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"Be quiet. The bucks aren't talking like that and why should we? I'd rather be here now, as we are, than never have left Efrafa."
— Hyzenthlay to Vilthuril

Hyzenthlay was an Efrafan doe and one of the representative leaders of a group who unsuccessfully tried to convince General Woundwort to allow herself and some other does to leave the warren due to overcrowding.

She currently resides as a member of Watership Down Warren, becoming a Chief Rabbit with her mate Hazel. After Hazel's death, she presumably keeps leading the warren by herself.

Books[]

Watership Down[]

When Bigwig infiltrated Efrafa, secretly planning to help some does escape Hyzenthlay. She is described as sensible, strong, and able to think independently. Led by Bigwig, she is one of the rabbits who escapes along with Blackavar, and other Efrafan does to live in the Watership Down Warren. After the escape, the Battle of Watership Down took place soon after they returned to Watership Down Warren. The Watership rabbits won the Battle against Efrafa.

She was also a seer with visions of General Woundwort's attack, the freeing of the Nuthangar Farm dog, and Hazel riding in a car. Hyzenthlay soon mates with Hazel.

Tales from Watership Down[]

In the sequel, Tales from Watership Down, she also becomes a Co-Chief rabbit alongside Hazel of Watership Down. However, her style of leadership is criticized by Bigwig who calls her a "stupid, fatheaded doe". Hyzenthlay replies, "Bigwig, I've said what I'm going to do, and that's all there is to it. If you reject my authority over this, there'll be no authority left in the warren by tomorrow, as you must know perfectly well. Now please let me get on; and have some clean burrows ready for the Efrafan does when they arrive."

Film[]

In the film, it is said by Vervain, one of the Efrafan captains that she is a disturber. It is also mentioned that the council ordered her to be strictly supervised by one of the captains.

TV Series[]

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Primrose, who is ambiguously Hyzenthlay

In the TV series, Hyzenthlay was replaced by another character called Primrose as Hazel's mate. However, there is a possibility the two are the same character. Still, she was re-named, potentially because it would have been harder for children to remember and pronounce "Hyzenthlay," as well as make merchandising harder. More evidence that backs up the two being the same character is that both does are Efrafans who wish to leave. Primrose's sixth sense is absent in this series, and she and Hazel eventually have kittens.

Miniseries[]

Hyzenthlay appears in the miniseries. In this adaptation, she is far less trusting and refuses to talk to Clover, who was captured and taken to Efrafa, denying that she is indeed Hyzenthlay out of worry that Clover is a spy. Later, Bigwig enters the warren, claiming to be in the same warren as Captain Holly, who'd also been there, along with Bluebell and Blackberry, only to be called a liar. She doesn't trust him until he says what Holly thinks of her. Captain Orchis holds a grudge against her for her role in his brother Vervain's death (who was run over by a train in an attempt to capture Holly, Bluebell, and Blackberry, whom she'd helped escape.) She is ordered to spy on other rabbits who desire to escape, or she will be executed.

All of the does led by Bigwig successfully dig a tunnel up to the surface and attempt to run away, but a group of Efrafan Owsla stops them. Luckily for Bigwig, they believe that the does are trying to trick him; thus, his cover is maintained.

Netflix hyzenthlay execution

Hyzenthlay about to be executed.

After this, Hyzenthlay tells Orchis that she will spy for him if the other does have better conditions. However, Orchis orders Hyzenthlay to be executed and says that he already has spies and that General Woundwort ordered him to get her to spy so that he could break her, and laments how easy it was. Hyzenthlay later learns that one of the other does, Nettle had been the spy. Clover attempts to spare her by offering to be Woundwort's queen, but he tells her that he doesn't make deals, and Hyzenthlay's execution is not stopped. Orchis orders Bigwig to execute her to gain his trust, but he pummels the captain and scares off the guards. The two of them gather the does and Blackavar and escape. However, they are once again cornered by Efrafans, this time with Woundwort among them. Just as the mad general is about to strike, Kehaar swoops in, tackling the Efrafans and allowing his friends to escape.

Mini-series Hy

Hyzenthlay in the rain

Hyzenthlay is taken back to Watership Down Warren, and there, she becomes Holly's mate, but the Efrafans track them down. She and Thethuthinnang make the ceiling fall on Efrafan guards in battle. Efrafans eventually corner her, but Holly saves her and tackles them. Sadly, they overpower and kill him. She is devastated and sobbing at the sight of her dead mate, and Blackberry has to push her back into the burrow. After the Woundwort's defeat at the hands of Bigwig and Bob, she lives out the remainder of her days at the warren without a mate.

Personality[]

She is described by Bigwig as being smart and sensible but also strong, tough and able to think on her own account. However, in Tales of Watership Down, Bigwig's opinion of her lessens as he becomes annoyed by her decisions when it comes to leading.

Quotes[]

  • "Tonight, we escape or we die trying. Either way, we will be free." (in the graphic novel)

Trivia[]

  • Hyzenthlay can easily be considered the closest thing the series has to a female protagonist for the series, at least in the original continuity envisioned by Richard Adams.
  • Her name means "fur shining like dew" in the Lapine language.
  • She appears to have some form of sixth sense (like Fiver) having visions of the future while living in Efrafa.

Gallery[]

Main page: Hyzenthlay/Image Gallery

Rabbits
Cross-media
Sandleford Warren
BigwigBlackberryBluebellCaptain HollyDandelionFiverHawkbitHazelPipkinPimpernelSilverThrearahToadflax

Nuthanger Farm
BoxwoodCloverHaystackLaurel
Cowslip's Warren
CowslipKingcupLaburnumSilverweedStrawberry
Efrafa
BlackavarCaptain CampionCaptain ChervilCaptain OrchisGeneral WoundwortHyzenthlayRagwortSainfoinThethuthinnangThistleVervainVilthuril
Folklore
Black Rabbit of InléEl-ahrairahHufsaRabscuttle

Books only
Introduced in Watership Down
AcornAshAvensBartsiaBetonyBuckthornButterburCaptain BuglossCaptain MallowCharlockColtsfootFlescaGroundselMarjoramMoneywortNelthiltaNightshadeNildro-hainNose-in-the-AirPine NeedlesScabiousSnowdropSpeedwellThrayonlosaThrearThunder

Introduced in Tales from Watership Down
BurdockCelandineCrowfootCrowlaFescueFlyairthFoxgloveHeartseaseKing Fur-RociousKnapweedLemistaLoosestrifeMelsaMianMilmownNyreemPeertonPrakeQuiensRithlaSandwortStitchwortStonecropThrennionTindraWoodruff

AspenBlueskyButtercupCaptain BroomFelsparFlaxGentianGiliaGorseGraniteHeatherHickoryLarchMallowMarigoldMossPrimroseRaincloudRedShaleSnowdropSpartinaSpeaker of the Past
Film/Miniseries only
Dewdrop (Miniseries) • Nettle (Miniseries) • Violet (film)
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