Br'er Rabbit
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Br'er Rabbit is the hero of the Uncle Remus stories derived from
African-American folktales of the US South.
Br'er Rabbit in Disney's adaptation of Song of the South. The word
"Br'er" in his name (and in those of other characters in the
stories) presumably reflects a Baptist practice of including the
title "Brother" in addressing male members of one's church
congregation. The stories, however, can be traced back to
trickster figures, particularly the hare, that figured
prominently in the storytelling traditions of West Africa. These
tales continue to be part of the traditional folklore of such
people in Africa as the Wolof of Senegal. The rabbit in Africa
was called Zomo. In his American incarnation, Br'er Rabbit
represents the Black slave who uses his wits to overcome
circumstances and even to enact playful revenge on his
adversaries, representing the White slave-owners. Though not
always successful, his subversive efforts made him both a folk
hero and friendly comic figure.
The first Brer Rabbit stories were written by President Theodore
Roosevelt's uncle, Robert Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt wrote in his
autobiography, about his aunt from Georgia, that "She knew all
the 'Br'er Rabbit' stories, and I was brought up on them. One of
my uncles, Robert Roosevelt, was much struck with them, and took
them down from her dictation, publishing them in Harper's, where
they fell flat. This was a good many years before a genius arose
who in 'Uncle Remus' made the stories immortal."
These stories were popularized for the mainstream audience in the
late 19th century by Joel Chandler Harris, who wrote up and
published many of the stories which were passed down by oral
tradition. Joel Chandler Harris heard the tales in Georgia. Very
similar versions of the same stories were recorded independently
at the same time by folklorist Alcee Fortier in southern
Louisiana, where the Rabbit character was known as Compair Lapin
in Creole French.
The Disney film Song of the South was based on the Br'er Rabbit
stories, including these:
The Laughing Place
The Tar Baby
The Briar Patch
The Magic Kingdom thrill ride "Splash Mountain" has a Br'er
Rabbit theme.
The Tar Baby
The tar baby was a trap made of tar used to capture Br'er Rabbit
in a story which is part of American plantation folklore. Br'er
Fox played on Br'er Rabbit's vanity and gullibility to goad Br'er
Rabbit into attacking the fake and becoming stuck.
The story was originally published in Harper's Weekly by
President Theodore Roosevelt's uncle, Robert of Sayville, New
York.
Years later Joel Chandler Harris wrote of the tar baby in his
Uncle Remus stories.
See Also:
List of Fictional Rabbits
Index of All Rabbit Care & Bunny
Fun Stuff
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