The original name of the fief is "Golden Ears", refering to the hoped-for bountiful harvests of barley and corn.
The first holder of the fief (or some notable later one) had a helmet like the one worn by the figure on the left of Roger Raupp's wonderful cover painting (a "Corinthian" style with side plumes and a crest) that he wore on ceremonial occasions and was passed down to later fief holders as a symbol of their rightful possession. Just as office-holders in the Sun Dome are often known simply by their title (Light Keeper, Librarian, Guardian, etc) fief holders are known by the name of their fief. ("Lords Wyoh and Golden Ears to see you, Cellarer, it's about their taxes.")
Human nature being what it is, there was undoubtably a less than notable lord somewhere along the line and, one day while bustling along he came upon a group of farmers sneaking a quick hazia break and one wag says "Here comes Old Rabbit Hat, look busy!" and the name eventually stuck. Chances are good that even before the place was wiped out by Rhino Riders the locals would have given you a blank look if you'd asked them *why* it was called Rabbit Hat Farm.
Gary R Switzer
Aero Hobbies
(Btw, I've suspected for some time that Chickamauga, which does NOT mean "River of Death" in ANY known Indian dialect, is a mistranslation of what some Cherokee being driven off his lands and onto the Trail of Tears muttered to some cracker who asked him the name of that particular creek. I bet it wasn't nice.)
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