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The leaping hare
The hare is an unpredictable creature, which may account for the strange myths that have grown up around it all down the ages and in all parts of the world. George Ewart Evans and David Thompson have covered a huge span of time in their researches into the place of the hare in the life of the countryside, in tradition, myth and literature.
The result is a book full of fascinating detail and observation; of descriptions of pursuit on field and mountain; of anecdotes and traditional stories about the hare-witch; of the taboo on hare-flesh and other strange myths - all of which contribute to a better view of the least understood creature in our countryside.
The result is a book full of fascinating detail and observation; of descriptions of pursuit on field and mountain; of anecdotes and traditional stories about the hare-witch; of the taboo on hare-flesh and other strange myths - all of which contribute to a better view of the least understood creature in our countryside.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
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324 people want to read
About the author
George Ewart Evans
29 books14 followersGeorge Ewart Evans was born and raised in the mining community of Abercynon, Glamorganshire, Wales. He wrote a series of books examining the disappearing customs and portraying the way of life as it had been in rural Suffolk. "Ask the Fellows who Cut the Hay" is probably his best known book. The publication of his books gave him deserved recognition as a pioneering oral historian. He was also an accomplished story writer and wrote short-stories, novels and poems.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 26, 2017
The hare is one of those elusive animals that is rarely seen. These creatures have a completely different way of living to the similar looking rabbit, a creature that they are frequently mistaken for. The book begins with chapters on the natural history of the mountain hare and the common hare full of the details that they have gleaned about the way that they live and rear their young. There are a couple of chapters on the way that they were hunted for food, including some recipes and the way that they were sadly hunted purely for the sport.
However, the majority of the book is filled with fascinating stories and details of the way that the hare has been a part of imagination and our culture, stretching way back to ancient myths and cave art. The authors look at of the folklore associated with the animals, look at the tales behind them supposedly changing into witches, and the stories that connected the hare to the moon, fire and other tricks that it could play.
Evans and Thomson’s book is a rich account of this enigmatic creature. It is not so strong on the science and natural history of the hare, but they have brought together the vast number of myths and legends that the hare has been associated with and made it a fascinating read. Their interviews with people from all walks of life in the country have given us a direct link to a long forgotten way of life and it is a reminder of when seasonal change was just that. This reissue of a classic not only is timely as more people looking to discover further aspects of the countryside. One for every natural history bookshelf.
However, the majority of the book is filled with fascinating stories and details of the way that the hare has been a part of imagination and our culture, stretching way back to ancient myths and cave art. The authors look at of the folklore associated with the animals, look at the tales behind them supposedly changing into witches, and the stories that connected the hare to the moon, fire and other tricks that it could play.
Evans and Thomson’s book is a rich account of this enigmatic creature. It is not so strong on the science and natural history of the hare, but they have brought together the vast number of myths and legends that the hare has been associated with and made it a fascinating read. Their interviews with people from all walks of life in the country have given us a direct link to a long forgotten way of life and it is a reminder of when seasonal change was just that. This reissue of a classic not only is timely as more people looking to discover further aspects of the countryside. One for every natural history bookshelf.
April 10, 2017
Want to know more about hares? Well, this is the book for you. The study begins with a natural history of hares (did you know their young are called leverets? that they build 'forms,' or nests, on top of the ground as opposed to burrowing beneath the earth?), then it moves to human interaction with hares, and ends discussing myth and folk beliefs about hares. I originally believed it would mostly be a folklore collection, since I'd previously read one of the author's works which was entirely folkloric (People of the Sea). While that's not what I found, this is probably more useful for the current creative project I'm working on.
September 4, 2022
More like 3.5 stars... it gets a crucial part of the myth of Ceridwen and Taliesin wrong (Gwion Bach never 'escapes' Ceridwen), so that makes me wonder if anything I'm less familiar with needs fact-checking. It can also be somewhat dated in places, which is fair enough being originally published in 1972. All in all, an interesting book and worth a read.
March 12, 2020
3.5 stars
A lovely little book about all things hare!
I took it as a book to dip in and out of as opposed to a start to finish format. I admittedly skipped the section on hare hunting as I don't agree with any type of animal hunting and find it abhorrent to even read about it. I also skipped the section on eating hare for similar reasons.
The folklore sections regarding the significance of the hare and the moon, the hare and fire, and the hare and the witch are interesting.
Reading this book is like sitting in an olde worlde pub in the backwaters of Shropshire or Wales and listening to farmers talk shop!
A lovely little book about all things hare!
I took it as a book to dip in and out of as opposed to a start to finish format. I admittedly skipped the section on hare hunting as I don't agree with any type of animal hunting and find it abhorrent to even read about it. I also skipped the section on eating hare for similar reasons.
The folklore sections regarding the significance of the hare and the moon, the hare and fire, and the hare and the witch are interesting.
Reading this book is like sitting in an olde worlde pub in the backwaters of Shropshire or Wales and listening to farmers talk shop!
June 12, 2014
A beautiful and knowledgeable book. I wonder how much we have learnt about these enigmatic animals since this book was published 40 years ago?
September 14, 2023
I have always been fascinated by wild animals and the mystical, magical Hare is no exception. As such, I was thrilled to find 'The Leaping Hare' which is a treasure trove of insights in the first half of the book. I have gleaned enough to share some remarkable truths about these beautiful creatures accorded by local folk and farmers working on the land.
I remember seeing my first Hare when I was a child. I remember the feeling of awe as I watched the Hare leaping in the distance. It was a special moment that I have always treasured. When you spend most of your time outdoors growing up, it becomes your second home. You share it with animals, creatures and birds who come and go, or hang out with you, always leaving an impression on your subconscious mind and a comforting 'ah' feeling in your heart.
More ecently I was reminded about Hares in a book called The Running Hare by John Lewis-Stempel. I wrote a review here about it and highly recommend the investment. It's about the replenishment of a small area of farmland using only traditional farming methods. The result is a stunning wheat field edged and interlaced with wildflowers, having enticed the birds (and natural life) back to the land, brought worms back to the soil to create a complete organic ecosystem. Hares were introduced and they flourished which makes for an enchanting story.
It is also why this book, The Leaping Hare, caught my eye.
I am so enjoying the first chapters as George and David skillfully weave a stream of Hare sightings, anecdotes and stories - gathered from locals and farmers - with knowledge taken from written records and literature, old and new. Why the Hare has been revered as a remarkable and mysterious creature over the centuries is explained, as is the Hare's natural history in ancient and modern times.
"The Hare is an archetype, one of the original formation-patterns of awareness that primitive man used as a communication tool to come to terms with his environment and the 'internal' environment of his own instincts and feelings."
Every page is rich with knowledgable and beautifully written with a chapter for each type of Hare in the British Isles. The Mountain Hare, The Irish Hare and The Common Hare are followed by the rather grim aspects of hunting or Hare chasing. The latter being a particularly cruel sport and generally frowned upon by local people, as are foxes being hounded to death for entertainment.
On a lighter note, I have brought together some of the most interesting things I have learned about Hares so far, and a few general facts that may astound you.
Here are some hare-raising insights to ponder on ...
Hare as Archetype
The Hare is one of the original formation-patterns of awareness that primitive man used as a communication tool to come to terms with his environment and with the 'internal' environment of his own instincts and feelings. The Hare is a mythical creature, first depicted on cave walls in ancient times and no wonder that this beautiful Leporidae features in so many myths and legends, and is the focus of so many points of view.
Hare as Independent
The Hare is born in an open nest (or form). Fully furred with eyes wide open and ready to move. Bones, muscles and faculties fully developed as living on open ground is a challenge for tiny leverets who are moved (or walk) from their birthplace to their own forms. The doe keeps a watchful eye and visits each form for feeding. She is always within ear's reach of any baby-like squeals that call her to assist at lightening speed if assistance is required.
Hare as Leaper
The Hare is not so much hare-brained in terms of intelligence, rather wildly impetuous with an attraction for noise and vibration which is why they are often found in numbers on airfields. When chased, Doe's tend to run around in circles to remain close to her Leverets. Bucks run at tremendous speed in straight lines until they instinctively make a great leap making it seem their tracks have disappeared.
The Leaping Hare is full of such treasures and I will be back with more insights in Part II. I will leave you with a quote from the second chaper:
The beauty of the hare is in her speed, her graceful turning this way and that, the subtle wide circles she makes in her flight to elude her pursuer and leave no contstant line of scent.
Here's to the Leaping Hare, past, present and future.
I remember seeing my first Hare when I was a child. I remember the feeling of awe as I watched the Hare leaping in the distance. It was a special moment that I have always treasured. When you spend most of your time outdoors growing up, it becomes your second home. You share it with animals, creatures and birds who come and go, or hang out with you, always leaving an impression on your subconscious mind and a comforting 'ah' feeling in your heart.
More ecently I was reminded about Hares in a book called The Running Hare by John Lewis-Stempel. I wrote a review here about it and highly recommend the investment. It's about the replenishment of a small area of farmland using only traditional farming methods. The result is a stunning wheat field edged and interlaced with wildflowers, having enticed the birds (and natural life) back to the land, brought worms back to the soil to create a complete organic ecosystem. Hares were introduced and they flourished which makes for an enchanting story.
It is also why this book, The Leaping Hare, caught my eye.
I am so enjoying the first chapters as George and David skillfully weave a stream of Hare sightings, anecdotes and stories - gathered from locals and farmers - with knowledge taken from written records and literature, old and new. Why the Hare has been revered as a remarkable and mysterious creature over the centuries is explained, as is the Hare's natural history in ancient and modern times.
"The Hare is an archetype, one of the original formation-patterns of awareness that primitive man used as a communication tool to come to terms with his environment and the 'internal' environment of his own instincts and feelings."
Every page is rich with knowledgable and beautifully written with a chapter for each type of Hare in the British Isles. The Mountain Hare, The Irish Hare and The Common Hare are followed by the rather grim aspects of hunting or Hare chasing. The latter being a particularly cruel sport and generally frowned upon by local people, as are foxes being hounded to death for entertainment.
On a lighter note, I have brought together some of the most interesting things I have learned about Hares so far, and a few general facts that may astound you.
Here are some hare-raising insights to ponder on ...
Hare as Archetype
The Hare is one of the original formation-patterns of awareness that primitive man used as a communication tool to come to terms with his environment and with the 'internal' environment of his own instincts and feelings. The Hare is a mythical creature, first depicted on cave walls in ancient times and no wonder that this beautiful Leporidae features in so many myths and legends, and is the focus of so many points of view.
Hare as Independent
The Hare is born in an open nest (or form). Fully furred with eyes wide open and ready to move. Bones, muscles and faculties fully developed as living on open ground is a challenge for tiny leverets who are moved (or walk) from their birthplace to their own forms. The doe keeps a watchful eye and visits each form for feeding. She is always within ear's reach of any baby-like squeals that call her to assist at lightening speed if assistance is required.
Hare as Leaper
The Hare is not so much hare-brained in terms of intelligence, rather wildly impetuous with an attraction for noise and vibration which is why they are often found in numbers on airfields. When chased, Doe's tend to run around in circles to remain close to her Leverets. Bucks run at tremendous speed in straight lines until they instinctively make a great leap making it seem their tracks have disappeared.
The Leaping Hare is full of such treasures and I will be back with more insights in Part II. I will leave you with a quote from the second chaper:
The beauty of the hare is in her speed, her graceful turning this way and that, the subtle wide circles she makes in her flight to elude her pursuer and leave no contstant line of scent.
Here's to the Leaping Hare, past, present and future.
May 27, 2021
I checked my start date and apparently I've been reading this since February. While fascinating, this was a little dense in places and I found it better to put it aside every so often and read something else. This is a remarkable work, though, written in the 1970s when a lot of old poachers and landsmen were still around to tell their stories of hares, be they factual and practical (hunting, poaching, cooking) or, more interestingly for me, the mythology and superstitions associated with them (and there are MANY, with several distinct similarities running between disparate cultures). An aficionado of animal mythology and symbolism, I was in hog heaven with these chapters.
April 23, 2019
Fascinating, though I skipped through it like the proverbial!
August 17, 2021
I enjoyed it very much, but some of the mythological and spiritual elements are dated...
September 27, 2021
Wonderful little book.
June 27, 2022
I will read this again. Fascinating look at the biology, habits, and myths regarding this little understood animal.
May 30, 2009
Lots of old folklore and natural history of the hare. Lots of interviews with people on their local folklore. Really great in that aspect, the only detriment is their dependance on Robert Graves as fact, for example it's a little silly to assume that Cornish deities are the same as GrecoRoman ones, but if you can get past that bit, it's a great folkloric resource.
January 4, 2012
Perhaps a little old now, but nonetheless a fairly comprehensive review of the ecology and ethology of the European hare, as well as the mythology of the hare generally and it's place in British country lore.
Want to read
December 9, 2011This is the story of the Hare in the Fire, and so is part of Tiffany Aching's story. Stories, as we know, are important. 11.21pm 8th Dec. 2011
January 16, 2012
Fascinating book about hares, about real live leaping about the fields and hills hares, and the hare's role in ancient myths and legends. Informative, beautifully written and very inspiring.
December 18, 2013
A piece of history in its own right Evans' book is an erudite exploration of the natural history and folklore of the hare. One to savour at a leisurely pace.
February 10, 2015
Fascinating. particularly the stories and observations from gamekeepers and countrymen from days of yore. So glad this is just about still in print.
September 11, 2025
I absolutely read this because of Terry Pratchett, and I am so glad I did. Such a lovely book that is well worth reading more than once
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews