Hares and their Loyalty

[redwallgurl]

I've been thinking for a bit. You know how the Long Patrol has extreme loyalty for the Badger Lords. How did this start? Why do the hares have such strong Loyalty?

[Bragoon]

Who knows?  It was before Stonepaw's time, so we know nothing about it.

Logistically speaking, I would assume that it started with a friendship between a badger and a hare, perhaps a hare with a large family, similar to the way an otter holt works.  The hare's family grew and attracted more hares, and eventually it grew to army-like proportions, and the leadership was passed from Badger Lord to Badger Lord. 


With that out of the way, I'm not going to accept any theory put forth by anyone, unless it involves information from Marlfox or Rogue Crew that I'm unaware of.  Just like where the carvings and traditions on Salamandastron came from, it's just one of those things that is meant to be a mystery.  Every author should have one or two things like that, right? 

[Nightfire]

It is kinda weird. In real life, badgers and hares don't get along whatsoever. Wonder if Mr. Jacques did that on purpose?

[Skipper]

It is kinda weird. In real life, badgers and hares don't get along whatsoever. Wonder if Mr. Jacques did that on purpose?

badgers are also nocturnal but in redwall they are most active in the day

[Osu]

I've always had this idea that the badgers and hares were the "big kids on the block" apart from vermin, so they're the ones that do the dirty work - assuming the otters remain near a water source for the most part, I suppose the hares'd take Mossflower in general...
As for the dynamic between species, Salamandastron has always been "the badger mountain," so it follows the hares will serve the badger. There have been times where there was no badgerlord and the hares got along just fine on their own, so perhaps badgers only stop by to rule when there's a military emergency of sorts? When that kind of blood-thirsty, unstoppable warrior is truly needed. Not many animals fancy facing an angry badger, in Redwall or in real life. XD

But like Bragoon says, I think it's really just meant to be a mystery. Starbuck and Breeze told Sunflash as much when he first arrived at Salamandastron - something along the lines of, "...whomever wrote that other hares would follow us. That is the way it has always been and always will be." I don't have the book by me or I'd throw the exact quote at you, but there it is.

[BadgerLordFiredrake]

Maybe Dotti and Brocktree?  Brocktree and the mad March hare guy?

[Lily]

I'm part of the "It's meant to be a mystery" camp. The quote Osu was talking about is this one:

"It is written on the walls of our mountain that you would come here someday."

Sunflash straightened up. He stared hard at the hares. "Written, you say. By whom?"

Breeze shrugged. "By whoever wrote that other hares will follow after us. That is the way it has always been and always will be."

[redwallgurl]

well in the book long patrol the hares were wondering why they were following the crazed badger but the only reason they followed was because they were scared i think

[Osu]

Cregga's warriors were just as loyal to her as any other "historic" long patrol. I think they knew she would never intentionally harm one of her own soldiers, but being so wrapped up in her bloodwrath, it's plausible she might have done by accident. She also struck me as not being as close to her hares as other badgers have been, though whether this is because there were so many hares or because she was just antisocial, I'm not sure. All the officers seemed to think her foray into Mossflower was pretty insane, though, I have to say. And let's not forget Rose-Eyes will always be credited as the one badger ruler to get her own warriors to openly defy her. That's what she gets for being so bloodthirsty, in my opinion. *nod* But I don't think they followed her out of fear, like many of Tunn's army did.

[Bragoon]

I agree with Osu.  Remember when Cregga asked Eyebright if he would be able to take care of the mountain while she was gone, and he said that had it been anyone other than herself, they would be "giving satisfaction on the beach"?  (not a precise quote, but pretty close)  That leads me to think that she was a respected and loved Badger-Lady, just stricken with Bloodwrath on the more extreme side. 

It does make me wonder if Asheye was like that in his younger seasons? 

[Wolfstar]

Maybe the entire land was overrun by vermin and one badger and a group of hares decide to do someting about it.  Thats my opinion.

[Log-a-Log]

I wonder how long the badgers and hares must have been at Salamandastron. The books only say a few badger lords before Stonepaw, but there must have been many more

[Skipper]

i don't think so, when Brian refered to the old badger lords, he always mentioned the same ones, i bet it would say in the badger lords chamber thingy, where he can see the future like when boar saw he was going to die

[Dotti]

Maybe Dotti and Brocktree?  Brocktree and the mad March hare guy?

Well, I think it is true that Dotti and Bucko Bigbones brought in a much larger, younger set of warriors.  However, there were....what? like 60 or 70 warriors that Stonepaw had, so the hare/badger alliance clearly didn't start with Dotti, though it was sort of "revived" if you will at that point. 
I also think it was meant to be a mystery....sort of like exactly how old Salamandastron is, or who the first badger lord was. 

[WildDoogyPlumm]

There seems to be a lot of friendship between the Badger Ruler and his or her hares, so I would bet it started out of friendship.  The Long Patrol also seems to grow in size over time.  In Salamandastron there are only about two score hares, but there are hundreds by the later books, so I'm wondering how exactly that happened.