Rabbit Skinner

[becky]

I'm interested to know how people are interpreting the underlying meaning behind the symbol of a man who catches and skins rabbits?

[becky]

No responses? I'll proffer my thoughts so far. I quite enjoy playing a game of deconstructing Sylvian's symbolic images in my head...holding the image quietly in my mind and letting a free flow of 'word/image association' happen to see what glides into my stream of consciousness...

Rabbits:..pretty, cute, fluffy, doe eyed, seemingly innocent, seemingly innocuous - but can carry disease...copulate all too readily...procreate rather abundantly...spreading disease like wild fire

Rabbit skinner: Stripping off skin, the outer superficial sheath...removing the cute, fluffy exterior...revealing the inner nature & base structure of bones and flesh...the gory underlying truth...

Pondering on the rabbit representing popular culture... the skinner: the one who strips away the artifice to scrutinize what lies beneath the surface...meat on bones...food...for thought?

[proggrl]

I think my initial view was of a more sexual symbolism. In many cases that is what the rabbit represents. Sylvian has already talked about shedding his sexual desires so I took it as that - Skinning his sexuality, desires, identity, etc.

[neonico]

I think my initial view was of a more sexual symbolism. In many cases that is what the rabbit represents. Sylvian has already talked about shedding his sexual desires so I took it as that - Skinning his sexuality, desires, identity, etc.

I would say it has a more religous meaning quote sylvian from the wire "its the freedom to doubt" hes speaking about religous issuses refering to rabbit skinner just read the wire interview....

no wanting to be nasty but i think mr sylvian would laugh his head off from the quote above..

[becky]

I think my initial view was of a more sexual symbolism. In many cases that is what the rabbit represents. Sylvian has already talked about shedding his sexual desires so I took it as that - Skinning his sexuality, desires, identity, etc.

Ahh...yes, that's very interesting and makes perfect sense...

[Phil Lawton]

Or maybe he likes skinning rabbits these days.

Isn't he living in a shack somewhere? I'll bet there's not a Tesco or Asda within a day's drive.

[Silver Moon]

Tesco or Asda?

Would they be the UK version of Kroger or Giant Eagle??

-K-

[banyan]

Probably more like Wal-Mart and Piggly Wiggly

R.

[Hawk]

I don't know what David meant...he probably meant a lot of things...or very little...so it's pretty much left open to interpretation. Certainly from my personal development, I can't get this out of my head when I think of rabbits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xutledT-ehM

If you haven't seen the animated film of Watership Down, I would highly recommend it. The spiritual/religious undertones kind of tie in with the disillusionment theme in Manafon... The scene with the black rabbit is one of the most beautiful things I remember as a child... Interesting how rabbits are portrayed as civilised hermits, listeners, with enforced political structures and beliefs. They are not afraid of death as 'the black rabbit has come to take them' - but what happens if there is no black rabbit? In the harsh light of day, they are just overpopulated wild animals and easy prey.

(Edit - am I allowed to post links by the way???)

[neonico]

I don't know what David meant...he probably meant a lot of things...or very little...so it's pretty much left open to interpretation. Certainly from my personal development, I can't get this out of my head when I think of rabbits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xutledT-ehM

If you haven't seen the animated film of Watership Down, I would highly recommend it. The spiritual/religious undertones kind of tie in with the disillusionment theme in Manafon... The scene with the black rabbit is one of the most beautiful things I remember as a child... Interesting how rabbits are portrayed as civilised hermits, listeners, with enforced political structures and beliefs. They are not afraid of death as 'the black rabbit has come to take them' - but what happens if there is no black rabbit? In the harsh light of day, they are just overpopulated wild animals and easy prey.

(Edit - am I allowed to post links by the way???)

This film is incredible one of my faviortes......

[becky]

If you haven't seen the animated film of Watership Down, I would highly recommend it. The spiritual/religious undertones kind of tie in with the disillusionment theme in Manafon... The scene with the black rabbit is one of the most beautiful things I remember as a child... Interesting how rabbits are portrayed as civilised hermits, listeners, with enforced political structures and beliefs. They are not afraid of death as 'the black rabbit has come to take them' - but what happens if there is no black rabbit? In the harsh light of day, they are just overpopulated wild animals and easy prey.

(Edit - am I allowed to post links by the way???)

Ooh this is one of my favourite interpretations so far...beautiful.

[inkinthewell]

Inside the Manafon book of the deluxe edition there's a different version of the David-Sylvian-and-dead-rabbit drawing than the one on the t-shirt and the signed print (ie. DS on a white or coloured background holding a dead rabbit by its hind legs with an evil look on his face). You can see a road at night, shrubs alongside it, illuminated by a sort of spotlight coming from God knows where, and right at the front is DS with the rabbit, looking like he's just got out of his car to maybe try to help the poor bunny he, or some driver before him, accidentally ran over. His expression is not so evil here but looks rather resigned.
On the next page, though, is Foxy the Fox looking rather foxy, and grinning as if he knew better. And above his head is an excerpt from Ted Hughes' Gaudete:
Every day the world gets simply
Bigger and bigger
And smaller and smaller

Every day the world gets more
And more beautiful

And uglier and uglier.

Your comings get closer.
Your goings get worse.