Cats in Folklore, Legend, and Mythology

Most of us are probably familiar with at least a few old sayings and beliefs concerning cats. Some cat tales ascribe the felines with evil powers and omens of bad luck, while others view the animals as the bearers of good fortune. These beliefs have roots from all over the world, from ancient times to the nineteenth century.

Egypt : You probably already know that cats were worshipped for hundreds of years in Egypt. The goddess Bastet had the form of either a cat or a woman with the head of a cat. Bastet gave the gifts of joy, sexual pleasure, beauty, and grace. Cats were so revered that a person killing a cat, even accidentally, was put to death.

Poland : An old Polish cat legend explains how the Pussy Willow got its name. Once a mother cat sat on a river bank, crying helplessly as her kittens were drowning in the rushing waters. The reeds on the shore took pity on her and bent over so that the kittens could grab onto the plants and save themselves from a watery death. After that, the graceful fronds grew furry blossoms at the ends of their stems as a reminder of the tiny kittens that clung to them in order to save their lives.

Islam : The religion of Islam speaks of cats as being clean, useful animals. In fact, the prophet Mohammed is said to have once been called to prayer only to find a cat asleep on the sleeve of his prayer robe. Instead of disturbing the snoozing animal, he tore off the sleeve and prayed in his now-sleeveless garment.

Norway : In Norse mythology, the goddess Freya, for whom Friday is named, is often associated with cats. Her chariot is pulled across the skies by two huge gray cats. Also, this mistress of magic is often surrounded by felines.

Siam (now Thailand) : When a Siamese king died, his soul was believed to pass into the body of a Siamese cat so he could attend the coronation of the new king. At the ceremonial crowning of the new king, a cat always rode in the lead chariot. Another legend explains the kink that was always found in the tails of Siamese cats. They believed the cat kinked her own tail so that the princesses would have somewhere safe to place their rings while they were bathing.

Malaysia : Cats were believed to guide souls from Hell to Paradise. If a human killed a cat, he had to cut, carry and stack the trunks of coconut trees—one for each hair on the cat’s body.

Celts : Ancient Celtic lore tells of the grimalkin, a grey cat with magical powers. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a grimalkin or graymalkin, is one of the familiars for the three witches in the play. In Act I, the first witch says, “I come, Graymalkin,” when her feline helper calls.

Japan : This island nation had a demon thunder-god, Raiju, who often took the form of a huge cat. During a thunderstorm, the animal would leap from tree to tree. When a trunk was scarred or split open by a lightning strike, it was said to have been clawed by Raiju. Japan also had its good luck cats, tri-colored calicoes with their own temple. Today, little statues of the fortune cats are found all over Japan.

Burma : The Burmese worshipped Tsun-Kyanske, the goddess of Transmutation of Souls. They believed that cats could communicate directly with the deity, and cats and kittens were often bred by priests and kept in the temples.

France : The French had their matagot, a cat that could bring either good luck or bad to a home. A matagot that lived in a household where it was well fed brought fortune to the family. They were often enticed by a fresh chicken.

The Orient : The blue-gray Korat cat was often carried by farmers as they chanted and prayed for rain for their thirsty crops. The color of the cats resembled rain clouds to the superstitious farmers. After the chanting ceremony, the cats’ faces were sprinkled with water to ensure the life-giving rain.

Black cat mythology

• If a funeral procession met a black cat, a member of the mourning family would soon die.
• A white hair found on an otherwise solid black cat meant good luck. If the hair was plucked, however, bad luck would follow.
• In medieval Europe, black cats were believed to be the evil helpers of witches, demons or the Devil himself.
• In 1233, Pope Gregory IX declared that all black cats were satanic. Thousands of cats were murdered.
• In Scotland, a strange black cat on a porch brought good luck and prosperity to the adjoining house.
• After the Middle Ages, it was believed to be a good omen if a black cat crossed your path, at least in Asia and the UK. In North America, many still believe a black cat is bad luck.

All cat’s have nine lives

Cats are often said to have nine lives. This probably goes back to ancient Egypt, where nine was a mystical number. The god Atum-Ka had nine lives and took the form of a feline whenever he visited the underworld, so the nine lives became associated with the cats themselves.

Also, in medieval Europe, cats were sometimes tossed from tall towers, and many landed on their feet and scurried away unharmed, amazing the would-be cat killers.

It’s easy to see why folks believed in the nine-lives theory. Cats are quick, nimble and cunning, and can often escape almost-fatal situations.

Cats suffocate babies

People used to believe that cats sucked out the breaths of sleeping babies. This probably grew from the cats’ habits of sleeping near babies, attracted by the smell of milk. Also, the babies often had the softest bed in the house, so the family cat found that the baby bed was a cozy spot for a nap.

Cats always land on their feet

This theory was actually tested in 1894 by a French physiologist, Etienne-Jules Marey. He held a cat upside down by its legs and dropped it from a considerable height, photographing the entire process. The 60 frames revealed how the agile cat was able to twist its body in a way that allowed it to land on its feet, unharmed. DO NOT try this! Cats aren’t always this lucky and are often seriously injured or even killed from falls.

Cats often appear to be mysterious, secretive animals, which has probably been part of the bases for all the myths and legends surrounding them. Also, their grace and beauty, together with their amazing survival skills and proliferation, made felines the main characters in many examples of folklore around the world. Cats seem to know they’re special, and their owners certainly agree!