Watership Down Study Guide

Watership Down

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Watership Down, a classic children's novel, is the story of a group of rabbits that must seek a new home because their old warren is in danger. Hazel and his brother Fiver lead the band of rabbits that ventures forth to find a new warren, along the way discovering that they must be both brave and clever to overcome the dangers that stand in their way. This adventure story about the search for a home explores what it means to be a good leader while paying tribute to heroic tales like The Odyssey and The Aeneid.

Watership Down Characters

Table of Contents
  • Hazel : The protagonist, Fiver's brother; he leads the rabbits from Sandleford and eventually becomes Chief Rabbit. Though Hazel is not particularly large or powerful, he is loyal, brave, and a quick thinker. He sees the good in each individual, and what they bring to the table; in so doing, he makes sure that no one gets left behind, thus earning the respect and loyalty of his warren. He often relies on Fiver's advice, and trusts in his brother's instincts absolutely.
  • Fiver : A runt rabbit whose name literally means "Little Thousand" (rabbits have a single word, "hrair", for all numbers greater than four; Fiver's name in Lapine, Hrairoo , indicates that he is the smallest of a litter of five or more rabbits ) and Hazel's younger brother. As a seer, he has visions and very strong instincts. Fiver is one of the most intelligent rabbits in the group. He is quiet and intuitive, and though he does not directly act as a leader, the others listen to and follow his advice. Vilthuril becomes his mate.
  • Bigwig : An ex-Owsla officer, and the largest and bravest rabbit of the group. His name in Lapine is Thlayli, which literally means "Fur-head" and refers to the shock of fur on the back of his head. Though he is powerful and fierce, he is also shown to be cunning in his own way when he devises a plan to defeat the larger and stronger General Woundwort. His final battle with Woundwort leaves him severely wounded, but he survives and becomes the leader of Hazel's Owsla.
  • Blackberry : A clever buck rabbit with black-tipped ears. He is often capable of understanding concepts that the other rabbits find incomprehensible. He realises, for instance, that wood floats, and the rabbits use this tactic twice to travel on water. He also works out how to dismantle the snare that almost kills Bigwig, saving him. He is one of Hazel's most trusted advisors, given the task to plan a way to rescue does from Efrafa.
  • Holly : Former captain of the Sandleford Warren Owsla, escapes with Bluebell when his warren is destroyed by men. He is near death when he finds the warren at Watership Down, but is nursed back to health and becomes one of Hazel's most trusted companions.
  • Bluebell : Buck rabbit who escapes with Holly during the destruction of Sandleford and tells jokes to cope and help Holly recover from the mental strain of seeing the Sandleford warren destroyed. He will often jokingly speak in rhyme.
  • Strawberry: Buck from Cowslip's warren who leaves with the Watership Down rabbits after his doe is killed by a snare. Strawberry is strong and sleek but not as hardy as the other rabbits given his warren upbringing but learns quickly and gets along well with the group. It is for this reason that he is selected to represent the rabbits on an expedition to Efrafa.
  • Haystack : One of the hutch rabbits who escapes in order to live with the wild rabbits
  • Buckthorn: A strong buck who was expected to be part of the Sandleford Owsla once he reached maturity.
  • Hawkbit : Described in the book as a "rather stupid rabbit" but is accepted by Hazel regardless.
  • Dandelion : A buck rabbit notable for his storytelling ability and speed. He is instrumental in luring the Nuthanger Farm dog into the Efrafans during the siege of Watership Down.
  • Silver : A strong buck rabbit, given his name for his silver-gray fur, he fights alongside Bigwig and helps defend the rabbits during their journey. He is teased for his silver fur at the Sandleford warren which is one of the reasons he was more willing to leave.
  • Pipkin : A small and timid buck rabbit, who looks to Hazel for guidance and protection. Hazel encourages him, and Pipkin grows very loyal to Hazel. He proves to be a constant comforter, particularly for Holly after the destruction of Sandleford warren. His name is Hlao in Lapine.
  • Hyzenthlay : A doe who lives in Efrafa and assists Bigwig in arranging for the liberation of its inhabitants. General Woundwort, who suspects her of fomenting dissension, orders his guards to keep a close eye on her. She escapes Efrafa with Bigwig and becomes Hazel's mate. Like Fiver, she has visions. Her name means literally "shine-dew-fur", or "fur shining like dew".
  • Blackavar : A rabbit with very dark fur who tries to escape from Efrafa but is apprehended, mutilated, and put on display to discourage further escape attempts. When he is liberated by Bigwig, he quickly proves himself an expert tracker and ranger, and also shows himself to be an effective fighter when the Efrafan rabbits attack the warren.
  • Kehaar : A black-headed gull who is forced, by an injured wing, to take refuge on Watership Down, and befriends the rabbits when they help him. He is characterized by his frequent impatience, guttural accent and unusual phrasing. After discovering the Efrafa warren and helping the rabbits, he rejoins his colony, but promises to visit. According to Adams, Kehaar was based on a fighter from the Norwegian Resistance in World War II.
  • General Woundwort : The main antagonist: a fearless, cunning and brutally efficient rabbit who was orphaned at a young age, Woundwort founded the Efrafa warren and is its tyrannical chief. Though larger and stronger than Bigwig, he lacks mercy and kindness. He even leads an attack to destroy the Watership warren as an act of revenge against Bigwig stealing does from Efrafa, which is narrowly defeated by Hazel's ingenuity and Bigwig's bravery. After his apparent death fighting the Nuthanger farm dog, he lives on in rabbit legend as a bogeyman.
  • Captain Campion : Woundwort's most trusted subordinate, Campion is a loyal, brave and clever officer. After Woundwort disappears, he becomes the Chief Rabbit of Efrafa and reforms it, making peace with the Watership rabbits.
  • Vervain : The head of the Council police in Efrafa, said to be one of the most hated rabbits in the warren. When Woundwort's forces storm the Honeycomb, he is ordered by Woundwort to kill Fiver, but Fiver's supernatural calmness and prophesising of his (Vervain's) death terrify him into fleeing, and he is never seen again.
  • Frith : A god-figure who created the world and promised that rabbits would always be allowed to thrive. In Lapine, his name literally means "the sun".
  • El-ahrairah : A rabbit trickster folk hero, who is the protagonist of nearly all of the rabbits' stories. He represents what every rabbit wants to be; smart, devious, tricky, and devoted to the well-being of his warren. In Lapine, his name is a contraction of the phrase Elil-hrair-rah, which means "prince with a thousand enemies". His stories of cleverness (and excessive hubris) are very similar to Br'er Rabbit and Anansi. His name is pronounced with the same cadence as the phrase "Never say die", thus, "El-a-hrai-rah".
  • Prince Rainbow : A god-figure who serves as a foil to El-ahrairah. He attempts to rein in El-ahrirah several times, but is always outsmarted by the rabbit.
  • Rabscuttle : Another mythical folk hero, Rabscuttle is El-ahrairah's second in command and the Owsla leader. He participates in many of the El-ahrairah's capers. He is considered to be almost as clever as his chief.
  • Black Rabbit of Inlé : A somber phantom servant of the god Frith who appears in rabbit folklore as a kind of analog to the grim reaper, and similarly ensures all rabbits die at their predestined time. "Inlé" is the Lapine term for the moon or darkness.

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