The Moon rabbit or Moon hare is a mythical figure in East Asian and indigenous American folklore, based on pareidolic interpretations that identify the dark markings on the near side of the Moon as a rabbit or hare. In the realm of East Asian mythology, the rabbit is seen as pounding with a mortar and pestle, but the contents of the mortar differ among Chinese, Japanese, and Korean folklore. In Chinese folklore, the rabbit is often portrayed as a companion of the Moon goddess Chang'e, constantly pounding the elixir of life[1] for her and some show the making of cakes or rice cakes; but in Japanese and Korean versions, the rabbit is pounding the ingredients for mochi or some other type of rice cakes. In some Chinese versions of the mythological tradition, the rabbit pounds medicine for the mortals and some include making of mooncakes. Moon folklore from certain Amerindian cultures of North America also has rabbit themes and characters.
History
The Chinese mythological white hare making the elixir of immortality on the Moon embroidered onto an eighteenth-century Imperial Chinese robe
An early Chinese source called the Chu Ci, a Western Han anthology of Chinese poems from the Warring States period, notes that along with a toad, there is a hare on the Moon who constantly pounds herbs for the immortals. This notion is supported by later texts, including the Song-era Taiping Imperial Reader. As rabbits were not yet introduced to China during Western Han, the original image was not a rabbit but a hare.[2]
Han dynasty poets call the hare on the Moon the "Jade Hare" (玉兔) or the "Gold Hare" (金兔), and these phrases were used often, in place of the word for the Moon. The famed Tang poet Li Bai, relates how "The rabbit in the moon pounds the medicine in vain" in his poem, "The Old Dust".[3]
In the Buddhist Jataka tales,[4]Tale 316 relates that 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 from them, the monkey gathered fruits from the trees and the otter collected fish, while the jackal found a lizard and a pot of milk-curd. Knowing only how to gather grass, the rabbit instead offered its own body by throwing itself into a fire the man had prepared. However, the rabbit was not burnt and the old man revealed that he was Śakra. Touched by the rabbit's virtue, he 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. The rabbit is believed to be a Bodhisattva.
A version of this story may be found in the Japanese anthology, Konjaku Monogatarishū, where the rabbit's companions are instead a fox and a monkey.
The Moon rabbit legend is popular and part of local folklore throughout Asia. It may be found in diverse cultures in China, Japan, India, Korea, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar.[5][6][7]
This legend also gave rise to the Mid-Autumn Festivals of China, Tsukimi of Japan, and Chuseok of Korea across the East Asian mythological landscape. The Sampeah Preah Khae in Cambodia and Tết Trung Thu of Vietnam, all of which celebrate the legend of the Moon rabbit across Southeast Asia. In Vietnamese mythology, the Jade Rabbit on the Moon is often accompanied by the Moon Lady and Cuội, who sits under a magical banyan. The trio has become the personifications of the holiday, when they descend to the mortal world and give out cellophane lanterns, mooncakes and gifts to children.[8]
Presumed to be arising likewise, through lunar pareidolia, legends of Moon rabbits also exist among some indigenous cultures of North and Central America.
In Mayan art, glyphs, hieroglyphics, and inscriptions, a rabbit frequently is shown with the Moon Goddess and another deity related to the Moon.[citation needed]
According to an Aztec legend, the god Quetzalcoatl, then living on Earth as a human, 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 herself as food to save his life. Quetzalcoatl, moved by the rabbit's noble offering, elevated her to the Moon, then lowered her back to Earth and told her, "You may be just a rabbit, but everyone will remember you; there is your image in light, for all people 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 deities felt that the Moon should not be so bright as the Sun, so one of the deities threw a rabbit at his face to diminish his light.[9] Another version of the legend says that Tecciztecatl was in the form of a rabbit when he sacrificed himself to become the Moon, casting his shadow there.
In Canada and the United States, a Cree cultural legend tells a different story, about a young rabbit who wished to ride the Moon. Only the crane was willing to take him there. The trip stretched the crane's legs as the heavy rabbit held them tightly, leaving them elongated as the legs of all cranes are now. When they reached the Moon, the rabbit touched the crane's head with a bleeding paw, leaving the red mark cranes wear to this day. According to the legend, on clear nights, Rabbit still may be seen riding the Moon.[citation needed]
Modern references
Spaceflight
The Chinese lunar rover, Yutu, that landed on the Moon on December 14, 2013 was named after the Jade Rabbit, as a result of an online poll,[10] and was followed up by a second rover, Yutu-2 which deployed on the far-side of the Moon on 3 Jan 2019.[11]
The Moon rabbit was the subject of a humorous conversation between NASA mission control and the crew of Apollo 11:[12]
Houston: Among the large headlines concerning Apollo this morning, is one asking that you watch for a lovely girl with a big rabbit. An ancient legend says a beautiful Chinese girl called Chang-E has been living there for 4,000 years. It seems she was banished to the Moon because she stole the pill of immortality from her husband. You might also look for her companion, a large Chinese rabbit, who is easy to spot since he is always standing on his hind feet in the shade of a cinnamon tree. The name of the rabbit is not reported.
The eponymous Sailor Moon's human name is Usagi Tsukino, a pun on 月のうさぎ (Rom. Tsuki no usagi), which means Moon Rabbit in Japanese. Her daughter's name, Chibiusa, means little rabbit.
The central antagonist of the final arc of Naruto, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, is partially based on the Buddhist legend of the Moon Rabbit, according to which a rabbit can be seen in the markings of the Moon, brewing the Elixir of Life for the Moon Goddess.
The Moon rabbit theme makes an appearance in the "Legend of the Stars" section of the Kamen Rider Spirits manga, told by Sergei Koribanof to his son Masim.
In the Dragon Ball animation, Son Goku fights against the Rabbit Gang and solves the issue presented in the episode by taking the enemy leader, Monster Carrot, an anthropomorphic rabbit who turns anyone he touches into a carrot, and his human companions, to the Moon, where they are seen pounding rice cake mixture.
In the anime Saint Seiyaepisode 60 Shiryu remembers an old fable of a rabbit sacrificing its life to save a traveler, and it resembles Shun's destiny of Andromeda, who sacrificed her life to save her people.
In the Korean webcomic The God of Highschool the Moon rabbit is one of the four pillars of fate.
The Japanese anime Madö King Granzört has characters who are humanoids with rabbit ears and they are natives of the Moon.
In the anime My Hero Academia ,Rumi Usagiyama is a Hero with the rabbit quirk. Her ultimate attack names all start with the word "Luna".
In One Piece, a rabbit character traveling with the Strawhats named Carrot can transform into a white bunny with long hair and tail by looking at a full Moon.
In Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat there is an episode called "The Jade Rabbit" where Sagwa and Fu-Fu imagine themselves within a variation of the story about the character being rabbit green like jade who works making mooncakes for a tyrant after being separated from his friend who is the Moon Princess.
The kaiju Lunaticks is based on the Moon Rabbit. He appears in the Tokusatsu series, Ultraman Ace as one of the series' 'Terrible-Monsters' under the command of its main antagonist, Yapool. Lunaticks's connection to the Moon Rabbit is further highlighted when it is revealed that he was responsible for draining the Moon of its magma (which was also the home of one of Ace's co-hosts, Yuko Minami), transforming it into a barren wasteland.
American singer-songwriter Clairo references "the rabbit moon" in her song, Reaper.[15]
Korean boy band, Big Bang references the tale of the rabbit on the moon in their music video “Still Life”
Telugu song 'Chandrullo unde kundelu' from the movie Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana references the rabbit on the moon.
Stage
The rabbit in the Moon is a major theme in the 2011 musical, South Street,[16] with the rabbit appearing prominently in the Moon clock in Sammy's bar, and the main character being advised to "Look to the rabbit" for inspiration.
Video games
Many video games have major characters based on the tale, including Reisen Udongein Inaba and the other Lunarians (some of whom pound Moon mochi to be made into magic medicine) from the Touhou Project series, the Broodals from Super Mario Odyssey, and Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit/Moon Rabbit are featured as playable characters in the video game Smite.[17] In Final Fantasy IV, the myths serve as the inspiration for a race of rabbit-like humanoid inhabitants of the Moon called Hummingways which, in turn, are the inspiration for the Loporrit race in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, also inspired by the Moon rabbits. According to Morio Kishimoto, the plot for Sonic Frontiers was inspired by the tale.[18]
The Jade Rabbit is the name of a scout rifle in the Destiny series of games. In Destiny 2, players can visit the Moon and find miniature statues of chibi-styled jade rabbit dolls which accept offerings of rice cake.[19]
A Moon Rabbit Cookie was added to Cookie Run: Kingdom on September 17, 2021. This character was originally from LINE/Kakao Cookie Run. They also appeared in Cookie Run: Ovenbreak.
The Moon Rabbit Dragon is a dragon in the dragon breeding game Dragon Mania Legends.
Moon rabbits play a big role in the indie game To The Moon in which one of the main characters, River Wyles, consistently makes origami rabbits throughout the game. One origami rabbit is blue and yellow, referring to an event within the game where a young River Wyles refers to the moon as being a rabbit stomach's with the constellations around it forming the head, ears and paws. The term Moon Rabbit may be taken more literally in the game although it could still be referencing the mythology behind it.
The Ubisoft characters "Rabbids" in lore are said to be from the moon, showing the relation of rabbits and the moon.
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward features a rabbit as its main mascot and overseer of the Nonary game, known as Zero III. Zero III can be seen wearing traditional Chinese attire which could be referencing Chang'e and Moon Rabbits as near the end of the game, you find out that the facility the characters are locked in is located on the moon.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has a rabbit villager named Ruby whose house is space-themed, and features a large moon prominently.
^ abWoods, W. David; MacTaggart, Kenneth D.; O'Brien, Frank. "Day 5: Preparations for Landing". The Apollo 11 Flight Journal. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved 9 October 2017
