Hara

The English word ‘hare’ is said to come from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘Hara.” A similar word is also found in some other languages, including Dutch, Swedish, and old German.

– Jill Mason
The Hare, p. 100

Image: Terry Andrewartha.

Tan Lines XVIII

Image: Subject and photographer unknown.

The Hare and Many Friends

By John Gay

Friendship, like love,
is but a name,
Unless to one you stint
the flame.
The child, whom
many fathers share,
Hath seldom known
a father’s care;
’Tis thus in friendships;
who depend
On many, rarely find a friend.

A hare, who, in a civil way,
Complied with ev’ry thing, like Gay,
Was known by all the bestial train,
Who haunt the wood, or graze the plain:
Her care was, never to offend,
And ev’ry creature was her friend.



As forth she went at early dawn
To taste the dew-besprinkled lawn,
Behind she hears the hunter’s cries,
And from the deep-mouth’d thunder flies;
She starts, she stops, she pants for breath,
She hears the near advance of death,
She doubles, to mis-lead the hound,
And measures back her mazy round;
’Till, fainting in the public way,
Half dead with fear she gasping lay.

What transport in her bosom grew,
When first the horse appear'd in view!

“Let me,” says she, “your back ascend,
And owe my safety to a friend,
You know my feet betray my flight,
To friendship ev’ry burthen’s light.”

The horse replied, “Poor honest puss,
It grieves my heart to see thee thus;
Be comforted, relief is near;
For all your friends are in the rear.”

She next the stately bull implor’d;
And thus reply’d the mighty lord.
“Since ev’ry beast alive can tell
That I sincerely wish you well,
I may, without offence, pretend
To take the freedom of a friend;
Love calls me hence; a fav’rite cow
Expects me near yon barley mow:
And when a lady’s in the case,
You know, all other things give place.
To leave you thus might seem unkind;
But see, the goat is just behind.”

The goat remark’d her pulse was high,
Her languid head, her heavy eye;
“My back,” says he, “may do you harm;
The sheep’s at hand, and wool is warm.”

The sheep was feeble, and complain’d,
His sides a load of wool sustain’d,
Said he was slow, confess’d his fears;
For hounds eat sheep as well as hares.


She now the trotting calf addrest,
To save from death a friend distrest.

“Shall I,” says he, “of tender age,
In this important care engage?
Older and abler pass’d you by;
How strong are those! how weak am I!
Should I presume to bear you hence,
Those friends of mine may take offence.
Excuse me then. You know my heart,
But dearest friends, alas, must part!
How shall we all lament! Adieu.
For see the hounds are just in view.”

- John Gay

Artwork: Jane Tomlinson.

Baring All for Animals

The president of the world’s largest animal rights organization, PETA, has defended the group’s use of sex and celebrity to promote animal welfare.

PETA’s “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” campaign features photographs of naked celebrities, including Sophie Monk, Pamela Anderson, Holly Madison, and Christy Turlington.

Ms. Ingrid Newkirk says sexy billboards and posters are more effective in promoting animal rights than any scientific or ethical research the group could achieve.

– Associated Press

Running Hare IV

Image: Marion Rose.

Morning Light XXVIII

Image: The Leveret.

Life Above Ground

Unlike the rabbit, the hare is solitary and does not dig burrows, but instead lives entirely above ground. It is able to adapt to a variety of habitats and so is one of the most widely distributed land animals in the world.

During the day it rests and sleeps in a form, which it makes by scraping out a shallow depression in the ground, just fitting its body when crouching low. The form may be against a hedge, in short grass, scrub or a ploughed furrow. When lying in its form with ears laid flat, a hare is well-camouflaged.

If disturbed, it lies perfectly still, hoping to escape notice. If an enemy comes too near, however, the hare leaps up and runs away at speed, tail held downwards. It is built for speed, with its long hind legs and sleek body, and can reach 35 miles an hour. Most pursuers are outrun and the hare also outwits them by swerving and running in zig-zag fashion.

The best time to see a hare is in early morning or at dusk, when it is feeding. In between nibbling plants, it frequently sits up to have a good look around. Its keen sense of smell and hearing help it to detect predators. When moving around a field, the hare stays close to the ground with its ears flat along its back. It moves slowly and carefully, so as to remain inconspicuous.

– Source

Image 1: Jodie Randall.
Image 2: Chris Mills.
Image 3: Photographer unknown.

Tan Lines XVII

A Computer Animated March Hare

According to Wikipedia, the character of The March Hare in Tim Burton’s upcoming film Alice in Wonderland, will be computer animated and voiced by Paul Whitehouse.

Wikipedia also notes the following about Burton’s film.

_______________________

A sequel to Lewis Carroll’s original stories, the movie has Alice Kingsley, now 19, attending a party at a Victorian estate, only to find she is about to be proposed to marriage by a rich suitor in front of hundreds of snooty society types. She runs off, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited many years before, though she doesn’t remember it. The White Rabbit claims to have come back for Alice because she is the only one who can slay the Jabberwock, the beast who guards the Red Queen’s empire. Alice remains completely unaware of why she is in Wonderland, and is confused about the fact that she had once visited Wonderland years before. She then embarks — assuming both large and small sizes — on an adventure of self discovery and to save Wonderland from the Red Queen’s reign of terror with the help of her Wonderland friends.



. . . Burton's fantasy-adventure film is an extension to the Lewis Carroll novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film will use a technique combining live action and animation. Mia Wasikowska plays the role of Alice, alongside Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as The White Queen, and Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts.


See also the previous post, The March Hare of Wonderland.

Morning Light XXVII

Image: Subject and photographer unknown.

Mon Bel Ami

Image: The Leveret

Winter Solstice

Many seasonal days of celebration are celebrated around the world during the month of December. Most are religious holy days, and are linked in some way to the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. On that day, due to the earth’s tilt on its axis, the daytime hours are at a minimum in the northern hemisphere, and night time is at a maximum.(In the southern hemisphere, the summer solstice is celebrated in December, when the night time is at a minimum and the daytime is at a maximum.)

“Solstice” is derived from two Latin words: “sol” meaning sun, and “sistere,” to cause to stand still. The lowest elevation [of the sun’s path in the skies of the northern hemisphere] occurs about December 21 and is the winter solstice – the first day of winter, when the night time hours are maximum.

In pre-historic times, winter was a very difficult time for indigenous people in the northern latitudes. The growing season had ended and the tribe had to live off of stored food and whatever animals they could catch. The people would be troubled as the life-giving sun sank lower in the sky each noon. They feared that it would eventually disappear and leave them in permanent darkness and extreme cold. After the winter solstice, they would have reason to celebrate as they saw the sun rising and strengthening once more. Although many months of cold weather remained before spring, they took heart that the return of the warm season was inevitable. The concept of birth and or death/rebirth became associated with the winter solstice. Indigenous peoples had no elaborate instruments to detect the solstice. But they were able to notice a slight elevation of the sun’s path within a few days after the solstice – perhaps by December 25. Celebrations were often timed for about the 25th.

– Source

Image: “Hares Asleep in Winter” by Hannah Giffard.