Yellow beady eyes, sharp claws, and a sleek black coat. The black cat is infamous for its apparent bad luck. Some say they are witches’ familiars or witches themselves; others say that they are Satan in disguise.
In ancient Egypt, cats were once revered and worshiped as gods. The black cat’s resemblance to the cat-goddess Bastet led them to be honored and worshipped by ancient Egyptians. In other countries, such as Japan and Scotland, black cats are associated with prosperity and good fortune. It was not until in the 13th century that they were seen as demonic and symbols of bad luck across Europe and later America due to colonization.
In her article for History, Elizabeth Yuko states that the origin for the black cat superstitions originates from the 13th century. “Vox in Rama” was an official church document issued by Pope Gregory IX where he declared that black cats were an incarnation of Satan. The Pope did this in hopes to get rid of Luciferian cults in Germany. Cats, just like witches, are known to be independent creatures who tend to disobey authority. As the church grew, the more they saw witches, and anything associated with them as a threat. They began to torture and kill witches as well as their feline friends.
In the middles ages, some people went as far as blaming cats for the spread of the Bubonic plague. It was common to kill cats during this time out of resentment and fear. (Ironic that the Bubonic plague is nicknamed “The Black Death”). However, this plan backfired, and black cats finally got their revenge. It is well known that what caused the rapid spreading of the plague was rats. It is even more well known that the rodents happen to be a cat’s preferred snack. What an un-fur-tunate turn of events.
Comments by Kennedy Stewart