# The Rabbit in the Moon



## Elf Mommy (Dec 27, 2009)

When I neutered Poe and visited Patti, she lent me a few rabbit books, including ones by Kathy Smith. In one I read a story about the shape of the rabbit on the moon. I had never heard of it nor looked for it before. I do believe it will be inspiring some artwork.

I went looking for the rabbit in the Moon and have found several interpretations.

This man wrote a book, and it even has a video of him reading the book:

Bunny Rabbit on the Moon







There is an Aztec Legend as follows:

The Aztecs had a legend to explain it (see a lovely version on our Aztec Stories page). A very short version in the Florentine Codex (right) reads: âThe myth of the rabbit in the moon goes as follows: The gods, they say, were teasing the moon and flung a rabbit in its face. And the rabbit remained marked on the moonâs face. That is what darkened the face of the moon, as though it had been bruised. Upon which the moon went out to light the world.â









And I like this interpretation of how the rabbit looks, the best!






There is also a Chinese version to this legend:

*Jade Rabbit Who Pounds Medicine* ï¼çåæ£è¯ : yu4 tu4 dao3 yao4)
Although sad and lonely, Chang Er is not the only one on the moon. She is accompanied by Jade Rabbit and Wu Gang the woodcutter. You can often see on mooncake packaging, drawings of Chang Er and a cute white fluffy rabbit. How the rabbit came to live on the moon also has a story. 

There are several versions to the story. One claims that the rabbit is in fact Chang Er herself. One says that Hou Yi transformed into Chang Erâs favourite animal, a white rabbit to keep her company on the moon. And another mentioned a rabbit fairy, sympathizing on Chang Erâs plight, sent his youngest daughter to keep her company. Below is yet another version.
In this legend, three gods descended on earth and disguised themselves as three pitiful old men. They met fox, monkey and rabbit and asked them to spare them some food. Both the fox and monkey did so.
However, the rabbit had no food, hence it told the three old men to eat itself. Shortly after, it jumped into the fire. The gods were greatly moved and made the rabbit live immortally in the moon palace.
No matter what version the story is, the jade rabbitâs task on moon was to pound and create the pills of immortality. It is also sometimes said that Chang Er, missing dearly her husband on Earth, asks Wu Gang the woodcutter (with his wood for fuel or ingredient) and the Jade Rabbit to help create a magical pill to allow her to fly back to earth to reunite with Hou Yi.






I thought it was interesting, and that I would share.


I definitely think the moon and rabbits will be in my future works of art.


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## NorthernAutumn (Dec 28, 2009)

That is a very romantic vision, Minda! A great muse for your future work


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## Pet_Bunny (Dec 28, 2009)

I outlined this picture in September, 2007. :dude:


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## SnowyShiloh (Dec 28, 2009)

I have always seen a rabbit on the moon, ever since I was a little girl (probably 3-4 years old). I love seeing the bunny up there! I know this is weird, but to me it looks like a rabbit wearing a big dress standing at a stove making jam in a big pot. I had a scratch and sniff book when I was very young and in it the mama bunny dressed like that and made jam, so that's what I saw when I looked at the moon.


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## hartleybun (Dec 28, 2009)

im glad others see the rabbit in the moon! one of my best loved books is The Leaping Hare by George Ewart Evans and David Thomson which deals with the life and legends of the hare - fascinating and inspiring.

i cant post links but if you google The Three Hares you might find even more inspiration! it's also very interesting!


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## ~*sAbRiNa*~ (Dec 31, 2009)

I study Buddhism in school and this is one of the stories that I recently included in my research on generosity and self-sacrifice in Buddhism. Its very similar to one of the ones that Elf Mommy posted but with the hare being an incarnation of the Buddha. 



"In the Buddhist story "ÅaÅajÃ¢taka", a monkey, an otter, a jackal, and a rabbit resolved to practice charity on the Uposatha, believing a demonstration of great virtue would earn a great reward.
When an old man begged for food, the monkey gathered fruits from the trees and the otter collected dead fish from the river bank, while the jackal wrongfully pilfered a lizard and a pot of milk-curd. The rabbit, who knew only how to gather grass, instead offered its own body, throwing itself into a fire the man had built. The rabbit, however, was not burnt. The old man revealed himself to be Åakra, and touched by the rabbit's virtue, drew the likeness of the rabbit on the moon for all to see. It is said the lunar image is still draped in the smoke that rose when the rabbit cast itself into the fire."


I really liked reading this story especially because some of the Japanese illustrations that were in my text book looked a lot like Sabrina! The hare plays an important part in Japanese and Buddhist culture.


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## Elf Mommy (Dec 31, 2009)

Very cool! I am going to start this project one full moon from the full moon tonight. By the next full moon, I want to have my first representation done. I think I may go with the Aztec legend and style first, and then move on to the others... I am excited about this project, but of course I have our auction pieces and a project for my niece to finish first.  I also will need to get the set of Valentines done for the auction in February.


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## BethM (Dec 31, 2009)

The rabbit, often portrayed along with a moon, is an extremely popular theme in Japanese artwork. I have quite a large collection of Japanese bento boxes, the majority of which feature rabbits, and many also include the moon, as well. I've been collecting these for a few years now.


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## Kit (Jan 2, 2010)

The legend also ties in nicely with the Japanese manga/anime series Sailor Mooon! Seriously!

Sailor Moon's real name is Usagi Tsukino which plays upon the old idea of the bunny on the moon, and is responsible for her hairstyle. She has little "buns" yes, but her ponytails are also supposed to represent rabbit ears.


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## hartleybun (Jan 2, 2010)

:yeahthat: that takes me back! used to watch that with my daughter - first time i'd seen anime/manga japanese "cartoon" (as it was portrayed). we used to love it!


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## paul2641 (Jan 2, 2010)

WoW Midna that is pretty awesome to think that I have a bunny looking down on me every night from outer space!


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## JimD (Jan 2, 2010)

A Native American "Tail"....

http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/RabbitandtheMoonMan-Micmac.html


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## DeniseJP (Jan 3, 2010)

*hartleybun wrote: *


> :yeahthat: that takes me back! used to watch that with my daughter - first time i'd seen anime/manga japanese "cartoon" (as it was portrayed). we used to love it!



My son Benn loved that show as well!

I love stories about the world we live in and how things evolve - I will be looking not for the man in the moon now but the bun in the moon!

The Finger Lakes section of NY that I live in is full of Native American legends - I will have to go back to see if there is a rabbit in any of the stories I have read.

Very cool project, Minda - you are an inspiration!:bunnyheart

Denise


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## cb.jack.bl (Jan 3, 2010)

Rabbits in folklore is such a great topic! Theres also an African myth that explains the connection between the rabbit and the dark spots on the moon. Here's a link to the Khoi Khoi version: 
http://www.angelfire.com/or/crescentwind/may.html


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## hartleybun (Jan 3, 2010)

DeniseJP wrote:


> I love stories about the world we live in and how things evolve - I will be looking not for the man in the moon now but the bun in the moon!
> 
> The Finger Lakes section of NY that I live in is full of Native American legends - I will have to go back to see if there is a rabbit in any of the stories I have read.
> 
> Denise



once you start looking for rabbits or hares they turn up everywhere! The Leaping Hare has to be one of my all time favourite books too


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## Stanza (Jan 5, 2010)

Awesome!

Thanks for sharing everyone


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## Violet23 (Jan 6, 2010)

You know Ive never thought that the dark splotches on the moon look like a rabbit, now Im never gunna be able to see anything else, lol.


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## Elf Mommy (Jan 6, 2010)

*Violet23 wrote: *


> You know Ive never thought that the dark splotches on the moon look like a rabbit, now Im never gunna be able to see anything else, lol.


ME TOO!!! It surprised me when I learned of it.


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## kirbyultra (Jan 6, 2010)

Maybe I'm just weird but I have always seen the bunny on the moon, ever since I was a small kid. I thought it was common knowledge because I kinda grew up my whole life just assuming everyone else saw it was a bunny on the moon too. 

Throughout my life I've heard of the Chinese story that was mentioned and have read folk tales and stories about a rabbit on the moon... hence why I thought it was commonly accepted that the dark spots was a bunny on the moon


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