Our world is one where science and logic are dominant, but remnants of superstitions can be seen even in the modern age. Why is it that so many cultures across the world have negative superstitions relating to cats? An entry in the London Journal theorizes the rationale behind the negative stereotype; cats “bring to a certain extent the habits of a wild beast into the domestic circle” (G. Vickers 28). While this makes perfect sense, it’s still unclear as how cats went from being a divine symbol in Ancient Egypt, to an omen of misfortune. One reason for this drastic change was due to the cultural differences between the Egyptians and their Roman conquistadors; the Romans considered the Egyptian’s to be pagans and destroyed many temples and religious
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Cats were considered evil creatures that would either do the sorceresses bidding or was even the sorceress in disguise. The Christian church believed cats to be evil by nature and were created by the Devil and sent to our world to assist in his heinous demands. The idea that proclaimed witches could shape shift into felines also originates in Ancient Egypt. It was widely believed that domesticated cats were actually another form of the feline goddess Bastet herself. In Western society today that is so drenched in Christian philosophy, it is made clear where modern superstitions regarding cats come from. An account taking place in 1718 taken from the London Journal explores the supposed evidence behind witches shape shifting into cats. Mr. William Montgomery explains his account with a “legion of cats”; he felt threatened by their presence. In a time of crisis, he attacked them with his sword (Vickers 28). It was later reported that two old women of the community were found dead and a third was found to be severely injured with her leg chopped off (Vickers 28). While in modern times this is hardly evidence of foul play, it was evidence enough to perpetuate the disdain and fear of felines. The Middle Ages brought about a mass hysteria concerning witches and witchcraft in Europe and their colonies; accused witches were executed by the hundreds alongside their “familiars”. …show more content…
In Western culture, very few, if any at all, cats are used in a utilitarian sense; we no longer need to keep them around to kill rodents and protect our food supplies. The modern Western feline has essentially no economic value whatsoever; the way we are using the word domestication has shifted from perpetuating the utilitarian idea of a symbiotic relationship between animal and human to a relationship where, in a utilitarian sense, nothing is gained. In Western society today, domesticated cats are bred with the sole purpose to “exaggerate, diminish, or shape a variety of other characteristics, such as temperament, body shape, fattiness, the possession of horns, muscling, the presence or absence of body hair, and fur and eye color” (Palmer
Cats were considered evil creatures that would either do the sorceresses bidding or was even the sorceress in disguise. The Christian church believed cats to be evil by nature and were created by the Devil and sent to our world to assist in his heinous demands. The idea that proclaimed witches could shape shift into felines also originates in Ancient Egypt. It was widely believed that domesticated cats were actually another form of the feline goddess Bastet herself. In Western society today that is so drenched in Christian philosophy, it is made clear where modern superstitions regarding cats come from. An account taking place in 1718 taken from the London Journal explores the supposed evidence behind witches shape shifting into cats. Mr. William Montgomery explains his account with a “legion of cats”; he felt threatened by their presence. In a time of crisis, he attacked them with his sword (Vickers 28). It was later reported that two old women of the community were found dead and a third was found to be severely injured with her leg chopped off (Vickers 28). While in modern times this is hardly evidence of foul play, it was evidence enough to perpetuate the disdain and fear of felines. The Middle Ages brought about a mass hysteria concerning witches and witchcraft in Europe and their colonies; accused witches were executed by the hundreds alongside their “familiars”. …show more content…
In Western culture, very few, if any at all, cats are used in a utilitarian sense; we no longer need to keep them around to kill rodents and protect our food supplies. The modern Western feline has essentially no economic value whatsoever; the way we are using the word domestication has shifted from perpetuating the utilitarian idea of a symbiotic relationship between animal and human to a relationship where, in a utilitarian sense, nothing is gained. In Western society today, domesticated cats are bred with the sole purpose to “exaggerate, diminish, or shape a variety of other characteristics, such as temperament, body shape, fattiness, the possession of horns, muscling, the presence or absence of body hair, and fur and eye color” (Palmer