40: Fu Inlé

Scripted by Newell Fisher and John Ruths

In this episode we will be exploring the Lapine phrase 'Fu Inlé', or 'After moonrise', which is used in WD as a very rough method of timekeeping.

How Fu Inlé would work

At the Full Moon "after moonrise" would be roughly the period after sunset. It would be a useful way of timing Evening Silflay.

At the Waning Half Moon "after moonrise" would be the period after midnight. It would be a way of referring to the time between Evening and Morning Silflay.

At the New Moon it would be meaningless as there is no visible moonrise.

At the Waxing Half Moon, "after moonrise" would refer to the early afternoon, when the Moon is not really very visible as it rises. So we have a problem. Fu Inlé means the evening, then after midnight, then...basically nothing until the approach of the next Full Moon. So what was Richard Adams thinking? Bearing in mind his military experience, it is difficult to believe that Richard Adams was not aware of exactly how the Moon varies each month.

The Moon and the Military

To the military, at least to an Army which is mostly on the ground, the moon and how much light it provides is very important.

In ancient times, fighting was rare at night.

Even today, the moon still means a great deal.  Most night vision devices simply amplify available light.  So, a moonless night is still not a lot of fun even with night vision.  We can now easily track the moon with computers and smartphones. Even an adversary that lacks significant night vision capability will still use the moon and the light it provides. So, moonlight can be dangerous but at the same time, you can also predict some of what an adversary can do and prepare for it.

For the rabbits of Watership Down at least having some moon to see by is safer for them. Having little or no light to see by when at least some elil can see quite effectively would place our rabbit heroes at a significant disadvantage.  So, having some moonlight would seem to put them in a less disadvantageous position.

I also would guess that a Richard Adams' rabbit would have current moon information in their heads.  What the moon does each night changes in small increments.  For example, at any given time, I'd guess that they'll generally track the moon rise, moon set, and about how much light the moon provides.

An analysis of actual uses of Fu inlé in WD

So how many times in WD are events actually timed by this method?

First, the departure from Sandleford is, timed this way. In Chapter 4. The Departure, they are described as starting to gather "an hour after moonrise and a good while before midnight".

Then, in Chapter 5 we are told "It was getting on toward moonset when they left the fields and entered the wood". I do have to question the timings here a little.

In Chapter 30. A New Journey, Hazel decides to skirt Efrafa to get to the River Test Fu Inlé. This journey is described as happening 5 weeks after the departure from Sandleford, which implies a waning half moon. This makes sense.

In Chapter 35 Captain Campion refers to "ni-Frith and fu-inlè Silflay" How would that work? Or is this just a lazy shorthand for Noon and Midnight?

In Chapter 39 there is a reference to Bigwig swimming through the bridge fu inlè.

The events of Bigwig's incursion into Efrafa have happened during the week after a waning Half Moon. This means that Moonrise has been moving from midnight to sunrise. Yet the escape from Efrafa took place at evening silflay. Is it feasible that it took 6 hours between the escape from Efrafa and Bigwig swimming under the bridge?

This simply doesn't work. Adam’s mention of fu inlè here, according to the evidence, means that Bigwig swam under the bridge at approaching sunrise the following day...as it was growing dark.

With great regret, I have to conclude that Richard Adams was using the phrase fu inlè, here, without really thinking it through.