THE ANCIENT AND HONOURABLE BUNNY CULT

The Bunny Cult traces its beginnings to the Viking raids of Ireland in the 8th century. Wily rabbits from Trondheim smuggled themselves aboard the outgoing longboats, and alighted on Irish shores slightly nauseous but up for some fun. St. Patrick may have driven all the snakes out of Ireland in the mid-400s, but no one felt much like carrying on the tradition and the Bunnies were allowed to stay.

The Cult progressed, with only occasional hints of its origins shown in Berserker Bunnies. (See: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "That rabbit's dynamite!") Members did not rely upon secret handshakes for identification, but instead used the more visually arresting Rabbit Waving to greet other Cultists.

With the rabbit firmly ensconced on all but two continents, the Bunny Cult set its sights on Australia and Antarctica. The subsequent trouble encountered by the Bunnies in Australia made them rethink any plans for Antarctica, and they have since settled for subcontracting with the local penguins should any future Cult interest arise among polar researchers.

Centered today in Dublin, the Bunny Cult is dedicated to revamping the traditional views the general populace has about rabbits and hares. The Cult would like to take note of more than just the cutsey, fluffy, Easter Bunny image, reminding people instead about the serious Bunny presence in the world media and arts. Authors, artists and performers as diverse as Albrecht Durer, Beatirx Potter, Jefferson Airplane and John Updike have already tapped into the Bunny zeitgeist, and the Cult can only hope this Bunny Awareness spreads.

The Bunny Cult also endorses the trickster spirit. The only Easter Eggs the Cult supports are truly clever ones left in computer programs and systems. One of the major Cult pranks was the establishment of the Jackalope Sub-cult in the American West. Tourists to the area have been flummoxed by the image of a jackrabbit/antelope hybrid, resplendent with antlers and big feet. The Cult hopes this confusion about real or imagined animals spurs the citizen to learn more about the wildlife and ecosystems of the world, or at least gives them a headache.

Today the Bunny Cult sets its sights on the World Wide Web. Cult members with computers are visiting home pages and guest books throughout the computer world, leaving messages referring to the cryptic but alluring Bunny Cult. The Cult hopes the trend snowballs to create a major Internet presence, and has people all over the world wondering, "What is up with these Bunny people?" Being a wide-spread enigma and leaving the thought of a Bunny on the minds of millions is the kind of confusion the Cult relishes.