Saturday is Caturday! Black Cats in Egyptian Mythology, Legends, Superstition and Scottish Lore

For Halloween, I thought a good article would be about black cats and their associations in history, but in a more positive way. I don't believe they bring bad luck. Pascal and Marat were two of my rescues that I kept; they were all black house panthers and loverboys. Marat was my baby that I bottle-fed to keep him alive, but FIP robbed me of him too soon. I cried all the way to the vet, at the vet, and on the cab ride home, brokenhearted, clutching his empty cat carrier. The cab driver shared photos of his three and comforted me with compassion and the understanding only an animal lover could provide. 

Pascal (pronounced Pask-all), "the rask-all," would drool on me if I cuddled him, and he was in my life for 16 years. He was tiny but had a mighty heart full of pure love. He was my road "dog" who was game for every change in my life, loved car rides, hikes, and sitting on my shoulders like a stole. He went right up to my husband when he met him, fell at his feet, and rolled belly up, purring like a mower. He passed the test. All of the rescues who came through were Pascal's, too, and he would play, cuddle, and groom them with patience like my right hand. RIP My babies, and I dedicate this article to them. 

Black cats have been the subject of many myths, legends, and superstitions across different cultures. While black cats are often associated with bad luck and witchcraft in Western cultures, there are many cultures that consider black cats lucky. Here are some cultures that view black cats as good luck: 

Japan: black cats are considered especially lucky for single women and are believed to help them be lucky in love. Japanese Maneki Neko, or "beckoning cat" figurines, often feature black cats and are believed to bring good luck and fortune.

Scotland: the arrival of a black cat outside one's home is an omen of prosperity and good fortune. Scottish lore holds that a black cat's arrival at a new home signifies prosperity. 

France: crossing paths with black cats is believed to mean that something magical will happen. 

Wales: black cats are believed to bring luck to a home and could even be a reliable weather predictor. 

England: it is believed that a black cat crossing your path is a sign of good luck. 

Germany: black cats crossing left to right are considered lucky, but right to left is considered unlucky.

Egyptian mythology also has a connection to black cats. In ancient Egypt, black cats were revered, and they were believed to have supernatural powers. The black cat is said to be a descendant of the Egyptian goddess Bastet. She is an ancient Egyptian goddess who was worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BCE). She was originally a fierce lioness warrior goddess of the sun, worshipped throughout most of ancient Egyptian history. 

Later, she became the cat goddess that is familiar today. Bastet was the daughter of Ra and Isis, and the consort of Ptah, with whom she had a son, Maahes. Bastet became associated with domestic cats, which were revered as her companions and seen as sacred animals. She came to symbolize protection, fertility, and joy. She was easily identifiable in hieroglyphics as the cat-headed woman. She carried her namesake jar and a sistrum, both decorated with feline motifs. Some early depictions of Bastet seem to suggest that she was originally a lioness or lion-headed woman and then later a black cat.

Scottish folklore has many myths and legends surrounding black cats. The Cat Sith is a fascinating creature in Scottish folklore that is known for stealing the souls of the recently dead by walking across their graves. The Cat Sith is a fairy cat of the Sidhe that haunted the Scottish highlands. It is said to be a large black cat with a white spot on its chest. According to folklore, the Cat Sith steals the souls of the recently departed before they can go to the afterlife. The Feil Fadalach, or “late wake,” is a tradition where people play games to distract any Cat Sith that might be lurking and spread catnip in every room except the one containing the corpse to lure it away. They also avoid lighting fires for fear that the warmth would attract a Cat Sith.

The Cat Sith has been portrayed in various forms of popular culture, from video games to literature and film. In the Warriors book series by Erin Hunter, the main characters are feral cats that live in clans and have their own mythology and folklore. The series features a character named Blackstar, who is the leader of ShadowClan and is said to have nine lives, a reference to the Cat Sith's nine lives. In the popular book series The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, there is a character called Cat Sith who is a powerful faerie and a loyal ally to the protagonist, Harry Dresden. Cat Sith is portrayed as a shapeshifter who can transform into a large black cat with a white spot on its chest.

Black cats are fascinating and beautiful creatures that make wonderful pets. They are often overlooked in shelters, and studies show that they are less likely to be adopted than cats with other coat patterns and colors, which is totally ridiculous. Still, they have gotten such a bad rep from the past that people don't even know why they don't want a black cat. Black cats are unique felines that are thought to bring good luck in some cultures, and worthy of love and forever homes.

(photos: Getty, British Museum, Wiki)