A short time ago I was out for a walk on a mountain near my home and I was lucky enough to watch a wild hare as it ran through the heather nearby. It was heading away from me (I must have disturbed it), but I was able to watch it for quite a long time, until it was far off in the distance, silhouetted against the sky on the ridge in front of me. It looked almost the size of a dog! I was alone and had nobody else to share the moment with (something of a rarity at the moment!), but somehow that made it all the more special.
The hare is associated with the Cailleach, the idea being that the 'winter goddess' can shift her shape into this beautiful animal. Small wonder it is considered to be a magical creature when you consider how harsh and unforgiving the conditions on these hilltops are, with the temperatures regularly below zero at this time of year. Although you can't tell it from the photo above, the snow had just melted and the wind was still bitterly cold, yet despite these challenges the hare survives.
Hares are also often associated with witchcraft, and there are many examples of folk tales where unfortunate women have been accused of transforming into hares in order to steal butter or milk! I remember almost 10 years ago when I was pregnant with my second child my husband and I were staying at a holiday cottage in County Donegal. At dusk one evening we watched an incredible gathering of between 20 and 30 hares on a hillside nearby. It was an amazing sight, but as I was very anxious at the time with concerns about the birth, it also felt hugely omen-ous. I needn't have worried though, because a few weeks later I had the easiest birth imaginable, on my birthday! Perhaps the hares were good luck :)
One of my favourite sayings is 'let the hare sit' - the meaning is (pretty much) 'don't do anything'. I'm not exactly sure of the origin of this saying, but I have read elsewhere that when a hare is sitting upright, alert, then the element of surprise has been lost and the fox needn't bother trying to catch it! I can't help wondering if maybe there are other, more superstitious origins for the saying though. Perhaps 'Leave well enough alone', don't antagonise the goddess... Whatever the origins it's a good phrase and one I think about often when I am feeling emotional or upset about something. My mother always says 'when you don't know what to do, do nothing' - same sort of thing. I frequently find that once the hare has sat for a bit I don't actually *need* to do anything!
It hasn't escaped my notice that my two memorable hare encounters have taken place when I have been anxious. I think most of us could be forgiven for feeling anxious at the moment, it has been a long and difficult winter.
Nonetheless, in a world where social media allows us to vent our spleen to a huge audience at a moment's notice perhaps we would do well to let the hare sit a bit more.
Small shoutout to the beautiful work of artist Jane Brideson whose beautiful paintings of the Cailleach in all her forms I first encountered at Loughcrew. I look forward to receiving my print of her 'Harvest Hag' (with the hare tucked snugly into her cloak!) in the post soon! You can view some of her work here: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3042993875979020&set=pcb.3042993495979058
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