As portrayed in Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’, Rhosgobel Rabbits were giant rabbits belonging to the land of Rhosgobel.
Description
Rhosgobel Rabbits are very similar to normal rabbits, but they are bigger and can run faster. They are about two feet in length. The wizard Radagast rides on the sleigh pulled by these giant rabbits in the Lord of the Rings by Tolkien and Jackson’s ‘The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey’. Rhosgobel Rabbits depicted some wisdom and smartness as it is said they could understand the commands given in the universal language of Middle Earth, Westron.
History
Radagast the Brown had used a group of twelve Rhosgobel Rabbits to pull his sleigh. The first-ever reference of these creatures was when they carried Radagast from Rhosgobel to Dol Guldur through Mirkwood after the war with the Giant Spiders. [1] They followed the trail of the spiders to reach the place.
They were later followed by the Bats of Dol Guldur but somehow carried Radagast to the Trollshaws. Thorin, Gandalf, and their army existed there. They were also seen outrunning a group of Gundabad Wargs. This group of giant rabbits was also seen in ‘The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug’ for a short time under the trees of Mirkwood as they brought Radagast and Gandalf to Dol Guldur from the High Fells to let Gandalf look into the ruin of the fortress.
It is also presumed that they carried Radagast to Lothlorien to deliver a message to Galadriel. In ‘The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies’, the Rhosgobel Rabbits are seen carrying their master to Dol Guldur and helping him drive Gandalf out of the fortress following the command of Galadriel. They also stop for a while to let Radagast and Gandalf see the banishment of Sauron from Dol Guldur. They eventually continued carrying them to Rhosgobel, Radagast's home.
They were later followed by the Bats of Dol Guldur but somehow carried Radagast to the Trollshaws. Thorin, Gandalf, and their army existed there. They were also seen outrunning a group of Gundabad Wargs. This group of giant rabbits was also seen in ‘The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug’ for a short time under the trees of Mirkwood as they brought Radagast and Gandalf to Dol Guldur from the High Fells to let Gandalf look into the ruin of the fortress.
It is also presumed that they carried Radagast to Lothlorien to deliver a message to Galadriel. In ‘The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies’, the Rhosgobel Rabbits are seen carrying their master to Dol Guldur and helping him drive Gandalf out of the fortress following the command of Galadriel. They also stop for a while to let Radagast and Gandalf see the banishment of Sauron from Dol Guldur. They eventually continued carrying them to Rhosgobel, Radagast's home.
Behind The Scenes
Rhosgobel Rabbits did not appear much in Tolkien's writings. According to Peter Jackson, these rabbits were inspired by real-world Flemish giant rabbits that do exist. The Flemish Giant is the most common breed of these creatures, and they have existed since the 16th century. [2]. These rabbits have become a common domestic pet breed since 1893 and were imported from Europe to the United States. This particular breed is known to have seven varieties. They can come in blue, black, gray, steel gray, white, sandy, and fawn colors.
References
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Animals
