Cowslip's Warren

[Dandelion]

What are your thoughts on Cowslip's warren? Do you think Bigwig should of killed them as he mentioned? What about the rabbits themselves?
Personally, I think it's at a great location, and the group could live there quite happily for a time. For one, it mentioned in the book as they were going into the forest that they weren't comfortable with the shrubbery and the like. So they would, for the most part, stay away from the bushes, where it mentioned the wires were hidden. Food would be no trouble, the men take care of that. One of the things I especially liked about Cowslip's warren in the TV series was the blank stares of the rabbits and design of the warren.

[Myrkin]

If I remember correctly, man left the food beyond the bushes, so rabbits were forced to go through them to get flayrah. At least that's how it was in the book. Of course our heroes could stay in the warren and "convince" Cowslip's group to bring them food without endangering themselves. I don't think Hazel would do it though.

As for rabbits of the Warren of the Shining Wires, I mostly feel sorry for them. They might had been healthy and pretty on the outside, but on the inside they were miserable creatures, who could never achieve true happiness (not in Cowslip's warren at least).

[Hawkbit]

At least to wild rabbits, Cowslip's warren was dead to them anyway, so there was no need to go and physically kill them.  They would die from snares no matter what.  They would eventually grow weak with age, and that is when the snare would get them.  Cowslip I think it the series says something like "they'll never catch me" but the reality is they probably would.  False lie just to build himself up and not accept defeat.

Perhaps the whole thing is an allegory--the easy life comes at a cost.  Things we take for granted as humans, even a century ago were not guarantees in life.  You still had to grow your own food, make your own candlesticks, walk to work (or maybe a trolley or train), heat your own bath water.....could we survive without these things or are we all destined to be a Cowslip Warren?  Death by the inability to survive on our own?

Deep......

[Silverweed]

I think Bigwig spoke out of anger because they didn't come and help him. I also feel kind of sorry for the rabbits in there, mainly because when you read Silverweeds poem you can see how uttery bereft and hopeless they were. I think the watership rabbits were better off leaving it behind. it's always occured to me, that they were not permitted to grieve if they lost a loved one which must have built up inside them. They were not even permitted to mention the name of someone who went missing. It was like that rabbit no longer existed. How awful for them.

In the series, it was portrayed as a "cult" which was a really interesting take on it and brought it into a completely different perspective. Even Vervain and Woundwort felt disturbed there. Interesting that Woundwort made no attempt at all to take over that warren, but was quite quick to take over Redstone which contained rabbits who were formly from that warren. Could it be that even Woundwort found it a bit overwhelming?

[Myrkin]

Well... In second season he tried to conquer Cowslip's Warren, but after he learned about snares he decided to fall back. Perhaps he thought that victory there wasn't worth the casualties. He might have believed that he needed as many soldiers as he could get in order to defeat Hazel's warren, which wasn't very strong, but Woundwort didn't know that.

In season three he took over Redstone, but was dissapointed with quality of... ehem... warriors from that warren. They weren't much use to him and he probably thought that rabbits from Cowslip's warren will be as bad at fighting as Redstoners. All in all, Woundwort might have decided not to take over the Warren of the Shining Wires for pragmatic reasons and not just because the rabbits there were creepy.

[bumblebee]

Everything about Cowslip's warren terrified me. I was with Fiver on that one all the way. Silverweed's poem was heartbreaking and terrifying and the whole place sounded like one big underground tomb. Maybe I scare easily, but I still think the Sandleford bunnies were right to leave the place. That's no way to live, surrounded by snares on all sides and not even being permitted to mention their lost loved ones. It was almost like Efrafa in a way. Both warrens had no freedom and had given in to a lifeless way off living, but for different reasons :l

[Myrkin]

Like Silverweed (forum member) said, the worst thing in Cowslip's Warren was not being permitted to grieve. For rabbits it is natural - at least in book's world - to grieve very strongly immediately/soon after death of their friends or after hearing story about death and destruction. Rabbits from Warren of Shining Wires couldn't do that at all.

Perhaps Silverweed's poem expresses those rabbits' desire to die. For them death could be a liberation from life of pretend happiness. It also could give them freedom to show their true feelings and freedom to remember. That could be their hope, but then again I'm only guessing here.

[Darkling Nocturnal]

I think, while the rabbits of Watership Down believe in the stories of El-ahrairah, Cowslips warren doesn't (he averted from god). Then, they put their fates in man's hands (they're dealing with the devil). I would say, this brings the christian myth or spirit or how you want to call it, that is part of Watership down, to bear very good.

But generally, I found Cowslips warren in the series very interesting. It looked surreal and unreal, totally artificial.

[Hyzenthlay69]

Everything about Cowslip's warren terrified me. I was with Fiver on that one all the way. Silverweed's poem was heartbreaking and terrifying and the whole place sounded like one big underground tomb. Maybe I scare easily, but I still think the Sandleford bunnies were right to leave the place. That's no way to live, surrounded by snares on all sides and not even being permitted to mention their lost loved ones. It was almost like Efrafa in a way. Both warrens had no freedom and had given in to a lifeless way off living, but for different reasons :l

This sums it up excellently. I can understand why Cowslip and his crew chose to live as they did, but the price they paid was too great...denial and death.