'You Can't Imagine it Unless You've Been There'

'You Can't Imagine it Unless You've Been There',: in May and June 1983.

Sorry, this should be the Crixa from low level

A rabbit's eye view of the Crixa.

From chapter 34, 'General Woundwort':

'"At the Crixa, sir."(Campion meant the crossing point of the two bridle-paths, which was about fifty yards away, among the trees.) "Two of my patrol are with him."
Woundwort made his way back to the Crixa. Chervil, being on duty with his mark, remained where he was. Campion accompanied the General.
At this hour the Crixa was all green shade, with red gleams of sun that winked through the moving leaves. the damp grass along the edges of the paths was dotted with spikes of mauve bugle, and the sanicles and yellow archangels flowered thickly. Under an edler bush, on the far side of the track, two Owslafa or Council police, were waiting; and with them was a stranger....'

A gate, to hold you in.

Looking south from the Crixa,
toward the iron road.

You may not have been there but for a few moments try to imagine what it might have been like to have lived in Efrafa.... Then read the words to a song (one of three) written by Mike Batt for the film. This song was to have been sung by Barbara Dickson for Hyzenthlay, it is called 'Run Like the Wind' but it didn't make the final version of the film. Mike Batt also did a version himself though I have only heard that version once.

'Run Like the Wind', music and lyrics by Mike Batt.

There's an eagle in the Eastern sky,
turning in the wind,
out across the evening,
resting on the wing.
If I had the wings of an eagle,
there'd be no holding me:
I'd be free, sane and free.

(Chorus)
And one day soon I'm gonna run like the wind,
one day soon.
Gonna break away from everything,
one day soon.
Nothing in the world's gonna hold me down
and nothing's gonna keep me in.
I'm gonna run like the wind.

Blackberry here knows all sorts of interesting facts about Watership Down.

This is one of three songs written
for the film. It would have been the last to be
heard. The three songs date from the first production year of the film, while John Hubley was still the writer and director. I understand there were disagreements between Hubley
and Rosen as to what the film should be like. When Hubley left the project, this song
was one of the things that
went with him.

And if you should tell me
that you want to hold me down;
before the glow of morning
I'll be gone without a sound.
The more you try to keep me in
the less you will succeed!
Sane and free, sane and free.

(Chorus repeats twice to end)

Looking out from the Near Hind toward the iron road.

This is the view from the Near Hind mark holes. In the distance you can see the railway with the arch spanning a track at the bottom of the dip. The ash tree is long gone I am afraid to say, as is the meadow, both swept away by the pressure of intensive agriculture.
This would have been the sight that frustrated Bigwig and tantalised Hyzenthlay. In Efrafa Bigwig was alone yet those he knew and loved were just beyond that railway. It may as well have been ten miles away. It was to be the thunder that gave him his chance to break free from Efrafa, the thunder broke the unseen bonds that held him and Hyzenthlay and the other Near Hind does. The thunder that said: 'Your storm, Thlayli-rah. Use it.'

Click Bigwig here to return to select another picture. Be careful of his ears, his fleas live there!