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Appearing as half bird, half mammal at the edge of day and night they are seen as liminal beings and not part of the natural order. In some stories, the Pooka is said to be a benign but mischievous presence, while in others it is portrayed as more malevolent, with the ability to bring harm to those who cross its path. In Teutonic myth, the earth and sky goddess Holda, leader of the Wild Hunt, was followed by a procession of hares bearing torches. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/egg-laying-bunnies-and-mad-march-hares-2562459. So how can you channel this frantic, fertile energy into a magical working? If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to ourFacebookpage or message us onTwitter. Like Brer Rabbit, or the hares of West African lore, Compare Lapin is a rascal who manages to get himself into all kinds of trouble -- and then smoothly finds his way back out again through cleverness and guile. In The Madonna of the Rabbit (1520-30) by Titian, a bunny symbolises chastity (Credit: Getty Images). Her festival celebrations occurred in April, and it is commonly believed that through ostre we have acquired the name for Easter as well as her rabbit sidekick. Indigenous North and Central American culture have very similar myths that connect hares and rabbits with the moon, presumably because they also detected lagomorphic markings on the lunar surface. Another Mesoamerican legend tells of the brave and noble sacrifice of Nanahuatzin during the creation of the fifth sun. Many video games have major characters based on the tale, including Reisen Udongein Inaba and the other Lunarians (some of whom pound Moon mochi to be made into magic medicine) from the Touhou Project series, the Broodals from Super Mario Odyssey, and Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit/Moon Rabbit are featured as playable characters in the video game Smite. These biological traits of rabbits and hares also prompted association with fertility in otherwise disconnected cultures. The flowers are blooming, birds are laying eggs and baby bunnies are hopping about. Please enable JavaScript if you would like to comment on this blog.