The Jade Rabbit
The
Moon rabbit, also called the Jade Rabbit, is a rabbit that lives on the
moon in folklore, based on pareidolia that identifies the markings of the
moon as a rabbit. The story exists in many cultures, particularly in East
Asian folklore, where it is seen pounding in a mortar and pestle. In
Chinese folklore, it is often portrayed as a companion of the moon goddess
Chang’e, constantly pounding the elixir of life for her; but in Japanese
and Korean versions it is just pounding the ingredients for rice cake. The
earliest mention that there is a rabbit on the moon appears in the Chu Ci,
a Western Han anthology of Chinese poems from the Warring States period,
which notes that along with a toad, there is a rabbit on the moon, which
constantly pounds herbs for the immortals. This notion is supported by
later texts, including the Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era
encyclopedia of the Song Dynasty. Han Dynasty poets call the rabbit on the
moon the Jade Rabbit or the Gold Rabbit (金兔),
and these phrases were often used in place of the word for the moon. A
famous poet of the Tang Dynasty period, Li Bai, relates how: “The rabbit
in the moon pounds the medicine in vain” in his poem “The Old Dust.” |
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In
the Buddhist Śaśajâtaka (Jataka Tale 316), a monkey, an otter,
a jackal, and a rabbit resolved to practice charity on the day of the full
moon (Uposatha), believing a demonstration of great virtue would earn a
great reward. When
an old man begged for food, the monkey gathered fruits from the trees and
the otter collected fish, while the jackal wrongfully pilfered a lizard
and a pot of milk-curd. The rabbit, which knew only how to gather grass,
instead offered its own body, throwing itself into a fire the man had
built. The rabbit, however, was not burnt. The old man revealed himself to
be Śakra and, touched by the rabbit’s virtue, drew the likeness of
the rabbit on the moon for all to see. It is said the lunar image is still
draped in the smoke that rose when the rabbit cast itself into the fire. A
version of this story can be found in the Japanese anthology Konjaku
Monogatarishū, where the rabbit’s companions are a fox and a
monkey. Similar
legends occur in Mexican folklore, where people also identified the
markings on the moon as a rabbit. According to an Aztec legend, the god
Quetzalcoatl, then living on Earth as a man, started on a journey and,
after walking for a long time, became hungry and tired. With no food or
water around, he thought he would die. Then a rabbit grazing nearby
offered himself as food to save his life. Quetzalcoatl, moved by the
rabbit’s noble offering, elevated him to the moon, then lowered him back
to Earth and told him, “You may be just a rabbit, but everyone will
remember you; there is your image in light, for all men and for all
times.” Another
Mesoamerican legend tells of the brave and noble sacrifice of Nanahuatzin
during the creation of the fifth sun. Humble Nanahuatzin sacrificed
himself in fire to become the new sun, but the wealthy god Tecciztecatl
hesitated four times before he finally set himself alight to become the
moon. Due to Tecciztecatl’s cowardice, the gods felt that the moon
should not be as bright as the sun, so one of the gods threw a rabbit at
his face to diminish his light. It is also said that Tecciztecatl was in
the form of a rabbit when he sacrificed himself to become the moon,
casting his shadow there. A
Native American (Cree) legend tells a different variation, about a young
rabbit who wished to ride the moon. Only the crane was willing to take
him. The trip stretched Crane’s legs as the heavy rabbit held them
tightly, leaving them elongated as crane’s legs are now. When they
reached the moon Rabbit touched Crane’s head with a bleeding paw,
leaving the red mark cranes wear to this day. According to the legend,
Rabbit still rides the moon to this day. |