Quality A4 Art Print by @fen.folk
 
RABBITS & HARES
These fluffy guys weren’t always running wild—waaaay back in the day, they were luxury imports apparently brought over by the Normans! They even had fancy warrens and their own “warreners” to keep them in check - they couldn’t yet dig their own burrows in wet, cold English soil. But like any good rebel story, the rabbits broke free, did what they do best, and multiplied like mad. What started as a luxury for the rich ended up as dinner for everyone

In many counties, rabbits aren’t just about dinner plates—they’re woven into the very fabric of folklore. In East Anglia people believed Witches were turning into hares to escape trouble, ghostly white rabbits were omens of death, and sailors were too spooked to even whisper the word “rabbit” at sea.

And it’s not just myths and legends. Rabbits have literally shaped the land. Their grazing habits in Norfolk’s Breckland heaths created unique habitats where rare plants like the prostrate perennial knawel thrive—plants that exist nowhere else on Earth. But when myxomatosis hit, the wild rabbit population plummeted, even leading to the extinction of the large blue butterfly in 1979.

So, next time you spot a rabbit nibbling away, remember—it’s not just a cute furball. There’s a whole history and a bit of magic bouncing around with those big ears. 🐇✨