Described in colourful terms by early natural historians as the 'fastest, hairiest, most lascivious and most melancholy' of mammals (and also one that changed sex, never closed its eyes and occasionally grew horns) the hare is no less remarkable for its actual behaviour and capacities than for the intriguing ways in which it has been imagined and exploited throughout history. Hare examines how this animal has been described, symbolized and visually depicted, as well as utilized for its fur, flesh, body parts and exceptional speed.