I belong to a black cat named Mort-Mort, so I obviously have a squishy place in my heart for cat-shaped balls of fur. Black cats are undeniably witchy, making them the perfect symbol of Halloween. Here’s the story:
In ancient Egypt, cats were considered divine. The goddess Bast was represented in hieroglyphics as a human sized black cat or as a woman with a cat’s head. Bast was the protector (protectress?) of women and children.
Many other goddesses are associated with cats, including Hecate, goddess of witches and Freya, who rode in a chariot drawn by cats. These goddesses were condemned when Christianity became the popular religion and as a result, cats began to be seen as evil.
During the Middle Ages, many people were burned at the stake for being heretics or in league with the Devil. Black cats were considered a sign of the Devil. Often, they were thought to be demons. Unfortunately, black cats were sometimes burned at the stake alongside humans. SO sad, right?
Over time, this fear of the Devil turned into a milder superstition about black cats being unlucky.
In the 19th century, black cats were considered lucky in certain circumstances. Sailors often chose a black cat for the “ship’s cat” (the cat brought on board to control a ship’s rat population) because they were said to ward off drowning and storms. In Victorian England, a black cat walking away from you was considered good luck.
More recently, August 17th was declared Black Cat Appreciation Day.
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P.S. Mort-Mort says hello:
XOXO
