Påskharen är en påsksymbol som ofta förknippas med påskägg. Enligt traditionen är påskharen påskens motsvarighet till jultomten och kommer med (påsk)ägg till barnen. I många familjer anordnas små lekar där påskäggen göms exempelvis i trädgården och barnen får leta efter dem, i tron att påskharen gömt påskäggen.
Påskharens historia
Ursprungligen kommer traditionen från Tyskland och är känd från 1600-talets senare del i Pfalz och Elsass. Traditionen var under 150 år ganska okänd i övriga Tyskland, men lanserades på bred front efter 1850 av godis- och leksaksindustrierna, som en påsksymbol riktad till barn. Ungefär vid den tiden började Tyskland tillverka påskkort, vars motiv ofta bestod av påskharen.
I Sverige omtalas påskharen, tidigast bland tyska invandrare, under 1800-talets slut eller 1900-talets början. Den fick inget riktigt genomslag i landet. När Sverige började tillverka egna påskkort ersattes påskharen med andra påskmotiv. I Sverige är den kanske mest känd som marsipan- eller chokladfigur. Leken med att gömma påskägg förekommer dock även i vissa svenska barnfamiljer.
Haren som påsksymbol
Harens (kaninens) legendariska fortplantningsförmåga gör den till en symbol för överflöd och fruktsamhet. Därför förknippas haren ofta med påsken och andra vårliga fruktsamhetsritualer där man firar livets återkomst efter vintern. Det är också därför påskharen förknippas med ägg, en liknande symbol för återfödelse och fruktbarhet. Detta har lett till den förargliga konsekvensen att småbarn ofta tror att haren lägger ägg.
Som påskharens ursprung har man föreslagit sydtyska bildbröd med påskalamm som misstolkats. Ett annat ursprung kan vara häxornas mjölkhare, bjära, som i gångna tiders folktro var ett övernaturligt väsen som häxorna använde för att skaffa mjölk från grannarnas kor. Den omtalas inte sällan i häxprocessernas protokoll.
Källa: wikipedia/Påskhare
[Eng]
The Easter Bunny (also called the Easter Rabbit or Easter Hare) is a symbol of Easter, depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs. Originating among German Lutherans, the "Easter Hare" originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether children were good or disobedient in behaviour at the start of the season of Eastertide.[1] The Easter Bunny is sometimes depicted with clothes. In legend, the creature carries colored eggs in his basket, candy, and sometimes also toys to the homes of children, and as such shows similarities to Santa Claus or the Christkind, as they both bring gifts to children on the night before their respective holidays
Rabbits and hares
The hare was a popular motif in medieval church art. In ancient times, it was widely believed (as by Pliny, Plutarch, Philostratus, and Aelian) that the hare was a hermaphrodite. The idea that a hare could reproduce without loss of virginity led to an association with the Virgin Mary, with hares sometimes occurring in illuminated manuscripts and Northern European paintings of the Virgin and Christ Child. It may also have been associated with the Holy Trinity, as in the three hares motif. Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox.
Rabbits and hares are both prolific breeders. Female hares can conceive a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first. This phenomenon is known as superfetation. Lagomorphs mature sexually at an early age and can give birth to several litters a year (hence the saying, "to breed like bunnies"). It is therefore not surprising that rabbits and hares should become fertility symbols, or that their springtime mating antics should enter into Easter folklore.
Easter eggs
In addition, Orthodox churches have a custom of abstaining from eggs during the fast of Lent. The only way to keep them from being wasted was to boil or roast them, and begin eating them to break the fast. As a special dish, they would probably have been decorated as part of the celebrations. Later, German Protestants retained the custom of eating colored eggs for Easter, though they did not continue the tradition of fasting.Eggs boiled with some flowers change their color, bringing the spring into the homes, and some over time added the custom of decorating the eggs. Many Christians of the Eastern Orthodox Church to this day typically dye their Easter eggs red, the color of blood, in recognition of the blood of the sacrificed Christ (and, of the renewal of life in springtime). Some also use the color green, in honor of the new foliage emerging after the long dead time of winter. The Ukrainian art of decorating eggs for Easter, known aspysanky, dates to ancient, pre-Christian times. Similar variants of this form of artwork are seen amongst other eastern European cultures.
The idea of an egg-giving hare came to the U.S. in the 18th century. Protestant German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhase" (sometimes spelled "Oschter Haws"). Hase means "hare", not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare. According to the legend, only good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter. There are also derivatives of the Easter Bunny in other cultures. German immigrants brought the belief of the Easter Hare to Sweden in the late 19th century, but the tradition was never established. Instead, due to a misunderstanding of the Swedish word for the Easter Hare, Påskharen, which sounds very similar to Påskkarlen, meaning the Easter Man or the Easter Wizard, the Swedish tradition of the Easter Wizard bringing eggs for Easter was rooted in the early 20th century. The Easter Wizard was seen as a more suitable symbol for the pagan Easter traditions of Sweden, where still today children dress up as witches at Easter.
Source: wikipedia/Easter_Bunny
Geocachen
Från parkeringsplatsen är det ett par hundra meter med lätt promenadterräng, innan ni kommer fram till klätterträdet där cachenhänger ca 7 meter upp. Cachen är en kryddburk (storlek micro) med silvertape. Trädet går lätt att klättra i för stora som små, men var alltid försiktig vid trädklättring. Cachen är utplacerad utan utrustning och sitter fast i trädet. Den kan alltså inte lyftas ned med en "geo-extractor". Medtag egen penna. Koordinaterna togs från 50 mätningar med en noggrannhet på +/- 3,5m.
Cacheägaren (CO) frånskriver sig allt ansvar för eventuella skador i förbindelse med klättring och loggning.
Posta gärna utsiktsbilder över sjön från stranden eller trädet. Om väder och temperatur tillåter - förbered en dag på stranden!
[Eng]
The Cache
From the parking coordinates, you have a few hundred meters with an easy hike before you arrive at the tree where you will find the cache at approx. 7 meter over ground. The Cache is an old spice container (size micro) covered with duct tape. The tree is easy to climb for most ages, but as usual for treeclimbing, show necessary respect for your surroundings and make sure to keep safe while you climb. The cache was placed without any equipment and is mounted to the tree. It cannot be taken down with a "geo-extractor". Bring your own pen. The coordinates were taken from a 50 measurement average and have an accuracy of +/- 3,5m.
The Cache Owner (CO) is not to be held accountable for any injuries from climbing and logging this cache.
Please post pictures with the view over the lake from eiter the beach or the tree. If the weather and temperature allows for it, prepare for a day at the beach!