Friday Flowers Club #21~Lepus Timidus

Hello Friends.

A couple of months ago we were gifted this amazing piece of art by our friend Bryony at trundle pig glassworks. In our house, the Hare has great significance, and she so kindly captured it’s spirit and energy in this beautiful piece, now hanging proudly in our front window.

Inspired by Bryony, over the holiday we took a walk up on to the Derwent Moors, resplendent as ever in that peculiar bleak beauty, in search of what is another of those vestiges sitting at the axis of my life here in Sheffield and my homeland of Scotland; the Mountain Hare.

The Peak District has the only population of Mountain Hares in England. And in the whole of Great Britain the only other Mountain Hare community is found in… the Scottish Highlands. At this time of year they are easy to spot. Small bundles of bright white winter fur huddled by dark gritstone rocks and brown winter-worn thickets, occasionally breaking into swift, elongated strides and disappearing again into a myriad of deep peat groughs.

Since I have known him, my husband has always carried the Mountain Hare as a Spirit Animal of sorts. It’s Latin name ‘Lepus Timidus’ meaning ‘swift and timid’ and its preference for wild, mountainous, rugged landscapes have become a self imposed definition of how he sees himself. I have lost track of how many books, cards and various bits of art he owns that are devoted to the Mountain Hare.

For me, the Hare is a deep pool of inspiration and wonder. Celtic folklore has them closely associated with Witches’ Familiars, with the Scottish specifically suggesting that women had the power to shapeshift backwards and forwards into Hare form. There are countless traditional stories referencing this. What a fascinating concept. Ever moving, ever flexing, ever adapting to whatever the course of life determines. Witchcraft aside, I cannot be the only one thinking it remains a strong metaphor for women today.

Derwent was cold and clear. Browns, greys, only a couple brief sporadic punctuations of white. Simon insists that come April there will be hundreds up there. For now I will keep imagining. And I will keep adapting.

This week I will be using the white of the mountain hares and bringing in some subtle hints of sunshine with peaches and orange pops as we eek our way towards the lighter nights and brighter skies.