In order to find and unclouded history of rabbits you have to look really hard at all the informationa and sift through it carefully until you can distinguish between what is misinformation and colorful writng and what is the actual truth. The rabbit we know today has exsisted and been recognized in all places of the world at one time or another. In some areas it grew and multiplied in large numbers, only to disappear and be introduced at a much later date (an example is given later).
Rabbits were not always called “rabbits”. They used to be called “conie” or “coney”. I found two sources which suggest two places where the name came from. One source says it probably comes from a medieval Dutch word “robbe,” which was originally a nickname for anyone called Robert. The second source says the name comes from a French word that was first used only for the young conies. Gradually, over time, it was used for the adults as well.
Realm is above
Fossils of rabbits, very similiar to those that live today, have been found as far back as three million years ago. In caves in Spain paintings made during the Stone Age depict pictures of rabbit and hares. The pictures show that men were familiar with the creatures long before the time of written history, and they were used for food and clothing. The first written records of rabbits tell how ancient Phonenician traders, who sailed Spain around 1000 B.C. picked up some rabbits and carried them to other countries around the Mediterreanean. The giant statue of the Sphinx , built in Turkey around 1500 B.C., stands on the figures of two rabbits, which shows these rabbits were already known in this time period. The ancient Romans liked to hunt rabbits and were very fond of their meat. They began to raise rabbits in walled enclosures and took them along to the countries they conquered. This is where many of the mutations which make up out domestic rabbits began. The credit for the beauty of the Roman women was given to the rabbit meat that they consumed. It is generally thought that rabbits were introduced into Britain no earlier than 1066 when the Normans invaded. However, this contradicts the finding of the fossils and suggests that rabbits may have been in Britain before the Normans. The rabbits probably didn’t survive the Glacial Age (22,000 years ago) and it’s icy conditions. The Normans simply “reintroduced” the rabbits. In England, Queen Elizabeth I raised rabbits as pets and started a rabbit-raising fad amoung the nobles of her court. Rabbits in North America were thought to have crossed land bridges that do not exsist today. But the Phonecians take much of the credit for the spreading of the rabbit throughout the world. The rabbit is found in both myth and folklore and depending upon the society, it was percieved in a variety of different ways. In Greek Mythology, it was associated with the Goddess Hecate. In Egyptian hieroglyphics it is associated with the concept of being. The ancient Hebrews considered it unclean, because it was lascivious. The Algonquin Indians considered the Great Hare and considered it a high spirit. In China, it is one of the twelve astrological signs, which is considered the most favorable sign, giving those under it the ability to posess the power of the moon. The rabbit is mentioned in the Bible, but it refers to him as unclean -- “he who cheweth his cud, but divided not the hoof”, but it has not been proven that the animal mentioned was a rabbit. There are few who are not familiar with the Eatser bunny and the superstition of rabbit feet and their supposed “lucky” nature. They appear in times to be associated with witchcraft. Like any animal, rabbits were and still are precieved in different ways by many. Some think they are a nusisance and others think they are a blessing. I think this is true, for many things.