Hare

I love lagomorphs, because on the one side you have sweet round bois, and on the other side you have feral wilderness prophets who have gone mad with the knowledge of the universe.

— Viral meme from RobotLyra Cannot Stop Screaming

"Hare" is a name given to a variety of species of small mammals of the Lagomorpha genus, which also includes the Pikas and Rabbits. Hares are differentiated from rabbits in that they have longer and less rounded bodies, 48 chromosomes rather than the 44 of rabbits, and differences in reproduction and social behaviour. Unlike with rabbits, no hare has ever been successfully domesticated. Once classified as rodents, lagomorphs have been discovered to have diverged from their common ancestors earlier than their rodent cousins, and have many traits rodents lack, such as an extra pair of incisors.
Hares, one of the primary symbols of House Lapin, like their cousins the rabbits, have been seen as trickster-spirits in myths and folktales from around the world. They are known for outsmarting (and often embarrassing) their enemies. Hares, however, often have an additional connotation of madness, magical power, or self-sacrifice.

"Mad March Hare"

The hare's reputation for madness likely stems from their breeding behaviours. In spring, normally placid hares can often be seen "boxing;" that is, standing up on their hind legs and beating on each other with their forepaws (which is also the origin of the term "rabbit punch" in boxing.) This is done both in competition for mates, and by irritated does driving off persistent bucks when they are not interested.

Witches & Magicians

Sable Casting by Artbreeder

According to English folklore, one of the purported abilities of a woman who is a witch is the ability to shapeshift into the form of a White Hare. Numerous folktales and ballads speak of witches who used this power to escape their enemies, but were later caught when a hunter wounded their paw in hare form, and the same injury remained present on their human hand or foot when they shapeshifted back.
Many First Nations and African myths present hares as magicians as well as tricksters.

Tricksters

While rabbits are often portrayed as tricksters, hares are more often portrayed as crazy or karmic tricksters, in that their jests either cause catastrophe through mistakes or foolishness; or the victim of their trickery deserves their wrath, and the hare is delivering a form of divine retribution.

Examples

In West Africa, many tribal cultures, such as the Yoruba of Nigeria and the Wolof of Senegal, have traditional story cycles about an irrepressible hare trickster who is equal parts rascal, clown, and culture hero.

In one pan–African story, the Moon sends Hare, her divine messenger, down to earth to give mankind the gift of immortality. "Tell them," she says, "that just as the Moon dies and rises again, so shall you." But Hare, in the role of trickster buffoon, manages to get the message wrong, bestowing mortality instead and bringing death to the human world.

In the Panchatantra tales of India, Hare is a wily trickster whose cleverness and cunning is pitted against Elephant and Lion.

Many cultures, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, see a hare in the pattern of dark patches in the moon (see Rabbit in the Moon). The constellation Lepus is also taken to represent a hare.

In Tibetan folktales, quick-thinking Hare outwits the ruses of predatory Tiger.

The Hare of Inaba was a rabbit god that attempted to trick a bunch of crocodiles/sharks into acting as a bridge for him. When he told them he'd tricked them, they tore all his fur off. Shortly after, 81 gods on their way to woo a princess saw him and heard his story. Eighty of those gods told him to wash in the sea and dry in the wind, which just made him hurt more. In contrast, the bag-carrier Ōnamuchi told the hare to wash in fresh river water and roll in fluffy cattails. The hare got better, and told Ōnamuchi that he would get to marry the princess.

There are a number of Chinese idioms dating to at least the Warring States Period about the trickery of hares, such as: "The Clever Hare Has Three Nests" and "Once the Clever Hare is Dead, the Dog is Cooked".

Love and Sexuality

The hare was once regarded as an animal sacred to Aphrodite and Eros because of its high libido. Live hares were often presented as a gift of love. Now, the hare is commonly associated with the Anglo-Saxon goddess Ēostre, and therefore Pagan symbols like the Easter Bunny have been appropriated into the Christian tradition (see Avisalia).

Basic Information

Anatomy

Hares are furred creatures, best known for their elongated ears and powerful hind legs, as well as their fluffy, short tails. Hares are distinguished from rabbits by longer and less rounded bodies, longer legs, and longer ears. These longer legs and bodies lead to a faster overland running speed than rabbits.
Their cousins, the pikas, have a similar anatomy but lack an external tail and have shorter, more rodent-like ears. They also have rounded, shorter bodies, more similar to rabbits than to hares.
The hind legs of all lagomorphs are considerably larger and more powerful than the forelegs, creating their "hopping" form of locomotion. Since they rely primarily on speed and alertness to avoid predators, they also have well-developed musculature.
All three genii have elongated incisors, one pair behind the other, intended for chewing rough plant matter, and are classified as herbivores, although it has been proven that they will eat animal protein, usually scavenged, especially in harsh climates. They have large, widely spaced eyes.
Teeth and powerful hind legs can provide surprisingly formidable weapons, should a hare be attacked. They also have claws on all four limbs and can and will scratch. Since they tend to be larger than rabbits, hares also tend to be stronger and can be fierce when provoked.
Lagomorphs remain on their toes while in motion, and their toes are webbed to prevent spreading while doing this. Unlike most animals that move in this way, they do not have paw pads on their feet. Instead, they have compressed hair that provides their feet with protection.
Hares are speedy mammals and can run up to 80 km/h (50 mph) over short distances. Over longer distances, the European Hare can run up to 55 km/h (35 mph). The five species of jackrabbits found in central and western North America are able to run at 65 km/h (40 mph) over longer distances, and can leap up to 3 m (10 ft) at a time.

Genetics and Reproduction

Normally a shy creature, in its fertile season, which peaks in Europe in March, hares can be quite bold and unpredictable. They engage in "boxing," both in competitions for does and in does driving off would-be suitors. They behave a lot more boldy in general, and may even jump vertically in the air for seemingly no reason. This chaotic behaviour has led to the expression "mad as a March hare," which dates at least as far back as the 1500s.
Unlike rabbits, hares are usually born above ground in a shallow depression or nest in flattened grass called a form. Ovulation occurs after copulation; typically, a little under a half-dozen leverets, or baby hares, are born to a litter, but they can number up to a dozen. They are born with eyes open, and furred, unlike rabbits, which affords them greater protection in their above-ground environments. While they are usually considered to be sexually mature within a few months, they do not typically breed until they are a year old. There is significant variation among different species of hare, so this cannot be described in anything but the most general of terms.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Hares and other lagomorphs have widely-spaced eyes which allow for almost 360 degree vision, leaving only a small blind spot at the base of the skull. Their elongated ears, which are usually extremely mobile, allow them to detect enemies at significant distances, giving them increased time to react.

This article is a work in progress, and may be subject to changes.

This article is part of a series related to streaming the Game of Tomes. For more information, see Streaming Game of Tomes.

Star-Hare by Sable Aradia with Artbreeder

Scientific Name

Lagomorpha leporidae lepus

Geographic Distribution

• Universe of the Game of Tomes "The GoTverse"

The Bun Sibs by HeroForge

Queen Sable and Seneschal Prinx Tempest, as distinguished by their long ears in this photo, are hares in their lagomorph forms, while their sisters Princess Sunny and Princess Rowean are rabbits. No one is quite sure how this works.

There are several concerning facts regarding Queen Sable. We know she is Voidtouched, which should already make us concerned for her mental state. But did you know that not only is her birthday in March, but that she was born in the Year of the Rabbit? And that she is, in her shapeshifted lagomorph form, a white-tailed jackrabbit? That is a hare, not a rabbit. She is literally a "mad March hare!" And she's also a witch, which she freely admits! We call her "The Mother of Bunnies"... Is she a Mad Queen?

— Anti-literomancer pamphlet widely distributed in Okanagan City