29: Death in Watership Down 

 

This episode is dedicated to Elli 

 

29.1 Burrowkeeping 

 

The theme of this episode has kind of been dictated by events. Last Friday, one of our cats was killed on a road near where we live. So...on the principle that, if life gives you lemons, you should probably make lemonade, death in WD will now be the theme of this episode, as a tribute to our Elli cat. 

 

29.2 The death-toll of the book 

 

Death is an unavoidable part of WD. It even has a specific character dedicated to it. Yet there are very few direct references to deaths in the book. There is a brief reference to the possible death of Strawberry's mate Nildro-hain in Chapter 17. The Shining Wire. The named death-toll at Sandleford, and during Holly and Bluebell's terrible journey to WD, is Scabious, Celandine, Toadflax and Pimpernel. The escape of Holly's mission to Efrafa, in Chapter 27, leads to the death of Captain Charlock on the Iron Road. We only learn this from Hyzenthlay in Chapter 35. Then, in Chapter 32, during the expedition to Efrafa, Bigwig leads a fox onto an Efrafan wide-patrol. We later learn, from Woundwort in Chapter 37, that this lead to the death of Mallow. I think I am right in saying that the first direct contemporaneous reference to a death in WD is that of the doe Thrayonlosa at the beginning of Chapter 40. The Way Back. Even at the climax of the book, at the conclusion of the siege of WD, there is only a direct reference to the death of one Efrafan sentry at the start of Chapter 49. Hazel Comes Home. Though we should perhaps realistically conclude that Woundwort was also killed? And then there is, of course, the incredibly poignant death of the aged Hazel in the Epilogue. 

 

This gives us a verifiable book death-toll of...10. Or 11 if you accept that Woundwort wasn't actually invulnerable. Please feel free to challenge my figures. So the named death-toll of the book is: 

 

Nildro-hain 

Scabious 

Celandine 

Toadflax 

Pimpernel 

Captain Charlock 

Mallow 

Thrayonlosa 

An un-named Efrafan sentry of the Great Patrol 

General Woundwort 

Hazel 

 

Of these, 5 are killed by humans or human activity. The others are killed by other rabbits, a fox, as a result of an injury and two by a dog. Only one dies of old-age. 

 

29.3 The death-toll of the 1978 film 

 

There is a video, on YouTube, of questionable taste, called "Watership Down (1978) Kill Count". It has to be said, though, that it is very accurate, and its total is a shocking...62 observable deaths. It misses the death of Mallow, giving a death-toll of 63...plus Woundwort, giving a final observable death-toll in the film of 64. However, the named death-toll of the 1978 film, despite its bloodthirsty nature, is a surprisingly low 3: 

 

Violet 

Blackavar 

Hazel 

 

29.3 The Black Rabbit of Inlè 

 

The Black Rabbit of Inlè, who we will meet shortly in the book, is a fascinating mythological figure. Basically he (we have to assume his sex in historical context) is the rabbit Grim Reaper. Yet he is a bit subtler than that. In the 1978 film, Hazel seeks to make a deal with Frith, the rabbit Sun God, at the climax of the film, as he seeks to rescue the WD warren from the besieiging Efrafans. Frith responds to him directly in a very poignant moment. However, in the original book the words spoken by Frith are actually spoken by the Black Rabbit to El-ahrairah in one of the tales told by Dandelion a lot later in the story, and the Black Rabbit then takes the action necessary to save El-ahrairah's people. So he is not just an impartial taker of lives at their inevitable end. He can choose to take lives or to save them. 

 

John Ruths identifies 4 attitudes towards death in WD. 

First there is a kind of pragmatic callous attitude. Then there is death as a feature of fate. Then there is death as an utter pointless waste. Lastly, there is death as a noble act or sacrifice.  

 

29.4 Next Episode 

 

Next time, we begin Part Three of the book...and the Great Raid On Efrafa begins.