Down Low on Watership Down

As I mentioned, or have yet to mention depending on when I post these posts, I REALLY love reading. Graphic novels, classics, series, Pulitzer's etc. You name it, most likely I've read it. What I'd like to comment on in this post is one of the more mind-changing books I have ever had the pleasure of laying my hands on:

WATERSHIP DOWN

by Richard Adams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZcHLpjiEdw  (Animated Movie Trailer)



Yes. It's about cute bunnies. That know how to fight.

Cute bunnies that think like humans, have their own language, and have problems the likes of which we have never known.

The story revolves around a group of rabbits that abandon their warren (rabbit community) when one of them has a premonition it will be destroyed. Pursued by the remnants of the warren police force (Owsla), they encounter the "U Hrair," (the rabbits' term for their predators), the deceptively alluring Cowslip Warren, and subtle signs of humanity's footprint all over the English countryside. It is a story of faith, determination, paranoia, and towards the end, downright survival.

The gang, led by Hazel, Bigwig, and Fiver come to Cowslip Warren. The Warren seems nice at first, but they realize it comes with a price. The group leave when they are attacked by the rabbits who live in the Warren who feel that they threaten the relative peace in which they live.

You guys "down" with this?

They come finally to Watership Down. A "Down" in this context is a hill. They intend to live there and realize to their dismay that they have no does (female rabbits) with them. The second Act of the book contains the Warren's first time on the Down and thier experiences. We also meet some quirky other members of the animal kingdom and we learn what became of Sandleford Warren after the group left. It is also in this Act that the group falls under the authority of Hazel, and his name becomes Hazel-rah, or "Lord Hazel," in the Lapine tongue.



I wish I could be more descriptive without giving away more of the book. The real bottom line of Watership Down is this: Never compromise your morals, stick with your friends, and never surrender. We could learn a lot from rabbits.




Lapine Language:

elil: Enemies of rabbits, including fox, stoat, weasel, cat, owl, man, etc.

embleer: Stinking, the word for the smell of a fox.

flay: Food, specifically grass or other greens.

flayrah: Unusually good food, such as lettuce, carrots, etc.

Frith: The Sun, viewed by the rabbits as God.

Frithrah: "Lord Sun", used as an exclamation. Analogous to "My God!"

fu-Inlé: After moonrise.

hain: A song.

hlao: A depression in the ground formed by a daisy or a thistle, specifically one that can hold moisture. Also used as a rabbit's name.

hlessi: A rabbit who lives aboveground or otherwise out of a warren; a wandering rabbit. Plural hlessil.

homba: A fox. Plural hombil.

hrair: Many, uncountable, any number above four.

hraka: Droppings, excreta. Used as a curse.

hrududu: Any type of motor vehicle, such as a tractor, car or train. Plural hrududil

Inlé: The moon, moonrise. Also means fear, darkness or death (as in the Black Rabbit of Inlé)

lendri: A badger.

li: Head.

marli: A doe, mother.

m'saion: "We meet them"

narn: Nice, tasty.

ni-Frith: Noon.

nildro: A blackbird.

Owsla: A group of strong rabbits second year or older surrounding the chief rabbit.

pfeffa: A cat.

-rah: A suffix denoting meaning prince, lord or Chief Rabbit (as in Threarah, Hazel-rah)

-roo: A diminutive suffix meaning "little".

silf: Outside.

silflay: To eat above ground; to graze.

tharn: A state of paralyzed fear or confusion. Can also be used to mean "looking foolish", "forlorn", "heartbroken".

thlay: Fur.

threar: A Rowan or Mountain Ash tree.

u: The.

U hrair: "The Thousand". The term used by rabbits which refers to all their collective enemies.

vair: To excrete, to pass droppings.

yona: A hedgehog. Plural yonil.

zorn: Destroyed, murdered. A catastrophe.