Rabbit Symbolism
• Life, healing, clear-sightedness
• Gentleness
• Luck
• Trust
• Love
• Friendship
• Fear / evasion
• The Moon
• Intuition
"The rabbit represents humility, because he is quiet and soft and not self-asserting."
~Black Elk
Chinese Zodiac
Chinese tradition says that people born under the sign of the Rabbit possess intelligence, wisdom, and understanding. After turbulent Tiger years, Rabbit years are times of diplomacy and gentle persuasion. Emphasis is placed on human rights and helping the underprivileged. Activities dealing with healing and medicine will flourish. An excellent judge of character, they are difficult to deceive.
Personality
Occupying the 4th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Rabbit symbolizes such character traits as creativity, compassion, and sensitivity. Rabbits are friendly, outgoing and prefer the company of others. They also prefer to avoid conflict. In confrontational situations, Rabbits approach calmly and with consideration for the other party. Rabbits believe strongly in friends and family and lacking such bonds can lead to emotional issues.
Their serene nature keeps Rabbits from becoming visibly upset. Because they’re serene animals, Rabbits are easily taken advantage of. Their sensitive nature makes them shy away from aggressive or competitive situations. They’re overall conservative and not interested in taking risks.
Classy, sophisticated, expressive, well-mannered and stylish, those born under the Sign of the Rabbit enjoy leaning about cultural issues and learning about people from other countries. Rabbits are most comfortable being home, and their homes are always neat and organized. Home is also where Rabbits prefer to entertain. Rabbits are conservative in their decorating tastes.
Rabbits should work at building more self-confidence and self-worth so they can feel more secure. The desire for remaining in safe, comfortable environments keeps Rabbits from taking risks which sometimes causes them to miss out on good opportunities.
Health
Even though Rabbits don’t usually get visibly upset or stressed, they do tend to keep these feelings inside. When they don’t express these feelings, such feeling can cause Rabbits to become ill. Rabbits could benefit from more everyday activity which would reduce their stress levels and better their health.
Relationships
Rabbits are very sexual, but tend to give more of themselves than they should. This can lead to unrealistic expectations and unhealthy situations. Rabbits need partners who won’t take advantage of their giving nature. Such pairings will be strong.
Career
Rabbits are articulate and good communicators which is why friends and acquaintances seek out their advice. It’s also why Rabbits make excellent diplomats and politicians. Other good careers for Rabbits include: writer, publisher, actor, fashion designer, therapist, doctor, administrator, public relations, and teacher.
Rabbits and the 5 Chinese Elements
Metal Rabbits – Years 1951 and 2011
Metal gives Rabbits more strength, resilience and determination. Metal Rabbits are more intense in their actions, whether they’re work-related or romantic.
Water Rabbits – Years 1903 and 1963
Like the currents, Water Rabbits prefer to go with the flow, avoiding conflict at all costs, even in situations that are bothersome. It’s easy to take advantage of Water Rabbits. They’re very supportive of others.
Wood Rabbits – Years 1915 and 1975
Wood Rabbits occupy their time doing for others; always feeling the need to make others content. This generosity is easy for others to take advantage of and sometimes Water Rabbits don’t even realize is happening.
Fire Rabbits – Years 1927 and 1987
Fire adds spark to the Rabbit’s personality and all that Fire Rabbits do. Fire compels Rabbits to seek new adventures. Prone to tantrums, Fire Rabbits prefer to avoid conflict.
Earth Rabbits – Years 1939 and 1999
Earth Rabbits are grounded in reality. Their advice can be harsh, but honest. Home life is important to Earth Rabbits as are money and material goods.
Compatibility
The Rabbit is most compatible with the Pig and Dog and incompatible with the Rooster and Rat.
Paganism and Pre-Christian Mythology
Far older than Christianity, the symbolism of the hare is thus a celebration of life's continuation with rebirth, as in each spring, and the rabbit expresses hope that life will be renewed, and better than before.
The nocturnal rabbit, signifying the moon who dies every morning and is resurrected every evening, also represents the rebirth of nature in spring. Both the moon and the rabbit were believed to die in order to be reborn. Therefore the hare is a symbol of immortality. In Egypt, Osiris, god of the dead, was sacrificed to the Nile each year in the form of a hare to guarantee the annual flooding Egyptian agriculture depended upon. Although the hare is not directly considered a symbol for Christ, an analogy can be made to Christ who was sacrificed in the form of a man for the feeding of God's people.Buddhism
Fertility, Love and Venus
The rabbit's alertness and speed made it a Christian symbol of vigilance and the need to flee from sin and temptation. Like the lion, the hare was believed to be so vigilant that it slept with its eyes open. Its flesh was contaminated with wakefulness and could cause insomnia in the person eating it. Its speed was a reminder of the swift passage of life.
Rabbits as a Symbol of Christ
The rabbit's burrow is a symbol of Christ's tomb, while the rabbit's trembling makes it a symbol of cowardice and timidity. However, Judeo-Christian writings recommend a holy trembling before the Lord. [1 Chr 16:30; Ps 96:9, 99:1, 114:7; Is 19:1, 66:2; Jer 5:22, 33:9] Philippians warns the aspiring Christian to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" [Philippians: 2:12].
In Medieval times, cowardice was personified with drawings of an armed man running from a hare. This was of course, revisited in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (released in: 1975 - The Year of the Rabbit). On the other hand, in Africa and the Americas, the hare was believed to be a trickster using its superior intellect as its defense. Some tribes considered him a hero and even the earth's creator. Aztecs believed that 400 rabbits guarded their fields.
If we consider the phases of the moon in its waxing (masculine) and waning (feminine), and accept the notion that the moon at full intensity is the "Destroyer of Darkness" or, as Hillard says, "a sign of new life and the messenger of immortality", we can appreciate the honored position to which the rabbit has ascended. A number of explanations account for this hare/moon symbiosis. One is that the hare is nocturnal and feeds by night; another is that the hare's gestation period is one month long (28 days, or 1/3 of 9 months). Also, it was believed that—like the moon—a rabbit could actually change it's own sex.
Famous 'Rabbits'
• Michelangelo (6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564)
• Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821)
• Marie Curie (7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934)
• Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955)
• Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892)
White Rabbit
White Rabbit may refer to:
- Several breeds of domestic rabbit which are partially or completely white.
- The codename of F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas, one of the main undercover British agents in Occupied France during World War II
- The white rabbit personification of the Playboy conglomerate
- White Rabbit Creamy Candy, a Chinese confection
- White Rabbits (sculptors), the name given to a group of women sculptors who worked with Lorado Taft at the World Columbian Exposition
- A synchronized set of strobing lights on the approach end of an airport runway Approach Lighting System
"Rabbit rabbit, White rabbit" a common superstitious phrase said on the first of the month
In Literature
- The White Rabbit, a character in Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- The White Rabbit (book), by Bruce Marshall, about F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas
- "White Rabbits", a short story by Leonora Carrington written in 1941-1942
In Entertainment
- "White Rabbit" (song), by the American psychedelic rock group Jefferson Airplane
- "White Rabbit", a 1988 song by Morton Sherman Bellucci
- "The White Rabbit", a 1964 song by New Zealand guitarist Peter Posa
- White Rabbits (band), an indie rock band from New York City
- White Rabbit (comics), a Spider-Man villain
- "White Rabbit", one of the List of Law & Order episodes (season 5)
- "White Rabbit" (Lost), the title of an episode of the television show Lost
The White Rabbit (TV series), from 1967, based on the life of F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas
Other Uses
- White Rabbit No. 6, a codename for a design of tank that dug itself into the ground.
Alice in Wonderland
The White Rabbit is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He appears at the very beginning of the book, in chapter one, wearing a waistcoat, and muttering "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" Alice follows him down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. Alice encounters him again when he mistakes her for his housemaid Mary Ann and she becomes trapped in his house after growing too large. The Rabbit shows up again in the last few chapters, as a herald-like servant of the King and Queen of Hearts.
Personality
In his article "Alice on the Stage," Carroll wrote "And the White Rabbit, what of him? Was he framed on the "Alice" lines, or meant as a contrast? As a contrast, distinctly. For her 'youth,' 'audacity,' 'vigour,' and 'swift directness of purpose,' read 'elderly,' 'timid,' 'feeble,' and 'nervously shilly-shallying,' and you will get something of what I meant him to be. I think the White Rabbit should wear spectacles. I'm sure his voice should quaver, and his knees quiver, and his whole air suggest a total inability to say 'Boo' to a goose!"
Overall, the White Rabbit seems to shift back and forth between pompous behavior toward his underlings, such as his servants, and groveling, obsequious behavior toward his superiors, such as the Duchess and King and Queen of Hearts, in direct contrast to Alice, who is reasonably polite to everyone she meets.
In the Disney version of the book, the Rabbit seems to have the most logic out of all the Wonderland characters. Thus, he is often the straight man for their zany antics; when he asks the Dodo for help on getting the "monster" (Alice) out of his house, Dodo's ultimate solution is to burn the house down, to which the White Rabbit is greatly opposed. At the Mad Tea Party, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare try to "fix" his watch, proclaiming it "exactly two days slow". Through various food they put in the watch (butter, tea, jam, and lemon), the two cause it to go mad, and the Hare smashes it with his mallet. The Rabbit was perhaps most famous for the little ditty he sang at the beginning - "I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" The Rabbit was voiced by Bill Thompson.
Some believe the rabbit was late for the announcement of the Queen to the royal garden. The panic the Rabbit showed was his fear of losing his head. Upon her arrival (where Alice has been helping to paint the roses red) the cards finish their song and the rabbit blows his trumpet (which he had been carrying for most of his lines) royally introducing the King and Queen.
The Disney Rabbit made a few appearances on the Disney Channel original show, House of Mouse. His most noticeable appearance was when he confessed to Clarabelle Cow that "I'm not really late, and I don't really have a date. I'm a fraud!" He was voiced by Corey Burton, who would voice the Rabbit in all future speaking roles.
The White Rabbit also appears at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as a meetable character.
The White Rabbit, who is in this adaption given the name Nivens McTwisp, works for the Red Queen, but is also a secret member of the Underland Underground Resistance, and was sent by the Hatter to search for Alice. Sheen stated, "The White Rabbit is such an iconic character that I didn't feel like I should break the mould too much."
The White Rabbit, is a book by Bruce Marshall, about F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas
Alice in Wonderland / Donnie Darko
There are many similarities between the narratives of Donnie Darko and Alice in Wonderland pertaining to rabbits. Donnie falls asleep and hears (then sees) Frank, a 6-foot tall rabbit-costume wearing being. Alice's summer slumber brings a vision of a talking rabbit wearing human adornments. Frank tells Donnie to follow him, & leads Donnie to a golf course. Alice chases her rabbit, following him right down the rabbit hole. Character introduction and water/metal symbolism aside, the golf course/rabbit hole relation seems obvious. Like Alice's rabbit, Frank acts as Donnie's guide in the mad world of the "underground". (This aspect is suggested by Donnie's poem, as well as by Roberta Sparrow's 'Cellar Door').
Alice's rabbit is a servant of The Queen / Frank is a being manipulated by the master force. Alice and Donnie are similar in their confusion and curiosity, both are desperate to figure out what is happening to themselves. Also... "eat me/drink me" is similar to Donnie's pills, both characters are changing life-forces -- Alice grows tall / shrinks, Donnie grows stronger & superhuman-like when he's sleepwalking. These physical changes give solution to the current dilemma the character is facing, but also cause feelings of isolation and fear. Also... The mirror imagery of Donnie's bathroom communion place with Frank is similar to Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass.
Run Rabbit Run
From: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Run Rabbit Run is a song written by Noel Gay and Ralph Butler. The music was by Noel Gay and the song was originally sung by Flanagan and Allen.
This song was written for Noel Gay's show 'The Little Dog Laughed' which opened on 11 October 1939, at a time when most of the major London theatres were closed. It was a popular song during World War II, especially after Flanagan and Allen changed the lyrics to poke fun at the Germans (eg. Run Adolf, Run Adolf, Run, Run, Run........)
On the farm, every Friday
On the farm, it's rabbit pie day.
So, every Friday that ever comes along,
I get up early and sing this little song
Run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run!
Run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Goes the farmer's gun.
Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run.
Run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run!
Don't give the farmer his fun! Fun! Fun!
He'll get by
Without his rabbit pie
So run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run!
The lyrics were used as a defiant dig at the allegedly ineffectual Luftwaffe. On 13 November 1939, soon after the outbreak of the Second World War and also soon after the song was premiered, Germany launched its first air raid on Britain, on flying boats that were sheltering in Sullom Voe, Shetland. Two rabbits were supposedly killed by a bomb drop, although it is suggested that they were in fact procured from a butchers' shop and used for publicity purposes.
Until recently, the song was a popular nursery rhyme still sung by children in many parts of Britain, although its popularity has declined substantially over the past few decades.
The song later influenced one by the popular band Pink Floyd.[citation needed] The first track on the album The Dark Side of the Moon, "Speak to Me/Breathe", included the lyrics "Run, rabbit. Run". The same lyrics are also included in "Bankrobber" by The Clash.
References in pop culture
Walter H. Thompson's TV biography "I Was Churchill's Bodyguard" rates the song as Winston Churchill's favorite as Prime Minister; also, Jock Colville, Winston Churchill's private secretary during much of the war, mentions the Prime Minister singing part of this song.
In Which We Serve, a movie about the British Royal Navy in World War II, uses the tune on a pianola, which torments a sailor who was cautioned for cowardice in the face of the enemy.
The Hoosiers have a song called "Run Rabbit Run" on their album Trick to Life.
Fleet Foxes have a song called "Innocent Son" on their EP Sun Giant, in which the lyrics, "Run, Rabbit, Run" appear.
Eminem has a song called "Rabbit Run", referring to his nickname "Rabbit" at the start of his rap career.
Glasvegas has a song called "Stabbed" on their self-titled album, Glasvegas. in which the lyrics "Run, Rabbit, Run" appear.
Pink Floyd uses the words "Run, Rabbit, Run" in the song "Speak to Me/Breathe", the opening sequence in their album The Dark Side of the Moon.
The Clash use the words "Run, Rabbit, Run" in the single "Bankrobber".
Coheed & Cambria has in their song "The Willing Well II: Fear Through the Eyes of Madness" the line "Run little rabbit, go hide, in the blades of that grass... Run, rabbit, run!"
Tourism Victoria used the song for a TV advertisement aired across Australia several years ago. The ad features adults playing hide-and-seek in a vineyard and other tourist attractions across Victoria.
Osso String Quartet has an album entitled 'Run Rabbit Run'.
House of 1,000 Corpses, a film by Rob Zombie also features the phrase 'Run Rabbit Run' versed throughout the movie .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_Rabbit_Run
Black Rabbit
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