What do you know about Jackalopes?

I wanted to take a second to give you some info and background on these awesome necklaces I made!  You can find them in the shop!

Few creatures have captured the imagination like the jackalope.  Now, a symbol of the wild American West, the jackalope represents the enduring human desire for creativity and wonder.

I picked up a book called On the Trail of the Jackalope by Michael Branch on a whim last year.  Have you ever read a book or watch a documentary or learned in some capacity about something that had been on the fringes of your knowledge base?  And the book or documentary or whatever, totally blew your mind wide open into a new direction?  It’s fun, I love that feeling.  That’s probably why I like to read so much.

I read On the Trail of the Jackalope at about the same time I was starting to think about folklore and folk art in relation to the jewelry I was making.  The stories we tell ourselves are powerful and collectively they can shape (or re-shape) our realities.  I also just thought it would be fun to make a jackalope necklace!  

The Jackalope has become many, many things – quirky roadside attractions and a symbol of conservation just to name a few. The jackalope invites us to embrace the magic in the everyday and explore the stories that connect us all.

The jackalope was made popular by two Wyoming brothers in the 1930s who basically had a stuffed rabbit that they glued some antlers onto.  They sold it to a local bar and from there, the legend grew. Over time, a full-fledged myth has endured, complete with tales of magical powers.

However, the jackalope has been around for a long, long time.  Mentioned in Medieval and Renaissance texts, scientists and biologists know think that those references might be about rabbits infected with the Shope Papilloma virus. This virus causes horn-like growths from the rabbits head and face.

Having grown from a simple prank, the jackalope legend has shaped many small towns in the American West.  It is now a beloved figure in art, literature and tourism.  There are roadside attractions, jackalope mascots and gift shops filled with everything from postcards to toys.

So the next time you encounter a jackalope, take a moment to appreciate the blend of fantasy and reality that makes this creature truly special.

And check out these great necklaces here!