The history of angora rabbits is somewhat unknown. I couldn’t find any primary source documents to support some of the historical claims I read on the internet. I read about other researchers having the same issue.
Angora Rabbits History: Speculation
Romans?
Some people claim that the angora rabbit was developed by the Romans in 100 CE. Supposedly the Romans were raising captive rabbits for meat at that time. Perhaps they began the process of selective breeding for long wool as well. Again, there is no proof of this that I could find.
Trelicans?
Another rumor is that the “Trelican” tribe of the Carpathian mountains developed and raised the breed in the 5th and 6th centuries. This idea comes from a statement in the book “Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World,” however, the author does not provide any source for this statement, merely stating, “It has been written that….” The “Trelican” tribe is at this point mere speculation and not supported by any known evidence.
Ankara, Turkey?
A third claim is that Angora rabbits come from Ankara, Turkey. It is possible that several unique animal breeds originated here. Ankara, Turkey has been a crossroads of trade between Europe, Africa, and Asia for centuries. No doubt many opportunities were present to trade and swap animal genetics. However, the only hard evidence that Angora rabbits originated here is from an export record in England. In 1723, English sailors wrote down “Angora Rabbit” on the export document when they exported a rabbit from England to France. But this doesn’t prove that angora rabbits are from Turkey. And how did the English sailors get their hands on the rabbit in the first place? Was the rabbit originally from England, or did they acquire it elsewhere?
England?
Another rumor states that the “English Silk Hare,” a long-haired domestic rabbit breed supposedly raised in England for its wool, was banned from export in Henry VIII’s time. This is intriguing, but unfortunately, there is no known evidence for the English Silk Hare’s existence, or a wool rabbit industry in England at that time. Given England’s impressive history with wool production, there ought to be more records about angora, if it were being produced.
Angora Rabbits on Record
The first recorded angora rabbit is the one that was brought from England to France by sailors in 1723. There are many reasons why the sailors might have called it “angora.” Possibly because the rabbit really did originate from Ankara. Or possibly because people assumed they originated there due to Ankara’s reputation as a crossroads. Perhaps the rabbit was named Angora simply because the name sounded exotic to Western Europeans. Perhaps it really was illegal to export the rabbits from England, as the rumor says. Keeping this in mind, perhaps the sailors changed the name from “English Silk Hare” to “Angora Rabbit” to make it sound like it was from Turkey, not England.
I suspect that the truth is complex, and that we’ll never know it! Even still, all the rumors are fascinating. After 1723, we do know a bit more.
Angora Rabbits in Recorded History
According to “Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World,” in the 1700s angoras became a favorite pet of French royalty, and the breed began to spread through Europe. By the early 20th century, angora fiber was very popular in Europe and the USA and used to make warm, lightweight, silky soft clothing. The Nazis actually raised them as an experimental source of warm clothing for their soldiers. Their rabbits were treated far better than the victims of the Nazi concentration camps. Read this fascinating article for more about that dark history.
Angora Rabbits Today
Angora clothing sort of peaked and then fell out of style in the USA over the course of the 20th century. It’s difficult or impossible to produce angora fiber humanely at a large scale, and capitalism demands scaling larger and larger. Due to the scandals of angora rabbits being treated cruelly in China and France in the early 2000s, angora fiber was banned by several fashion brands. It’s simply too expensive to source humane angora at a large scale for a large brand.
But luckily for us fiber artists, we can occasionally indulge in the luxury of humanely raised angora fiber on a small scale. Angora is perfect for our own special projects, small batches of curated yarn, and all manner of finished objects. Check out my shop to purchase angora fiber for spinning! Or if, like me, we have the space, time, and resources, we can raise angora rabbits ourselves, and enjoy an abundance of the luxurious fiber on a daily basis. I hope you have many chances to enjoy angora in your life!
For information about raising angora rabbits, check out some of my other posts:
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