Theo Elker
E N B R E T A G N E
P H O T O
photos from my travels
PHOTO GALLERY
It’s more fun to go exploring with company, which is why so many people bond with a four-legged friend. But on my lead, there’s no dog, no cat and no rabbit. My faithful friend is my camera, always ready to follow me on all my little escapades, even in storms or bad weather. Here are my photo galleries. Can't get the rabbit on a lead out of your head? Don’t mention it if you’ve just come on board * !
* In French seafaring tradition – particularly in Brittany – ‘le lapin’ (‘the hare’) is traditionally regarded as a symbol of bad luck on board. It is said there that a hare on a ship can foreshadow disasters such as leaks or shipwrecks.
There are various explanations:
Hares were regarded as bringers of bad luck. Sailors were often very superstitious and avoided anything associated with misfortune. In some regions, the hare was linked to witchcraft, ghosts or demonic forces. It was believed that witches could transform themselves into hares and curse ships.
Practical experience may have reinforced the myth. On sailing ships, rabbits or hares were sometimes transported as live provisions. If they escaped, they could gnaw through ropes, sacks or supplies. This could indeed have caused problems, particularly on smaller vessels.
Word taboos were widespread amongst seafarers. In many seafaring cultures, there were words that were avoided at sea. It was believed that uttering certain terms could bring about misfortune. Regionally, the hare was one of these ‘forbidden’ animals.