Chasing Hares
LAST summer, whilst staying with my brother in Devon, we visited the
picturesque village of North Bovey. After lunch at the old "Ring o'
Bells" pub, we strolled across to the ancient church.. Wandering round the
chancel I looked up and noticed a very unusual roof boss. Drawing my
brother's attention to it, I asked if he'd seen one like it before and
could he throw any light on it? He gazed up at the circle depicting three
hares/rabbits each joined by an ear (see Margaret Stanier's illustration in
the April "Crier") and agreed it was unusual but couldn't supply
any more information. Neither could we find anything, other than a mention, in
the church guide. I left intrigued.
Some weeks later I went to stay with a friend in Cumbria. On an outing to the cinema one evening, we stopped off to pick up a friend of hers. Barbara, the friend, wasn't quite ready and was in quite an excited state. She apologized, saying she'd been engrossed in a regional television news programme .- in which symbols depicting three hares joined at the ears and contained in a circle had been found all around the world - even as far afield as China! When she learned that I had actually seen one, we started up an animated conversation - much to the bemusement of the others present! She then further informed me that the programme presenter was planning a research project on the subject and she'd keep me posted.
However, in November, I noticed a programme advertised on Radio 4. It was called "Chasing Hares" and the blurb read:
"The simple symbol of three hares chasing each other in an everlasting circle, the side view of their ears forming a triangle in the centre, can be found carved in old church roofs across the country. But the meaning behind this symbol is anything but simple." It goes on to say how an art historian, a photographer and an archaeologist would be getting together with the programme presenter "to try to discover the elusive meaning" in a "detective adventure that takes them to Europe, to China, to Iran, and back to the U.K. again, establishing en route that the three hares are used in Pagan, Christian, Buddhist and Islamic contexts, as part of belief systems the animals always connected with images of goodness, femininity and eternity."
I planned to listen to this programme but other events overtook and I forgot. So I phoned a friend. He downloaded the programme and then kindly presented me with the CD.
This was the last I heard of it until I read Margaret's article, followed by Ophir Catling's letter on the subject - it just keeps popping up!
So if anyone else is interested, and would like to hear the programme then do feel free to contact me. You can borrow and listen to my CD - and make your own copy if you wish.