Hares and St David's Day

'@ Creative Commons

It is St.David's day today, and there I was thinking about hares and the boxing that happens at this time of year. Picking up a hare book, (The Leaping Hare) at the back there is a sad 13th century name calling poem for the hare, persecuted through time, even today by barbaric sports such as hare coursing.

Capel-y-Ffin by Eric Ravilious in celebration of St.David's Day.  Featured by James Russell
Winter Blues.

William Cowper the poet although given to a little madness, took under his wing three hares, after rescuing one from some teasing children, you can read his delightful account here.  Puss was his favorite and lived till eleven years old, they seemed incredibly tame being given their freedom during the daytime, and loved dearly by Cowper.

And so to the  hare,   An Early poem about the poor hare; Anon

By a forest as gan fare,

Walking all myself alone,

I heard a mourning of a hare

Ruefully she made her moan.

Dearworth God, how shall I live,

And lead my life in land?

from dale to down I am ydrive!

I know not where I may sit, or stand!

I may neither rest, or sleep,

By no valley that is so derne;

Nor no covert may me keep,

But ever I run from herne to herne 


There is a story about a saint and a hare, which I must hunt up but long ago I wrote of St.David here