbit and the white rabbit in Alice.

I hope everyone is taking care and staying well.

[Margot]

In my early teens I had a sweet rabbit named Nibbles. He was white with a little black dot on his nose, black on the tip of his ears and a few little spots down the middle of his back. My father built a wonderful cage for him with a wire enclosure so he could have a little bit of a yard. I had him for about 3 years. He taught me how to be a good pet owner. I still love rabbits but only have wild ones in my neighborhood. They have nested in my yard which I appreciate as other neighbors might not be kind to them.
I enjoyed this post, I grew up on animal stories and later read many of them to my daughter, nieces and nephews.

[Nicola Cornick]

Oh, thank you for sharing the picture. Don't they look so cute and happy together!

[Nicola Cornick]

What a splendid tale of Daisy and her bid for freedom. Maggie. I love it - and wonderful to know her descendants are still hopping around!

[Nicola Cornick]

How gorgeous, Jan. I'm a little envious that I never had a pet rabbit. They seem such fun to have around. I don't think it would work at the moment with Angus and April, though...

[Nicola Cornick]

Pebbles sounds great fun to have around, Annette, and I love the idea of him playing with the dog! Great that they were able to become friends.I guess when he matured he had to go off and do his male rabbit thing!

[Nicola Cornick]

Nibbles must have looked so cute, Margot! I had a hamster as my first pet and I think it does help you learn to be a good pet owner for the future.

[Elf Ahearn]

My grandmother had a large rabbit named Fertilizaspreada--as in fertilizer spreader--Fert for short. She used his nitrogen-rich droppings to enhance her beautiful rose garden.
Later, my sister was given a black bunny named Nero Germanicus who, true to his name, was a debauched tyrant. He fathered innumerable children when he was accidently given access to a female.

[Anne Gracie]

Coming in very late to this. Fascinating post, Nicola. In Australia, rabbits were introduced in early colonial days and with no significant native predators they rapidly bred and spread and became a plague. There have been various attempts to wipe them out, but none have succeeded.

When I was a kid one of my favorite book series was the Pookie the White rabbit series, by Ivy Wallace. Pookie was a little white rabbit with wings. He was cared for by a little girl called Belinda. They were charming stories. I found a reference to them here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2020/apr/22/my-favourite-book-as-a-kid-pookie-by-ivy-wallace

[Nicola Cornick]

I replied to this earlier and for some reason it didn't show up! What a wonderful way to fertilize the roses, Elf! And I love that Nero lived up to his name!

[Nicola Cornick]

I hadn't heard of Pookie, Anne, and loved finding out about him! Thanks so much for the link. This post has taught me about rabbit history and also turned up some great stories I hadn't come across before.