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Efrafanowsla

General Woundwort's Efrafan army as represented in the film.

Bigwig surrounded by Efrafans

Efrafans in the miniseries surrounding Bigwig.

Efrafa was a large warren founded by the power-hungry and aggressive General Woundwort. It was built around the crossing point of two green bridle paths, one of which was tunnel-like, bordered on both sides by brush. Woundwort used his tireless zeal and fear to win the loyalty and control of his followers.

Organization[]

Allowing no rabbit to leave, Woundwort had to form a strict system as the warren grew. Because he was advised by his Council, which was another tool to keep Efrafa under strict control, to keep the warren well hidden and small, but would not allow any of the rabbits who lived there to leave, Efrafa soon became overcrowded. Woundwort was also advised to keep separate runs and burrows, none leading to the other, to avoid spreading of infection if ever the White Blindness were to afflict the warren.

The warren was organized and deeply controlled by the use of Marks. A rabbit would be scarred on different parts of the body that told where they stayed in the warren, with whom they could associate, pass hraka, and when they could silflay. For example, a rabbit with a scar on its left back leg would stay in the Near Hind Mark, etc. The Marks were created to keep the number of rabbits above ground smaller to avoid being noticed. Only a certain Mark was allowed above ground to silflay at a given time and the schedule rotated, so that every rabbit got a share of the favored feeding times.

With the Council tightly suppressing all expansion of the warren, General Woundwort organized Wide Patrols, which are unique to Efrafa and were used as an outlet for his desire for power. First led only by Woundwort, he led a group of rabbits to go out and find trouble. They were soon led by trusted officers of the Owsla and sent out to find rabbits to capture and force to join or warrens to conquer. As dangerous as the patrols were, they served the purpose of keeping the numbers down due to high casualties.

Another unique idea of Woundwort's was the Owslafa, a sort of police squad organized by Woundwort as a means of more control.

Adaptations[]

Book and Film[]

Crixa

In both the book and film, there is an area called the Crixa. It's a meeting place for General Woundwort. Every member who isn't in the Owslafa feeds in one specific area depending on the mark. In each mark there is a captain. There are also (presumably) sentries watching over the marks so they don't escape.

TV series[]

Efrafa in the TV Series

TV series Efrafa.

In the TV series, a large tree is at the top of Efrafa. Sentries would go onto it and watch for any escapees or any "slave" that is out of line during Silflay. Efrafa is also shown to be in a large ditch with a massive underground burrow, each one like the novel described it, separated but with one or two rabbits in each of them.

Hannah describes the Owslafa as "as many rabbits as stars in the sky", when Bigwig says that they'll just pick them off as they go through the more narrow tunnels, Fiver agrees with Hannah, telling Bigwig that he didn't see their army. By the third season, the entire warren was destroyed, caved-in and inhabitable, making the Watership Down rabbits take everyone in.

Miniseries[]

Kehaar flies over Efrafa

Miniseries Efrafa.

In the Miniseries, the warren is an abandoned structure instead of it being all in the forest. Just like the other adaptations, there are captains and Owslafa members. Unlike the other adaptations, General Woundwort isn't seen easily unless one is giving him a report or one is asked to go to his burrow. Woundwort relies on his council and captains to keep control.

Like the film, there is a specific area for each mark to feed and there is a sentry watching over the marks to make sure they don't escape.

Eventual Fate[]

After the Watership Down rabbits hatched and executed a plan to steal does from Efrafa which ultimately ended in the defeat of General Woundwort, Efrafa and the Watership Down Warren became close allies. Captain Campion became the new Efrafan Chief Rabbit, while Groundsel, an ex-Efrafan officer, left to become the Chief Rabbit of a new warren called Vleflain.

Efrafan characters[]

Central leadership[]

Near Hind Mark[]

Right Flank Mark[]

  • Captain Bugloss (formerly, was demoted from the Owsla)
  • Holly (formerly; escaped from Efrafa; never Marked, marked in the miniseries)
  • Buckthorn (formerly; escaped from Efrafa; never Marked)
  • Silver (formerly; escaped from Efrafa; never Marked)
  • Strawberry (formerly; escaped from Efrafa; never Marked)

Left Flank Mark[]

Neck Mark[]

Right Fore Mark[]

Others[]

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