Why Were Medieval Europeans Terrified of Rabbits?
About this video
Discover why medieval Europe was terrified of rabbits, from their depiction as heretics and symbols of lust to their role in art and folklore. Learn how these seemingly innocent creatures became agents of chaos in the medieval imagination. Chapters: 00:00 The Killer Bunny 00:10 Rutland Psalter 00:22 Drolleries: Art of the Margins 00:34 Rutland Psalter, c. 1260 00:46 Rabbit as Heretic Symbol 00:58 Symbol of Lust 01:10 Symbol of Heresy 01:22 Mad as a March Hare 01:34 The Economic Threat 01:46 Rabbit Reproduction Rate 01:58 Shape-Shifters 02:10 Hidden Evil 02:22 World Turned Upside Down 02:34 The Rebel Rabbit 02:46 Legacy of Fear 02:58 Rabbits in Courtly Love 03:10 The Hunting Narrative 03:22 Rabbits and the Devil 03:34 The Rabbit Priest 03:46 Rabbits as Tricksters 03:58 The Rabbit in Alchemy 04:10 Rabbits and the Moon 04:22 The Rabbit in Medicine 04:34 Rabbits and the Plague 04:46 The Rabbit's Revenge 04:58 Rabbits in Law 05:10 The Rabbit in Proverbs 05:22 Rabbits in Church Art 05:34 The Rabbit in Heraldry 05:46 The Rabbit's Legacy 05:58 Reconsider the Rabbit Sources & further reading: ā¢ The Rutland Psalter ā https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-rutland-psalter ā¢ Smithfield Decretals ā https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/smithfield-decretals ā¢ Physiologus ā Early Christian bestiary influencing medieval animal symbolism ā¢ British Library: Rabbits in Medieval Manuscripts ā https://www.bl.uk/medieval-english-french-manuscripts/articles/rabbits-in-medieval-manuscripts ā¢ Cambridge University: Drolleries ā Academic study of marginal art ā¢ John Heywood's Proverbs ā 1546 collection containing 'mad as a March hare'
