Legend: Walrus

 Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose

Walrus: "I am the Walrus" ("No You're Not!" said little Nicola). The Walrus was Paul. If it's not Paul in the walrus costume in George Harrison's "When we was Fab", then who is it? What's up with all the smoke and mirrors around the walrus??

I would like to note here that I spent a great deal of time trying to verify the "Paul is Dead" rumor regarding "Walrus means corpse in Greek" or "Walrus means death in Scandinavian countries".  I searched for hours and hours, and through multiple books. I have Failed to find any evidence of Walrus being related to Greek anything, and the Greek name for walrus translates into "Tooth-walker". The Scandinavian rumor was harder, I couldn't find a direct relationship between Walrus and any terms meaning death; BUT! Read on....

"Both in Chukotka and Alaska, the aurora borealis is believed to be a special world inhabited by those who died by violence, the changing rays representing deceased souls playing ball with a walrus head.

Because of its distinctive appearance, great bulk, and immediately recognizable whiskers and tusks, the walrus also appears in the popular cultures of peoples with little direct experience with the animal, particularly in English children's literature. Perhaps its best-known appearance is in Lewis Carroll's whimsical poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" that appears in his 1871 book Through the Looking-Glass. In the poem, the eponymous antiheroes use trickery to consume a great number of oysters.[...]

Another appearance of the walrus in literature is in the story "The White Seal" in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, where it is the "old Sea Vitch—the big, ugly, bloated, pimpled, fat-necked, long-tusked walrus of the North Pacific, who has no manners except when he is asleep". <Source>

"Walruses have their part in Inuit mythology. In one of the stories explaining the northern lights, the flickering patterns in the sky are thought to represent people who have died and travelled to the other world, where they engage in a game of soccer or football. As they dance across the sky, the sky-players use a walrus head as a ball, kicking it back and forth. If they kick it just right, the tusks get stuck in the snow and the head stands still. 

Another legend, the story of Arnakpaktuq or Arnaqtatuuq, tells how a shaman decided to be reborn as many different species of animals, in order to find out how they lived. At one point he lived as a walrus. He said that the walruses were friendly and pleasant to live with, except that they kissed a lot and their kiss (perhaps used to suck molluscs off the bottom of the ocean) was very powerful.

A third myth, widespread across the whole Arctic, tells of how walruses were created from the third finger joints of Sedna, when her father cut them off." <Source>

  Other notable Walrus associations: "Barry White, who was popularly known as 'The Walrus of Love'.  Supermarine Walrus- a British amphibious aircraft of World War II, Westland Walrus- a British reconnaissance aircraft of the 1920s, HNLMS Walrus- two submarines of the Royal Netherlands Navy,
HMS Walrus- the name of two ships and one submarine of the Royal Navy, SS Walrus- a 19th century vessel that operated in Australia as a floating, illegal, moonshine still, before being replaced by the legal, Beenleigh Rum Distillery, USS Walrus- three submarines of the United States Navy, Walrus class submarine- a type of submarine currently operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy." As well, "The Walrus is a Canada general interest magazine; Walrus (comics) is a minor Marvel Comics supervillain of Spider-Man." <Source>  

AND...then there is this: [From: The Lion, the Witch and the Walrus Images of the Sorcerous North in the 16th  and 17th centuries, Stefan Donecker (European University Institute, Florence)]

"In the 15th century legendary Saga of Hjálmþér and Ölver (Hjálmþés saga ok Ölvers), the two heroes and their companion, Hörðr, flee the wrath of evil King Hundingr. In a feat of amazing saga shapeshifting, the king transforms himself into a walrus and pursues the heroes' ship:

A little while after, they saw a great walrus making for them, angry and frightful to behold. “There”, said Hörðr, “is a creature very ill-disposed towards me, that I may not look upon. [...] You must not name my name while he is here, for if you do I shall die.” And he lay down in the hold, and they covered him with clothes.

[...] Despite his untimely demise, Hunding the walrus is a worthy representative of the many strange beasts and creatures that were believed to dwell in the north.[...]

Both in the Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus as well as in his famous map of the north, Carta Marina (1539), Olaus describes and visualizes a vast array of fearsome animals that dwell in the north, on land and in the sea, many of which are said to prey on hapless human beings. Again, the mighty walrus is not missing, and it is described as a particularly dangerous creature:

The Norway Coast, toward the more Northern parts, hath huge great Fish as big as Elephants, which are called Morsi, or Rosmari, may be they are so from their sharp biting; for if they see any man on the Sea-shore, and can catch him, they come suddenly upon hum, and rend him with their Teeth, that they will kill him in a trice. Therefore, these Fish called Rosmari, or Morsi, have heads fashioned like to an Oxes, and a hairy Skin, and hair growing as thick as straw or corn-reeds, that lye loose very largely. They will raise themselves with their Teeth as by Ladders to the very tops of Rocks, that they may feed on the Dewie Grasse, or fresh Water, and role themselves in it, and then go to the Sea again.

Vicki Ellen Szabo has pointed out that Olaus' impressive accounts of walruses, whales and similar sea monsters were deeply rooted in medieval traditions that perceived such creatures not only as symbols of evil and paganism, but even as factual agents and associates of the devil. The archetype of all such infernal maritime monsters was the biblical Leviathan, which was commonly equated with the great fish that had swallowed Jonah, and whose gaping mouth came to signify the entrance to hell." <Source>

Legend: Rabbit/Hare

  Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose

The Rabbit and the Hare are almost interchangeable for many, So they are listed here together. One of the animals on the Magical Mystery Tour was a Hare, the White Rabbit is core for my Wonderland angle, and then we have the line from Paul McCartney's Band on the Run, "Well, the undertaker drew a heavy sigh seeing no one else had come, And a bell was ringing in the village square for the rabbits on the run." 

Rabbit:"Incredibly fecund, the rabbit is a symbol not only of fertility, but also of sexuality and lust, personified by the "Bunny Girl." "Bun" is an old English word and refers to the distinctive circular shape of the animal's tail. Although the rabbit didn't make it's appearance in the British Isles until the twelfth  century, its prolific breeding habits meant that it was soon prevalent everywhere and it adopted some of the same symbolic meaning as the hare, minus the mystery accorded to the hare as the more elusive nocturnal creature.

Because of its fecundity and gregarious nature, the rabbit is a symbol for peace and love by some Native Americans. There is a courtship ritual called the Rabbit Dance." (ISS)

 Hare: "Because the Hare is a nocturnal creature, she carries all of the symbolism of the moon; light in the darkness, concealed wisdom, arcane information, intuition, and the Goddess. The moon is symbolic of rebirth and resurrection, because of its visible phases, and the hare shares these qualities, too. Significantly, in some parts of the world, the shape of the hare is visible in the face of the moon, further reinforcing the connection between the two.

The hare is renowned for its fertility, and it is in this guise that it is simplified as the Easter Bunny. The springtime goddess Eostre governed over the cycles of fertility, and so her symbol was the egg; hence the chocolate eggs given to children at Easter. [...]

The fact that the animal is not eaten is generally s sign that it has sacred status. [..] Pre-Christian Celtic people similarly regarded the hare as something too sacred to consider eating; they were kept as pets. [...]" (ISS)

" Rabbit, Hare- Guile, Quick-Thinking, Humility, Strengthening Intuition, Releasing Fear, Overcoming the Past, Resolution to Change, Fertility, New Life, Alertness, Nurturing, Rebirth, Balance." <Source>

P.S. I realize I'm getting a little out of order now and again, but I think I'm going to start being ok with a less than Virgo-perfect organization, as I'm coming to realize that this is going to be a set of living documents, and I will find more to add as time moves on, anyways, so, Please visit often! :)

Introduction to the Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z

When getting to know the Beatles, you will encounter many strange seeming things, some of which might seem absurd in context, others will just be ubiquitous or suggest a deeper meaning not immediately apparent on the surface. Part of getting to understand the Beatles Mysteries begins with learning to read between the lines, backwards, inverse or upside-down. Here I will begin to examine some of the Beatles symbols, iconography and lyrics in order to flesh out deeper meanings behind what appears on the surface to be a disordered raft of psychedelia and Lewis Carroll-ian imagery.

I will be getting many of my interpretations from the books, The Illustrated Signs & Symbols Sourcebook: An a to Z Compendium of over 1000 Designs by Adele Nozedar (2008), (Hereafter ISS). or Mark O'Connell and Raje Airey'sThe Complete Encyclopedia of Signs & Symbols. 2007, (Hereafter CESS). Other internet sourced information will be linked to, or cited,  for your own verification. Also- 1,001 Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Imagry and its Meaning, by Jack Tresidder, Chronicle Books. 2003.(Hereafter 1,001S)

I'd like to briefly introduce the author of my main research source: "Adele Nozedar has long been fascinated by the power of symbols and visual signs, which led her to the formal study of alchemy. As well as being a researcher, Adele has exhibited photographic work and runs a studio in Wales." I was particularly interested in drawing references from her book because of her British cultural heritage and focus, which I find most important for trying to understand the worldview and cultural perspectives of the Beatles members.

I'm not suggesting, necessarily that the Beatles meant to infer the symbolic meanings of all these things (One can mention an apple without meaning anything about sexuality), but I do believe that at least John was very aware of imagery in art and the language of symbols through his education in the art academy, and his interests in authors like James Joyce and Lewis Carroll.  

"In Nature's Temple, living pillars rise
Speaking sometimes in the words of abstruse sense
Man walks through woods of symbols, dark and dense,
Which Gaze at him with fond familiar eyes. 

Like distant echoes blent in the beyond
In unity, in a deep darksome way,
Vast as black night and vast as splendid day,
Perfumes and sounds and colors correspond"
 - Charles Baudelaire
 (Wikipedia: "April 9, 1821 – August 31, 1867 Baudelaire was a French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil), expresses the changing nature of beauty in modern, industrializing Paris during the 19th century."   Side Note: Looking into Charles Baudelaire leads to some fascinating insights, and "The Flowers of Evil" is a very worthwhile poetry collection to look into. Flowers play a prominent role in Beatles imagery, and his Poem "Le Soleil/The Sun" is an interesting poem to have in mind while looking into the Sun references made by the Beatles, both as a group and in several individuals' songs (Ou est le Soleil?)

"Whether consciously or unconsciously, the symbol carries the sense of joining things together to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts, as shades of meaning accrue to produce a complex idea."- Mark O'Connell and Raje Airey, The Complete Encyclopedia of Signs & Symbols. 2007.

We'll begin here, but look forward to more to come in the future! I originally intended to post this all as one post (the introduction and the entries), but after completing it, I found it was far too long for anyone's patience...so little bites, in alphabetical order, to follow!

Minding my own business, I happen across a Rabbit. Curiosity ensues.

Once upon a time, whilst mindlessly tumbling through Stumbleupon.com I chanced upon a post detailing 10 basic clues in the legendary "Paul is Dead" Myth/Mystery from the "Sgt. Pepper" album.

 "What an intriguing myth to still be perpetuated so many years after the fact" I thought. Surely by now it had all been resolved, case closed, everything fully explained and accounted for....and Down the Rabbit Hole I fell.

I was curious about this odd bit of "urban legend". Alas, I knew nearly nothing about the Beatles. As a child I was raised strictly religious and was once made to read a book, "Pop Music and Morality" as punishment for listening to Jesus Jones. This book, ironically, was where I first learned about the back-masking in Beatles albums...but I didn't believe it. I didn't really care for much of what I'd heard of Beatles' music, anyways- much of it was creepy and strange, such as I Am The Walrus and Come Together...it didn't make any sense, I couldn't relate to it. I did vaguely think they had a strange obsession with Paul because of the weird line I thought went, "Nobody was really sure if he was from the house of Paul" and they seemed to always be pointing at him. 

I did grow up in the MTV age, though, and was vaguely familiar with Paul McCartney from the video, "Say, Say, Say" with Michael Jackson and such. I remembered seeing a picture of Paul performing Hey Jude and, when cataloging my childishly observant mind, I reflected on the fact that Paul was strange- he never seemed to look the same! The only other time I recall ever paying any mind to the Beatles or Paul was a dream I had within a couple of days of hearing him be interviewed on the radio briefly before they played Biker Like an Icon. In the dream I was in a hot-air balloon flying over a picturesque farm with a red barn, a stage to the side, and a band playing on it for a small gathering. My balloon swooped in close to the guitar player and I saw up close Paul's detailed face and I remember thinking, "Paul McCartney looks nothing like himself!

My curious, intuitive, childhood observations were aware that something was amiss with the Beatles; and now the rabbit had appeared before me. I thought the best way to decide what was going on with this story was to first look into it directly: What was the evidence supporting this idea? Has there been a credible refutation, like a DNA test? Dentist Testimony, anything other than the basic, "Pshaw, no, of course not"; which left something to be desired all of the sudden. I knew that, like young Alice's intuition, curiosity and acute observational skill which led her through the tricky world of chaos and rationality to the truth, my childhood mind and intuition knew that something was going on that was not true.

The first place to begin was to learn everything I could about the Beatles, their history (before during and after), their music, the art around them, the history and culture of that time period and place. One of the first things I discovered was that there are as many versions of any given Beatle truth as there are versions of Strawberry Fields Forever. We'll discuss this further when we look at "Shoes". One can never be too sure that any specific fact is true, and all facts need to be investigated for consistency. That being said, I have journeyed far in the past 2 years of my investigation. I think the internet has changed everything, and that there is enough substantial evidence that, at the very least, SOMETHING is amiss! What it is, ah, that's where we fall down the Rabbit holes; but, whatever it is:

I'd love to thank whatever force injected the "Paul is Dead" myth into my life, because through it I came to know the Beatles, and their individual lives and music (I am aghast at having lived life without George Harrison's music!), at the opportunity to explore such an amazing story, that even as it officially stands is so amazing and complexly divine in it's eloquence in a literary sense- so mind-blowing bizarre and beautiful....and horrifying if you fall down certain holes. Beware and keep your shields raised and your energy cleansed...something wicked, weird or absurd or divine this way comes! Ha ha!!