r/watershipdown

Spent the last few days completely hyperfocused on drawing hares. Naturally, my mind circled back to Watership Down and the massive impact it had on me growing up. Here is my take on El-ahrairah – Prince with a Thousand Enemies.

Random picture of watershipdown for more viewer retention

Hi! I am a long-time rabbit lover (I owned 2 house rabbits and have... i think this one makes 10 tattoos, which are all of rabbits) and i recently read Watership Down.

My favorite imagery in the book is from El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé- where his ears and whiskers and tail are wagered to the Black Rabbit in the hopes that he might be allowed to sacrifice his life for his people.

And, despite the fact that he loses those parts of him that appear make him a rabbit, he just does the best with what he has. And he keeps trying to sacrifice himself for his people, and to make their lives better, no matter what it costs him.

So I had that image permanently tattooed on my ribcage. (I also had the artist add a bit of starlight to the dock ears.)

Edit- Forgot to add that the artist is Alex at Tenacity Tattoo in Scottsville! They've done 7 of my 10 rabbit tattooes, and they're an absolutely amazing artist. If you're anywhere near the area, you should definitely consider getting one from him!

It's my ultimate fashion goal.

The eye and ears flash red and white

There was a third chilling here but it bolted before I could take the pic. I see them all the time in the evening and early morning (we're open 24/7), having their silflay on the scant patch of grass and the brambles and weeds below the fence. They're not very scared of humans and I can walk pretty close past them without them bolting or reacting. They're clearly used to hrududus (we're half a block from a large mall in an urban area just outside a major city and close to a major airport) and because we also happen to be a vet hospital, also don't fear the smell or sight of dogs. It's fun to imagine how these gritty urban rabbits are compared to the Watership set and how it'd go if they met each other.

Instantly one of my favorites. Richard Adams writes so well it's rare to find myself enjoying long descriptions, but the way he paints the world is beautiful and it never felt slow. The anxiety I felt for these rabbits was immense. It feels so rewarding when they succeed because you've watched them fight for everything they have and build their home from scratch. Seeing Hazel's development from a nobody in sandleford to CHIEF RABBIT HAZEL-RAH made me feel like a proud parent.

And the final battle of watership was everything I love to see in climax. It made the heroes look strong and using all their strengths without making the villains look weak. Bigwig near the end is genuinely a character I'd expect to see in a shonen anime, not a 1970's novel about rabbits. Thlayli following Woundwort after his retreat and appearing in the mouth of the run just to make it perfectly clear he wasn't going anywhere was cold as fuck. All of the main rabbits got their moment to shine and I loved it.

One of the chapters I really want to talk about is El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit. It's so dark and sobering compared to the other tales of El-ahrairah and that's what makes it work so well. You see this larger-than-life hero of the rabbits built up with stories that make him seem like there's nothing that can stop him, and then there's this story. His people are trapped and starving and there's no trick he can think of to get them out of it, so he turns to self-sacrifice. He asks the black rabbit to take his life in exchange for the lives of his people, but he is refused. It's striking how determined he is in his martyrdom, even trying to infect himself with a deadly disease. By the end of this he's maimed, humiliated and utterly at a loss. The Prince with a Thousand Enemies is powerless, and it is the Black Rabbit of Inlé that saves his people, not El-ahrairah.

The price he pays then was not his life. It was his pride. He was the Prince with a Thousand Enemies. He was clever and fast and strong and the best of his people and he felt that he had to be that great hero that everyone thought him to be.

Yes, he did want his people to be saved, but maybe more than that, he wanted to be the one to save them. That's why, after his people, free and safe, show him no love or gratitude, and Frith asks him if he is angry, he says no. He is not angry. He's just bitter, and probably contemplating whether he still deserves to be king of the rabbits. It's one of the sweetest moments in the book when Frith, sensing how crushed he is, reassures him by calling him a great thief and offering to mend his wounds, leaving no scars to show for his failure.

Sorry I'm tired and I just wanted to rant about this book I enjoyed very very much

This adorable vintage Hazel plush with his original box had an auction ending at 570 BPD/ 767 USD today... I could not believe it! I was hoping I could take him for $100 but I was naive at how much this community fights for their merch- especially something still having original packaging. Congratulations to the winner!