In Europe and early America, black cats became linked to the devil and evil and were feared, because black was the color of the night and darkness�hence the devil. She assumed the form of a gigantic ebony cat called El Broosha, and newborns were her favorite prey.Ĭats became associated with witchcraft and the devil during the Middle Ages in Europe and suffered greatly. The story may have stemmed from tales of Adam�s hated first wife, the vampire Lilith. Hebrew folklore prompted the legend that cats steal an infant�s breath. Peter felt sorry for the pitiful creature, though, and generously gave it a fur coat�its one and only valuable possession. So since cats had been celebrated by early civilizations, they became the scapegoats of �modern� religions.Ī Medieval legend recounts that the Devil tried to copy God and create man, but only managed to produce a sorry, skinless animal�the cat. The gods and angels of earlier religions become the demons of later ones. Some folks believe this “throne” is more appropriate for devil cats! Cats As Demons Freya, the Viking goddess of love and beauty, rode in a chariot drawn by �the most affectionate of all domestic animals, the cat.� Scandinavia also celebrated animals in religion. Black cats crossing your path was considered good luck during the Middle Ages in Britain, and a black cat was also supposed to be able to cure epilepsy. In early Ireland, a cat-headed god was worshipped during the 1st century AD. Only noble families were granted that privilege. Cats were valued so highly in the 10th century that common folks weren�t allowed to keep cats. They believed a cat crossing the path was good luck. Wow, maybe that�s why my Siamese wannabe Seren-dipity has such a high-and-mighty c�attitude.Ĭats in Japan were greatly honored and in AD 600 served as guards to precious manuscripts housed in pagodas. When a holy person died, the cat hosted the spirit for as long as the cat lived, and then carried the human soul into Paradise when the cat died. The Persian King Cambyses II had his soldiers use kitties as shields, and because the Egyptians refused to risk hurting a sacred cat, they offered no resistance and the battle was lost.Ĭats love being put on a pedestal! Cats Revered Around The Worldīuddhist, Burmese and Siamese cultures had similar beliefs as the ancient Babylonians that cats served as sacred vessels for human souls to attain paradise. Because they were so sacred, other countries took advantage of the fact. Bast was symbolized by the moon�which waxed and waned like the cat�s eye�and each day when the battle was won, the sun rose again.Įgypt�s cats were protected and cherished by the priests, and each whisker-twitch and tail-dance was carefully interpreted as messages from the goddess. The name �Bast� can be translated as �the tearer� or �the render� which referred to the goddess�s nightly battle with the sun�s mortal enemy, the Serpent of Darkness. Called alternately Bast, Bastet and Pasht, this human-shaped goddess (with a cat head) rose to prominence in the ancient city of Bubastis, and her temple cats (much like the one sleeping in your lap) were considered emissaries of the goddess. The large wild cats including leopards and lions represented virility and power, but the common housecat came to be worshiped as a god of pleasure and happiness. Cats As Gods (Even Black Cats!)Įgyptians loved and revered all animals, and considered many to be emissaries of gods. *s* In fact, the hardcover version is on sale here. Shoot me an email if you’d like me to send you a paw-tograph to insert into a special gift. NOTE: Due to the #$%^! pandemic, shipping of physical books come with delays so order NOW for holiday gift-giving. More of these fascinating cat tales can be found in my newest book CAT LIFE: Celebrating the History, Culture & Love of the Cat. Of course, you want to keep all your pets safe over Halloween.�But it’s sure fun to read about ghosties and goblins, especially of the feline kind. Take a look and keep a tally of just how many of these spooky cat tails�and tales�from around the world sound familiar even today. An early color mutation of wild cats was the solid black color–and also was apparently associated with cats being “friendlier.”
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