BURIED TREASURES-Easter edition: NIGHT OF THE LEPUS (1972)
“Attention! Ladies and gentlemen there are a heard of killer rabbits heading this way!” Before I get to the terrifying concept of giant rampaging bunny-rabbits, let's remind ourselves why, oh WHY, is a rabbit used to symbolize the resurrection of Christ. From the rebirth of a religious figure to chocolate bunnies, what exactly happened? The most likely explanation is a confluence of different traditions. First, the hare has long been believed to be a hermaphrodite, in the works of ancient philosopher Plutarch for instance, linking his reproduction to the virgin conception of Christ. The rabbit has since been a staple of Christian iconography, even representing the Holy Trinity with the Three Hares motif . The other tradition is more recent, with the late 1600s story of the Easter Bunny, which generated in Germany and told the somewhat familiar story of a mythical being that knows about the good and bad behavior of children, and brings the good ones treats on t...