Watership Down: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''Thlayli (Bigwig) had made his way up the run and was crouching immediately below. Blood had matted the great thatch of fur on his head, and one ear, half severed, hung down beside his face. His breathing was slow and heavy.''|Chapter 47 ("The Sky Suspended")}}

{{quote|''"It's about bunnies."''|Sawyer, [[~~Lost (TV)|~~Lost]]}}

An '''epic''' [[Low Fantasy]] adventure by Richard Adams.

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Only Blackberry, Fiver, and Hazel can really "think outside the hutch," so to speak. Hazel in particular quickly realises that survival as a tribe of ''hlessil'' (nomads) will require atypical problem-solving and teamwork, and thus becomes the ''de facto'' leader of the group, with a particular talent for bringing out the best in his followers and earning their loyalty in return.

Their journey is long - for a rabbit (about five miles). And it is punctuated by times of rest, during which they regale each other with tales of their [[Folk Hero]], the first rabbit: El-ahrairah, the Prince With a Thousand Enemies. El-ahrairah is a [[The Trickster|Trickster hero]] (meet us halfway between [[~~Beowulf (Literature)|~~Beowulf]] and [[Bugs Bunny]] and you've got the idea), and the legends we hear deal with everything from the rabbit's creation myth to El-ahrairah's [[To Hell and Back|descent into Inle to meet the Black Rabbit.]] And don't think that the stories are separate from the action, because they build up an intricate belief system that rewards us with major character moments, up to and including the very end of the story.

Their journey is long - for a rabbit (about five miles). And it is punctuated by times of rest, during which they regale each other with tales of their [[Folk Hero]], the first rabbit: El-ahrairah, the Prince With a Thousand Enemies. El-ahrairah is a [[The Trickster|Trickster hero]] (meet us halfway between [[Beowulf]] and [[Bugs Bunny]] and you've got the idea), and the legends we hear deal with everything from the rabbit's creation myth to El-ahrairah's [[To Hell and Back|descent into Inle to meet the Black Rabbit.]] And don't think that the stories are separate from the action, because they build up an intricate belief system that rewards us with major character moments, up to and including the very end of the story.

[[Watership Down ~~(Literature)~~/Recap|Plot Synopsis]] (spoilers)

[[Watership Down/Recap|Plot Synopsis]] (spoilers)

The novel proved so popular that, decades later, Adams wrote a set of sequel stories. Called ''Tales From Watership Down'', the stories actually take place ''during'' the original novel, though after the resolution of the plot--that is, they expand on the warren's post-battle history that had previously just been given a brief mention in the original [[Distant Finale|Epilogue]]. They include what became of [[The Chick|Hyzenthlay]]; and additional tales such as "The Terrible Hay-making" and "The Hole In The Sky". Naturally, some fans like the book, others call [[Fanon Discontinuity]].

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** The name discrepancies make more sense when you realize that all the names are actually supposed to be Lapine, but that many of them have been "[[Translation Convention|translated]]" into English equivalents for the reader. Pipkin's actual name is ''Hlao-roo''.

*** It also helps differentiate the hutch rabbits (raised in captivity as pets) from the wild ones: Haystack and Clover versus [[Action Girl|Hyzenthlay]] and [[The Unpronounceable|Thethuthinnang]].

* [["Alone ~~With~~ Prisoner" Ploy]]

* [["Alone with Prisoner" Ploy]]

* [[Androcles' Lion]]: Kehaar in all versions.

** In the novel, Hazel encourages the other rabbits to help out non-aggressive animals, in case they ever need help, which starts with a mouse. It pays off with the mouse telling the rabbits about a good feeding place, Kehaar acting as their scout and air support, {{spoiler|and the mouse giving them advance warning of the Efrafan attack, which likely saved the warren}}.

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* [[Arcadia]]: Watership Down.

* [[Ascended to Carnivorism]]: In the creation story, all animal species start out as grass-eating herbivores, some of which get transformed into carnivores by Frith to keep rabbits' numbers in check.

* [[Ascend to A Higher Plane of Existence]]: {{spoiler|As Hazel dies, El-ahrairah comes to make him one of his Owsla}}.

* [[Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence]]: {{spoiler|As Hazel dies, El-ahrairah comes to make him one of his Owsla}}.

* [[Asskicking Equals Authority]]: The reason why Woundwort is the Chief Rabbit of Efrafa. (He killed the previous chief and a rival, taking the warren by force.)

** Lampshaded effectively in the novel itself: Woundwort presumes this trope is in effect at Watership Down as well, and is shocked into something close to fear when at a climactic moment he learns Bigwig isn't their Chief.

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* [[Big Brother Mentor]]: Hazel to Fiver, usually when he's picked on by the likes of Bigwig. Also a literal big brother, in this case.

* [[Bring News Back]]: The destruction of the warren, and also the warning about Efrafa. Holly is the messenger in both cases.

* [[Call a Rabbit A Smeerp]]: Oddly averted, insofar as most rabbit terms for human inventions are translated, except for cigarettes and cars. We actually never learn what the rabbit word for rabbit is, but then again, perhaps [[Of the People|there isn't one]].

* [[Call a Rabbit a Smeerp]]: Oddly averted, insofar as most rabbit terms for human inventions are translated, except for cigarettes and cars. We actually never learn what the rabbit word for rabbit is, but then again, perhaps [[Of the People|there isn't one]].

* [[Captain Smooth and Sergeant Rough]]: While Hazel leads by inspiring rabbits and convincing them of his competence, Bigwig acts as a [[Sergeant Rock]] and sometimes as a [[Drill Sergeant Nasty]].

** Their counterparts, Woundwort and Campion, invert the trope: Woundwort is all about courage, brute force, and raw strength; Campion is about intelligence, strategy, and adaptation.

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* [[Cats Are Mean]]: Tab is at first [[Carnivore Confusion|no meaner than rabbitkind's other countless enemies]]... until her big scene, where she turns out to be a bitch even by cat standards.

** Averted in two stories in ''Tales from Watership Down'', where the non-aggressive cats featured come off as much more sympathetic than their rabbit opponents.

* [[City in A Bottle]]: Cowslip's warren and, to a lesser extent, Efrafa. Not quite ''[[Logan's Run]]'', but close.

* [[City in a Bottle]]: Cowslip's warren and, to a lesser extent, Efrafa. Not quite ''[[Logan's Run]]'', but close.

* [[Come to Gawk]]

* [[Conditioned to Accept Horror]]: All the rabbits of Cowslip's warren. They even have poets who sing about the nobility and dignity of accepting death.

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* [[Evil Genius]]: Woundwort had an advisor named Snowdrop who pretty much designed Efrafa and the marks system by himself.

* [[Fantasy Pantheon]]: The rabbits have a fairly standard pantheon of gods - Frith the creator and sun god, his lieutenant Prince Rainbow, the Black Rabbit of Inlé as a god of death, and El-ahrairah, the heroic prince of rabbits.

** And at the end, {{spoiler|Woundwort is added as the rabbit version of [[Things That Go Bump in ~~The~~ Night|the bogeyman]].}}

** And at the end, {{spoiler|Woundwort is added as the rabbit version of [[Things That Go Bump in the Night|the bogeyman]].}}

* [[Feathered Fiend]]: Subverted by Kehaar, who is aggressive and disagreeable but is an important ally of the protagonists. Played straight by various other predatory birds, such as hawks and crows.

* [[Fictionary]]: One of the most celebrated in literature. You'll be thinking in rabbit language for days afterward.

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* [[General Ripper]]: Woundwort. Just... Woundwort.

* [[Genre Popularizer]]: There are a number of other "epic animal adventure" stories, but it is difficult to read them without comparing them to ''Watership''.

** ''[[~~Tailchasers~~ Song ~~(Literature)~~|Talichaser's Song]]'' (feral cats) and ''[[Fire Bringer]]'' (deer) are in what could be considered the same genre of 'epic adventures told from the perspective of wild animals.' Most works in the [[Talking Animal]] genre such as ''[[Guardians of ga Hoole ~~(Literature)~~|Guardians of ga Hoole]]'' fall into [[Civilized Animal]] territory.

** ''[[Tailchaser's Song|Talichaser's Song]]'' (feral cats) and ''[[Fire Bringer]]'' (deer) are in what could be considered the same genre of 'epic adventures told from the perspective of wild animals.' Most works in the [[Talking Animal]] genre such as ''[[Guardians of Ga'Hoole|Guardians of ga Hoole]]'' fall into [[Civilized Animal]] territory.

* [[Ghibli Hills]]: The Downs.

* [[Giant Flyer]]: Compared to the rabbits, Kehaar.

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** Note that [[wikipedia:Stachys|Woundwort]] is a kind of flower, like Cowslip. (Since woundwort is a healing herb, the name also has a note of irony.)

* [[Never Found the Body]]: {{spoiler|Of General Woundwort. With the result that he becomes a legendary bogeyman figure in the rabbit mythology: "Such was Woundwort's monument, and perhaps it would not have displeased him." This is even [[Justified Trope]], because he took on a ''dog''.}}

* [[Never Say Die]]: In-universe example: among the rabbits, a dead rabbit is one who has "stopped running." Which emphasizes the [[Death World|rabbit world-view]] nicely.

* [[Never Say "Die"]]: In-universe example: among the rabbits, a dead rabbit is one who has "stopped running." Which emphasizes the [[Death World|rabbit world-view]] nicely.

* [[No One Gets Left Behind]]: As Hazel would have it; see [[True Companions]].

* [[No Pronunciation Guide]]: Partially averted. There's a Fictionary, but Adams says names like Thethuthinnang and Thlayli are to be pronounced with a [[Captain Obvious|"wuf-fluffy"]] sound. The pronunciation guide only tells the reader which syllable is stressed (el-a-HRAI-rah, THE-thu-thin-nang).

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* [[Show Within a Show|Story Within a Story]]: The tales of El-ahrairah.

* [[The Storyteller]]: Dandelion, notably in the novels and TV series. More on it in the novels section.

* [[Town ~~With~~ a Dark Secret]]: {{spoiler|Cowslip's warren}}.

* [[Town with a Dark Secret]]: {{spoiler|Cowslip's warren}}.

* [[Translation Convention]]: Rather elaborate, as Adams makes extensive use of terms that rabbits care about that have no English language equivalent; see Animal Talk.

* [[The Trickster]]: El-ahrairah, the rabbits' cultural hero.

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* [[Truth in Television]]: People more familiar with cuddly cartoons than wild rabbits are surprised how viciously they can and do attack each other, due to their extreme territoriality. Adams researched most of his protagonists' behaviors in ''The Private Life of the Rabbit'', by naturalist Ronald Lockley.

* [[Unusual Animal Alliance]]: The rabbits enlist the aid of field mice and -- more significantly -- the seagull Kehaar to protect their warren.

* [[Utopia Justifies the Means]]: {{spoiler|Efrafa. It was designed to be completely and utterly safe from humans. Before that, Cowslip's warren is seen as a perfect utopia for rabbits... [[Town ~~With~~ a Dark Secret|provided you never ask where anybody is]]}}.

* [[Utopia Justifies the Means]]: {{spoiler|Efrafa. It was designed to be completely and utterly safe from humans. Before that, Cowslip's warren is seen as a perfect utopia for rabbits... [[Town with a Dark Secret|provided you never ask where anybody is]]}}.

* [[Waif Prophet]]: Fiver.

* [[Wicked Cultured]]: The [[City in A Bottle|doomed rabbits]] of Cowslip's warren have gotten into poetry, rudimentary cave art, and other human-like mannerisms. And in every dramatization Cowslip speaks with a [[Evil Brit|posh accent]].

* [[Wicked Cultured]]: The [[City in a Bottle|doomed rabbits]] of Cowslip's warren have gotten into poetry, rudimentary cave art, and other human-like mannerisms. And in every dramatization Cowslip speaks with a [[Evil Brit|posh accent]].

* [[X Meets Y]]: ''[[~~The Aeneid (Literature)|~~The Aeneid]]'' meets ''[[~~The Lord of the Rings (Literature)|~~The Lord of the Rings]]'' [[Recycled in Space|with]] Rabbits.

* [[X Meets Y]]: ''[[The Aeneid]]'' meets ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' [[Recycled in Space|with]] Rabbits.

* [[Xenofiction]]: Often the go-to example for explaining the genre.

* [[You Are Number Six]]: Fiver, both in Lapine and in translation.

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* [[Chekhov's Skill]]: Hazel even notes that the "board floating on water" trick might come in handy later.

* [[Elemental Powers|The Four Elements]]: Silverweed's poem, which has verses about wind, streams, leaves falling to earth, and Frith (the sun). Too bad all four verses are {{spoiler|really about death.}}

* [[Elephant in ~~The~~ Living Room]]: Everyone in Cowslip's warren knows about {{spoiler|the snares}}, but they pretend they don't.

* [[Elephant in the Living Room]]: Everyone in Cowslip's warren knows about {{spoiler|the snares}}, but they pretend they don't.

* [[Epigraph|Epigraphs]]: Quotes from other epic novels, plays, and poems at the start of every chapter. The first one, naturally:

{{quote| '''[[Greek Chorus|Chorus]]:''' Why do you cry out thus, unless at some vision of horror?<br />

'''[[The Cassandra|Cassandra]]:''' The house reeks of [[Foreshadowing|death and dripping blood]]. }}

* [[Evil Counterpart]]: Silverweed is the prophet and poet of Cowslip's warren.

* [[Famed in Story]]: By the end of the book, enough stories are being told about Hazel that he can't even remember which ones are true any more (though admittedly, his encroaching age doesn't help). Meanwhile, Woundwort has become [[Shrouded in Myth]] as a superpowered bogeyman with a touch of [[King in ~~The~~ Mountain]] mixed in.

* [[Famed in Story]]: By the end of the book, enough stories are being told about Hazel that he can't even remember which ones are true any more (though admittedly, his encroaching age doesn't help). Meanwhile, Woundwort has become [[Shrouded in Myth]] as a superpowered bogeyman with a touch of [[King in the Mountain]] mixed in.

* [[Fragile Speedster]]: Well, all rabbits are. But Dandelion is singled out as the fastest of the rabbits in the book and uses his speed on several occasions.

* [[Freudian Excuse]]: Holly and Silver observe, on separate occasions, that Efrafa's greatest fear is men and that Woundwort felt safer fighting than running. Woundwort's father was killed by a farmer and his mother and siblings were killed running from the farmer and a weasel.

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* [[I Was Just Passing Through]]: In the story "Hyzenthlay in Action", Bigwig objects to newly-appointed Chief Rabbit Hyzenthlay going off on her own to look for some missing does; she pulls rank on him and does so anyway. The next day, he goes out for a stroll and [[Sarcasm Mode|just happens]] to run into Hyzenthlay and the wounded doe she stayed behind to protect.

* [[Ironic Echo]]: "Can you run? I think not."

* [[Never Say Die]]: Cowslip's warren. They do ''a lot of'' talking around the subject, though.

* [[Never Say "Die"]]: Cowslip's warren. They do ''a lot of'' talking around the subject, though.

* [[Pardon My Klingon]]: In one notable example, an entire sentence is left untranslated ("Silflay hraka, u embleer rah!") Careful attention to the [[Fictionary]] explains why...

** For those who want the Cliffs Notes version, that's {{spoiler|"Eat shit, you stinking prince!"}}

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* [[Shown Their Work]]: Understated, but definitely present (in a good way) with the book's geography; essentially every location (down to individual trees and hedgerows) really exists and is accurately described as of the time of writing.

* [[The Spartan Way]]: Efrafa.

* [[Spell My Name ~~With~~ a "The"]]: It's noted that the leader of the Sandleford Warren is almost always referred to as ''the'' Thererah ("The Lord Rowan Tree"), either because he's just that awesome or simply because there happened to be only a single rowan tree near the warren.

* [[Spell My Name with a "The"]]: It's noted that the leader of the Sandleford Warren is almost always referred to as ''the'' Thererah ("The Lord Rowan Tree"), either because he's just that awesome or simply because there happened to be only a single rowan tree near the warren.

* [[The Storyteller]]: Dandelion is noted as a gifted storyteller, among the rabbits. Bluebell also tells one to keep some of the rabbits calm in a climactic scene.

** Speedwell, too, tells a story in ''Tales From Watership Down''. However, [[Cloudcuckoolander|his...]] [[Insane Troll Logic|style]] is vastly different from Dandelion's.

* [[Take Our Word for It]]: The Black Rabbit's terrifying story.

* [[Town ~~With~~ a Dark Secret]]: Cowslip's warren.

* [[Town with a Dark Secret]]: Cowslip's warren.

* [[Unspoken Plan Guarantee]]: We don't get to hear the details of Hazel's plan to {{spoiler|release the dog}} until it's well underway. And a good thing too.

** Also applies to El-ahrairah's plans.

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** As well as including an otherwise-unavailable (at least at the time) commentary, the Australian DVD release, uniquely, provided a reversible cover, allowing one to choose between the child-friendly or dark versions.

** [http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XQZCH7KGL._SS500_.jpg Think that's bad?] Even [[Evil Overlord|Woundwort]] is ashamed.

* [[Death By Adaptation]]: {{spoiler|Blackavar}}, in all probability. [[What a Senseless Waste of Human Life|What a senseless waste of rabbit life]]...

* [[Death by Adaptation]]: {{spoiler|Blackavar}}, in all probability. [[What a Senseless Waste of Human Life|What a senseless waste of rabbit life]]...

** Even managing to borderline on [[Black Dude Dies First|an 80s cliché]] given the name of the character and the fact that he is [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|the darkest character in the story]].

** Even managing to borderline on [[Black Dude Dies First|an 80s cliché]] given the name of the character and the fact that he is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|the darkest character in the story]].

* [[Disney Acid Sequence]]: ''"Following the river of death downstream... or is it a dream?"''

* [[Dropped a Bridge On Him]]: {{spoiler|Violet, Blackavar.}} Dropped a hawk / bunny on them respectively.

* [[Dropped a Bridge on Him]]: {{spoiler|Violet, Blackavar.}} Dropped a hawk / bunny on them respectively.

* [[Family-Unfriendly Death]]: Lots of it, one of the best examples is when Woundwort tears out {{spoiler|Blackavar}}'s throat.

* [[Family-Unfriendly Violence]]: It may be a movie about bunnies, but it is ''not'' for young children.

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* [[Leitmotif]]: Woundwort's theme, which seems to be played everywhere it's even remotely applicable.

* [[Lighter and Softer]]: Not only do all the major characters survive, it's also in little things like how Fiver is actually allowed to ''smile'' in a sustained manner.

* [[Love At First Sight]]: [[She's a Man In Japan|Blackberry]] and [[Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?|Campion]]. [[Not That There's Anything Wrong ~~With~~ That|Yeah.]]

* [[Love At First Sight]]: [[She's a Man In Japan|Blackberry]] and [[Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?|Campion]]. [[Not That There's Anything Wrong with That|Yeah.]]

** Not to mention Hazel and Primrose and Bigwig and {{spoiler|Spartina}}. It seems to be the generally accepted pattern for bunny romances.

* [[Mind Control Eyes]]: They glow.

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* [[Those Two Bad Guys]]: Woundwort and Vervain in season 3.

* [[Viewers are Morons]]: Primrose and Hyzenthlay are essentially the same character, so one can't help but assume they changed her name to make it easier to pronounce/remember... As with some other Lapine terms and names.

* [[Wide Eyed Idealist]]: Aspen.

* [[Wide-Eyed Idealist]]: Aspen.

== Lapine mythology ==

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* [[Batman Gambit]]: El-ahrairah's specialty.

* [[Call Back]]: The new El-ahrairah story Vilthuril tells her kits at the end of the book (and Hyzenthlay at the end of the movie), indicating that the Watership warren's adventures have already passed into legend.

* [[Chess ~~With~~ Death]]: El-ahrairah attempts this.

* [[Chess with Death]]: El-ahrairah attempts this.

* [[Creation Myth]]: Involves the sun-god Frith blessing each animal with its sapient characteristics; by the time he gets to El-ahrairah, the rabbit prince, fearing those who've been given the instinct to hunt his kind, has dived into a hole with only his bottom sticking out...so Frith blesses his bottom, giving him huge back feet to run away with, [[Just-So Story|and a white cottontail]] to signal danger.

* [[Did You Just Have Tea With Cthulhu]]: El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé.

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* [[Shoot the Shaggy Dog]]: "The Story of the Great Marsh"/"The Story of the Terrible Hay-Making" in ''Tales''. {{spoiler|El-ahrairah leads a warren across the marsh to keep them from being wiped out... and once they get to the other side, the rabbits make such a nuisance of themselves to humans that they get wiped out}}.

* [[Shrouded in Myth]]: Half the rabbit folktales are half-remembered [[Twice-Told Tale|legends]] of forgotten rabbit chiefs, now associated with El-ahrairah.

* [[Stranger in A Familiar Land]]: El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle, finally returning from their adventures after meeting the Black Rabbit of Inle, find that most of their generation is dead and the young rabbits who make up the warren have little respect for them.

* [[Stranger in a Familiar Land]]: El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle, finally returning from their adventures after meeting the Black Rabbit of Inle, find that most of their generation is dead and the young rabbits who make up the warren have little respect for them.

* [[To Hell and Back]]: El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle. Echoed a bit in the ''Tales'' story of "The Sense of Smell."

* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: In keeping with the lapine theme of using your wits to evade your enemies, many of the El-ahrairah myths that appear in the sequel are cautionary tales involving rabbits/warrens like this. {{spoiler|The warren in The Terrible Hay-Making is an excellent example. Those rabbits were also assholes anyway}}.

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