The Easter Bunny

Thank you for your further interest in the Easter Customs of the Hyperborean People. I am Bella and will be happy to translate this entry for you.

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Here comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppin', Easter's on its way

Bringin' every girl and boy

Baskets full of Easter joy

Things to make your Easter bright and gay

He's got jelly beans for Tommy

Colored eggs for sister Sue

There's an orchid for your mommy

And an Easter bonnet too

Oh, here comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity, happy Easter Day

A song we are all familiar with. But who is this Peter Cottontail, more popularly known as The Easter Bunny or The Easter Hare?

Let's find out together shall we?

The Easter Bunny is without a doubt one of the mainstays of the Easter Season. Not only THE mascot but a blatant reminder of the Pre-Christian origins of the holiday.

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Many tales are told of Eostre or Ostara and the hare, each tale diverging quite a bit from one to the other. While these tales are often thought to be fabrications The Easter Bunny doesn't care what they think; he knows, the most notable legend is already known to be more than 100 years older than originally thought. This idea that the story is a complete fabrication comes from Jacob Grimm theorizing that The Hare must once have been a bird to be able to lay Easter Eggs. The story most likely existed before Grimm even published his Teutonic Mythology, I mean if The Hare wasn't giving eggs before his book why would he have even thought of the reasoning for it? Seems an odd insert doesn't it? To what end? For what reason? Then for some of the stories to be found evidenced even before his birth? What madness is this?

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So before we get into the Myths and folktales involving the Easter Bunny it would be wise to discuss what the Easter Bunny/Hare even does; and how he comes into play. In the tales collected and written by Margaret Arndt the Easter Hare is labeled a Faerie and in at least one tale appears alongside Mother Holle, Oberon and other powerful spirits. Here his eggs are a gift for the Altkonig or the Old King. Though the tale involving these figures is likely a literary fairy tale, it draws from the much older folklore of the German forests.

In these same tales he is described as shy and so he hides the eggs outside while the children are in bed. The children being sure to shut the doors and shutters of the house so they don't accidentally see him and scare him away. The children also customarily make a nest for the Hare to lay the eggs and sweets in.

Other tales might include The Easter Bunny’s offspring being hatched from Easter eggs, marking The Easter Bunny perhaps as the progenitor of an entire Faerie Race. Or that being definitively male he is said to have a companion, one Mrs. Easter Hare. Though these are perhaps more fanciful views we will not dismiss them from the folklore at hand.

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The Easter Hare similar to Belsnickel is thought to have been brought to America by the Pennsylvania Dutch and over time The Easter Hare (Oschter Haws) became The Easter Bunny. The sweets and eggs stuck around, though the nest eventually became the Easter Basket but the tradition of hiding Easter Eggs for the children to find also continued on unchanged. Though similar to Christmas the holiday’s prominence in America was not widespread until later dates as many thought it merely a Christian holiday, being celebrated mostly by the European groups that had brought it with them from the old country.

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The prominence of Easter and its lovable mascot has grown in popularity considerably since then though. What was once a Continental Germanic tradition has come to dominate the season and in doing so the Easter Bunny has changed once more getting a catchy song with his new American name “Peter Cottontail”. In one of the more interesting developments even having antlers tacked on as the whimsical Easter Jackalope that has slowly been making its way into the holidays imagery.

Now that the Easter Bunny’s function has been explained perhaps it is time for the myths to be discussed.

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The most well known tale and the most derided as being modern is that of Ostara and the bird. Where Ostara or Eostre changed a bird into a hare.

There are many versions of this tale, one involving the bird longing to be with a hare in a case of forbidden love. Ostara wishing to give them their hearts desire changed the bird into a hare and as thanks the Easter Hare delivers eggs on Easter to this day. The story explaining that since it was once a bird it maintained it’s ability to lay eggs.

Though this tale like all of the ones of The Easter Hare “Laying eggs” has only one problem, that of the Easter Hare being male. Though really, who among us is the one to judge Fairy biology!!?

All joking aside it is something that throws a wrench into the idea of this tale being the origin of such a feat.

Despite this it remains a well liked tale and there are many more variations of it.

Another version tells of Eostre having her carriage or chariot pulled across the sky by a bird. What kind of bird has never been specified, however Eostre is associated with swallows, storks and cuckoos so all are possibilities.

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Regardless of species Eostre’s bird was unable to handle the freezing temperatures of the Hyperborean winter and died. Eostre horrified at her mounts death revives it in the form of a Hare so that it will have the warmth of a fur coat to survive the harsh winters. The Hare then continues to serve as the Gods mount and pack animal. In some versions of the tale even becoming the lover of the God, this is where Mrs. Easter Hare comes into play.

Remember we mentioned her earlier?

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Perhaps this Wife of The Easter Hare was the only refuge left for Eostre under the church, and this is the form she retains in the folklore. Especially when a common theme in English folklore is that Witches can turn into hares. Eostre and Ostara both being Saxon Gods makes the English folk christian belief of the Hare as a Witch familiar come into play here. Especially considering many of the Gods were relegated to Witches.

But even more notable is that the Hare is said to consume cows milk making it dry for the farmer; as ridiculous as that sounds.

Eostre as a God of fertility and of the Springtime would have some association with milk and other important fertility symbols, so perhaps both of these are remnants pointing to more aspects of these Gods surviving than it first seems.

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Any way, later the story does not go well for the Hare; his lustful nature causing him to have an; or maybe many affairs which Eostre does not take well. Growing angry she threw him into the sky to become a constellation beside the hunter. Though eventually she recalled all the good times they had had together and let him return to earth once per year. That day was Easter.

Here I’d also like to point out that a God of German folklore The Eternal Hunter is said to collect plant spirits at the onset of Winter. Perhaps it is him that the Hare is forced to sit below until he is released at springtime with the other spirits protected by The Eternal Hunter from King Frost, another German God. Either way this is one of the tales I’ve found that has the most detail regarding the legend of The Easter Hare.

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A third and final story regarding The Easter Hare’s origins as a bird is that of a small girl finding a dead bird in the snow. Praying to Eostre on behalf of this little bird the God appeared atop a shimmering rainbow, the earth erupting with life and flowers as she walked across the land where she stopped before the little girl, bringing the bird back to life as a hare. As thanks to the God for his new life The Easter Hare would give out eggs, sweets, and treats on Easter Day every year.

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There is one more tale I found involving both the God Eostre and The Hare that is of note. Though in this one his origin as a bird is completely absent.

Instead it goes, the animals were awaiting the arrival of the God Eostre and were overjoyed that she was coming to visit them! So they all began to gather gifts for this God of New Life. Though not all of the animals were rich as others, as some were very poor indeed. The Hare knew all to well as he was one of them. The Hare excited to meet the God Eostre and thank her for all she had done in the world hurried home. But when he got there, he found he had nothing to give to the God he loved so very much, nothing at all but a single egg that fallen to the ground which he had found next to his home. The egg was the only possession he had and so he lovingly decorated it as best he could.

When the time had come for the celebration The Hare brought the egg he lovingly decorated to the party to present it to Eostre herself. But when his turn finally came he became so ashamed of his meager gift, the only possession he had. So, shyly he presented his gift, embarrassed that it was so simple and plain in comparison to the grand gifts of the other animals.

However the God Eostre loved the gift so very dearly as she had known The Hare had given her everything he had to give and more. In gratitude for the sacrifice he had so willingly given, she named The Hare her sacred animal from that day forward.

From then on the Hare, the God, and the egg were linked.

One more story I wish to share does not involve any Gods at all. Instead it involves The Hare finding a nest of eggs.

A fox had eaten their mother and knowing the eggs would not last throughout the cold stormy night alone, The Hare sat on the eggs and luckily they hatched the next morning. That day was Easter Sunday and the chicks; as chicks do, upon seeing the first thing out of their shell, all thought The Hare was their mother.

From then on The Hare was known as The Easter Hare.

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This last tale has much less mythic charm, although it does serve just as well as an origin story for The Easter Hare. All these tales tell varied legends of The Hare’s origins as the Easter Bunny. Though they contradict, it can be seen via the tales that the Hare is hard working, caring, giving and a rather “romantic” fella. The Easter Hare in the modern day has become tied into the Holiday of Easter more than the God Easter herself. Though as the legends move forward they are becoming closer linked once again.

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While it is certainly possible that any or all of these tales are modern stories; that is not important. The fact remains The Easter Hare, The Easter Bunny, Peter Cottontail or whatever we choose to call him “is” a part of Easter.

If the Hare was not originally tied to Eostre then he most certainly is now.

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Both are intrinsically tied to the Holiday, and as such are joined at the hip regardless of the legitimacy of the legends, just as Santa Claus is to his reindeer. The legend of The Easter Hare has continued to this day despite many attempts to replace The Hare with a Bilby or Fox in some countries.

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The Easter Hare lives on! This Faerie in his red coat serves a similar role to the animal companions of Gods such as Sleipneir for Othin or Rollegaul for Holle.

The animal God and mount of the God Eostre who can be felt in the crisp air of a spring morning. Spirit, Faerie, God, legend or myth; the origin of the Easter Hare is less important than his presence to this very day.

As he and his many many progeny; deliver eggs and smiles to the children in a time of new life, never bothered by all the hustle and bustle of the modern day the egg and The Hare are still there for us.

Reminding us of the potential for the future and of the hope on the blooming horizon.