Three hares
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[[Image:Hares.jpg|thumb|right]]
The '''three hares''' is a circular motif which appears in sacred sites from the [[Middle East|Middle]] and [[Far East]] to the churches of south west [[England]] (where it is often referred to as the Tinners’ Rabbits).
The symbol features three [[hare]]s chasing each other in a circle. Each of the ears is shared by two animals so that only three ears are shown. It has a number of mystical associations and is often associated with fertility and the [[lunar phase|lunar cycle]]. However, its precise origins and significance are uncertain, as are the reasons why it appears in such diverse locations.
The earliest occurrences appear to be in cave temples in [[China]], which have been dated to the [[Sui dynasty]] (6th to 7th centuries). The Three Hares also feature in 'roof bosses' (carved wooden fixtures) in the ceilings in almost 30 [[Middle Ages|medieval]] churches in [[Devon]], England (particularly [[Dartmoor]]), as well as churches in [[France]] and [[Germany]], in 13th century [[Mongols|Mongol]] metal work, and on a [[copper]] coin, found in [[Iran]], dated to 1281.
[[Image:Three Hares Symbol - Map.svg|thumb|500px|center|The spread of the Three Hares symbol between 600 and 1500]]
One theory pertaining to the spread of the motif is that it was transported across [[Asia]] and as far as the south west of England by merchants travelling the [[silk road]]. This view is supported by the early date of the surviving occurrences in China. However the majority of representations of the three hares occur in England and northern Germany. This supports a contrary view that the Three Hares are English or early German symbols.
Some claim that the Devon name, Tinners’ Rabbits, is related to the fact that local [[Dartmoor tin-mining|tin miners]] adopted it as their own symbol. They generated so much wealth in the region that they funded the repair and rebuilding of many local churches, and thus the symbol may have been used as their signature mark.
On the other hand, many of the structures that feature the symbol are unrelated to the miners. In fact, in many locations the Three Hares are positioned directly next to the [[Green Man]] - another symbol best known for its links to [[paganism]]. The Three Hares and the Green Man always appear in prominent places in the churches, such as the central rib of the chancel roof, or on a central rib of the nave. This would suggest that the symbols held greater significance to the church, and casts doubt on the theory that they were the builders' signature marks.
There’s a good example of a roof boss at [[Widecombe-in-the-Moor]], Dartmoor, with another in the town of [[Tavistock, Devon|Tavistock]] on the edge of the moor. Other occurrences in England include floor tiles at [[Chester Cathedral]], stained glass at [[Long Melford]], [[Suffolk]], and a ceiling in [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]], [[Yorkshire]].
The American punk-revival group [[AFI]] has used this symbol on the cover of their album [[Decemberunderground]].
==See also==
[[Image:Paderborner Dom Dreihasenfenster.jpg|thumb|Dreihasenfenster (Window of Three Hares) in Paderborn Cathedral]]
* [[Paderborn Cathedral]] - ''Dreihasenfenster'' (Window of Three Hares) in [[Paderborn]], Germany
* [[Meme]]
==External links==
* [http://www.chrischapmanphotography.com/hares/ The Three Hares Project]
[[Category:Dartmoor]]
[[Category:Tin mining]]
[[Category:Folklore]]
[[de:Dreihasenbild]]
[[li:Driejhazebeeld]]
[[pt:Três lebres]]