Above: for some time I have been thinking about the cultural significance of hares (Lepus europaeus). Every year the media reports the appearance of "Mad March Hares" in a ritual sequence that announces the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Hares feature regularly in literature - the March Hare in Alice In Wonderland; The Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal; Masquerade by Kit Williams etc.
Above: silver representations of hares in a jeweller's shop in Burlington Arcade. Hares are traditionally associated with bravery and cunning. Boudicca queen of the Iceni (a tribe in Iron Age Norfolk) took a hare with her everytime she went into battle.
Above: sculpture in central London of a leaping hare, crescent moon and bell. The sculpture dates from 1988 and is by Barry Flanagan. Hares are associated with the moon.
Above: a couple of weeks ago I walked through this field in a lonely part of the county and saw dozens of hares running about. I managed to photograph two of them (you might need to click on the image to enlarge it). It was a perfect summer evening - warm sun, peaceful atmosphere, and the magical hares running about.
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