The cultural depiction of cats and their relationship to humans is old and stretches back over 9,500 years.
Cat
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
s are featured in the history of many nations, are the subject of legend, and are a favorite subject of artists and writers.
History
It is thought that cats were originally domesticated because they hunted
mice that would eat stored grains, but a recent study found that cats domesticated themselves. They were never specifically sought out for domestication like dogs were but their coexistence with humans naturally developed from the mutually beneficial nature of the relationship, with their hunting protecting the food stores. It was a beneficial situation for both species:
cats got a reliable source of prey, and humans got effortless pest control. This mutually beneficial arrangement began the relationship between cats and humans which continues to this day.
While the exact history of human interaction with cats is still somewhat vague, a shallow grave site discovered in 1983 in
Cyprus, dating to 7500 BCE, during the
Neolithic period, contains the skeleton of a human, buried ceremonially with stone tools, a lump of iron oxide, and a handful of seashells. In its own tiny grave 40 centimeters (18 inches) from the human grave was an eight-month-old cat, its body oriented in the same westward direction as the human skeleton. Cats are not native to Cyprus. This is evidence that cats were being tamed just as humankind was establishing the first settlements in the part of the Middle East known as the
Fertile Crescent.
The lineage of today's cats stems from about 4500 BC and came from Europe and Southeast Asia according to a recent study. Modern cats stem from two major lines of lineage.
Africa
Ancient Egypt
Cats, known in
ancient Egypt as the ''mau'', played a large role in ancient Egyptian society. They were associated with the goddesses
Isis and
Bastet
Bastet or Bast ( egy, bꜣstjt, cop, Ⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥⲧⲉ, Oubaste , Phoenician: 𐤀𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: ’bst, or 𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: bst) was a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (289 ...
.
Cats were
sacred animals and the goddess Bastet was often depicted in cat form, sometimes taking on the war-like aspect of a lioness.
Killing a cat was absolutely forbidden
and the Greek historian
Herodotus reports that, whenever a household cat died, the entire family would mourn and shave their eyebrows.
Families took their dead cats to the sacred city of
Bubastis
Bubastis ( Bohairic Coptic: ''Poubasti''; Greek: ''Boubastis'' or ''Boubastos''), also known in Arabic as Tell-Basta or in Egyptian as Per-Bast, was an ancient Egyptian city. Bubastis is often identified with the biblical ''Pi-Beseth'' ( h ...
,
where they were embalmed and buried in sacred repositories.
Europe
The
kingdom of Cat
Cait or Cat was a Pictish kingdom originating c. AD 800 during the Early Middle Ages. It was centered in what is now Caithness in northern Scotland. It was, according to Pictish legend, founded by Caitt (or Cat), one of the seven sons of the anc ...
was a legendary
Pictish kingdom during the
Early Middle Ages, centred in what is now
Caithness
Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...
in northern
Scotland. The place name ''Caithness'' derives from ''Cait'', which is also preserved in the Gaelic name for
Sutherland (''Cataibh''), in several specific names within that county and in the earliest recorded name for
Shetland (''Inse Catt'', meaning "islands of the Cat people").
[Watson (2005) pp. 29-30]
In
Norse mythology, the goddess
Freyja was associated with cats. Farmers sought protection for their crops by leaving pans of milk in their fields for Freya's special feline companions, the two grey cats who fought with her and pulled her chariot.
Folklore dating back to as early as 1607 tells that a cat will suffocate a newborn infant by putting its nose to the child's mouth, sucking the breath out of the infant.
Black cat
A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay ...
s are generally held to be unlucky in the United States and Western Europe, and to portend good luck in the United Kingdom.
In the latter country, a black cat entering a house or ship is a good omen, and a sailor's wife should have a black cat for her husband's safety on the sea.
Elsewhere, it is considered unlucky if a black cat crosses one's path; black cats have been associated with death and darkness.
White cats, bearing the colour of ghosts, are conversely held to be unlucky in the United Kingdom, while tortoiseshell cats are lucky.
It is common lore that cats have nine lives.
It is a tribute to their perceived durability, their occasional apparent lack of instinct for self-preservation, and their seeming ability to survive falls that would be fatal to other animals.
Cats were seen as good luck charms by actors, and the cats often helped cure the actors' stage fright.
Ancient Greece and Rome
Domestic cats were probably first introduced to Greece and southern Italy in the fifth century BC by the
Phoenicians.
The earliest unmistakable evidence of the Greeks having domestic cats comes from two coins from
Magna Graecia dating to the mid-fifth century BC showing Iokastos and Phalanthos, the legendary founders of
Rhegion
Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label=Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popula ...
and
Taras
Taras may refer to:
Geography
* Taras (ancient city) of Magna Graecia, modern-day Taranto
* Taras, Iran, a village in Tehran province
* Taras, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland
* Taraš, a village in Vojvodina, Serbia
* Taras, Kazakhstan, a village in ...
respectively, playing with their pet cats.
Housecats seem to have been extremely rare among the ancient Greeks and Romans;
the Greek historian
Herodotus expressed astonishment at the domestic cats in Egypt, because he had only ever seen wildcats.
Even during later times,
weasel
Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...
s were far more commonly kept as pets
and weasels, not cats, were seen as the ideal rodent-killers.
The usual ancient Greek word for "cat" was ''ailouros'', meaning "thing with the waving tail",
but this word could also be applied to any of the "various long-tailed carnivores kept for catching mice".
Cats are rarely mentioned in
ancient Greek literature
Ancient Greek literature is literature written in the Ancient Greek language from the earliest texts until the time of the Byzantine Empire. The earliest surviving works of ancient Greek literature, dating back to the early Archaic period, are ...
,
but
Aristotle does remark in his ''
History of Animals'' that "female cats are naturally
lecherous
Lascivious behavior is sexual behavior or conduct that is considered crude and offensive, or contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. In this sense "lascivious" is similar in meaning to "lewd", "indecent", "lecherous", ...
."
The Greek essayist
Plutarch linked cats with cleanliness, noting that unnatural odours could make them mad. Pliny linked them with lust, and
Aesop
Aesop ( or ; , ; c. 620–564 BCE) was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as ''Aesop's Fables''. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales cr ...
with deviousness and cunning.
The Greeks later
syncretized
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, th ...
their own goddess
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified with Sel ...
with the Egyptian goddess
Bastet
Bastet or Bast ( egy, bꜣstjt, cop, Ⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥⲧⲉ, Oubaste , Phoenician: 𐤀𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: ’bst, or 𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: bst) was a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (289 ...
, adopting Bastet's associations with cats and ascribing them to Artemis.
In
Ovid's ''
Metamorphoses
The ''Metamorphoses'' ( la, Metamorphōsēs, from grc, μεταμορφώσεις: "Transformations") is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the w ...
'', when the gods flee to Egypt and take animal forms, the goddess
Diana (the Roman equivalent of Artemis) turns into a cat.
Cats eventually displaced ferrets as the pest control of choice because they were more pleasant to have around the house and were more enthusiastic hunters of mice.
Middle Ages
During the
Middle Ages, many of Artemis' associations with cats were grafted onto the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
.
Cats are often shown in icons of
Annunciation
The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...
and of the
Holy Family and, according to
Italian folklore
Folklore of Italy refers to the folklore and urban legends of Italy. Within the Italian territory, various peoples have followed one another over time, each of which has left its mark on current culture. Some tales also come from Christianization ...
, on the same night that Mary gave birth to
Jesus, a cat in
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital of ...
gave birth to a kitten.
Vikings used cats as rat catchers and companions.
An old Irish poem about an author (a monk) and his cat,
Pangur Bán
"" is an Old Irish poem, written in about the 9th century at or near Reichenau Abbey, in what is now Germany, by an Irish monk about his cat. , 'White Pangur', is the cat's name, possibly meaning 'a fuller'. Although the poem is anonymous, it ...
, was found in a
9th century manuscript. Pangur Bán, 'White Pangur', is the cat's name, Pangur meaning 'a fuller'. In eight verses of four lines each, the author compares the cat's happy hunting with his own scholarly pursuits.
''I and Pangur Ban my cat,''
Tis a like task we are at:''
''Hunting mice is his delight,''
''Hunting words I sit all night.''
A medieval King of Wales,
Hywel Dda (the Good) passed legislation making it illegal to kill or harm a cat.
In Medieval
Ypres, cats were used in the winter months to control the vermin infesting the wool stored in the upper floors of the
Cloth Hall
A cloth hall or linen hall (german: Gewandhaus; pl, Sukiennice; french: Halle aux draps; nl, Lakenhal) is a historic building located in the centre of the main marketplace of a European town. Cloth halls were built from medieval times into the 18 ...
(Lakenhall). At the start of the spring warm-up, after the wool had been sold, the cats were thrown out of the
belfry tower to the town square below, which supposedly symbolised "the killing of evil academics". In today's
Kattenstoet
The ''Kattenstoet'' (lit. "Festival of the Cats") is a parade in Ypres, Belgium, devoted to the cat. It has been held regularly on the second Sunday of May since 1955. Most recently, the 45th edition took place on 13 May 2018, with the next sche ...
(Cat Parade), this was commuted to the throwing of woolen cats from the top of out houses and also the people from the Middle Ages often used to suck on the wool as a sign of good luck.
Renaissance and Victorian depictions
In the
Renaissance, cats were often thought to be
witch
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
es'
familiars in England (for example,
Greymalkin, the first witch's familiar in ''
Macbeths famous opening scene), and during festivities were sometimes
burnt alive or thrown off buildings.
Cats became popular and sympathetic characters in
folk tales such as ''
Puss in Boots''.
[Roberts, Patrick]
"Dick Whittington and his Cat: The myth and the reality"
Fabled Felines, purr-n-fur.org (2008) One English folk tale in which a cat is given a role of a friend who was betrayed is ''
Dick Whittington and His Cat'', which has been adapted for many stage works, including plays,
musical comedies and
pantomimes. It tells of a poor boy in the 14th century, based on the real-life
Richard Whittington, who becomes a wealthy merchant and eventually the
Lord Mayor of London because of the ratting abilities of his cat. There is no historical evidence that Whittington had a cat,
In the tale, Dick Whittington, a poor orphan finds work at the great house of Mr. Fitzwarren, a rich merchant. His little room infested with rats, Dick acquires a cat, who drives off the rats. One day, Mr. Fitzwarren asked his servants if they wished to send something in his ship, leaving on a journey to a far off port, to trade for gold. Dick decided to sell his only close friend, his cat. In the far-off court, Dick's cat had become a hero by driving very troublesome vermin from the royal court. When Fitzwarren's ship returned, it was loaded with riches. Dick was a rich man. He joined Mr. Fitzwarren in his business and married his daughter Alice, and in time became the Lord Mayor of London.
Russia
Unlike Western countries, cats have been considered good luck in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
for centuries. Owning a cat, and especially letting one into a new house before the humans move in, is said to bring good fortune. Cats in Orthodox Christianity are the only animals that are allowed to enter the temples. Also, cats an integral attribute of Russian Orthodox monasteries. According to Russian law, a huge fine was imposed for killing a cat, the same as for a horse or ox.
Many cats have guarded the
Hermitage Museum/
Winter Palace continually, since
Empress Elizabeth's reign, when she was presented by the city of
Kazan in
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan (russian: Республика Татарстан, Respublika Tatarstan, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə tətɐrˈstan; tt-Cyrl, Татарстан Республикасы), or simply Tatarstan (russian: Татарстан, tt ...
five of their best mousers to control the palace's rodent problem. They lived pampered lives and even had special servants until the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...
, after which they were cared for by volunteers. Now, they are again looked after by employees. In modern-day Russia there is a group of cats at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. They have their own press secretary, with about 74 cats of both genders roaming the museum.
Asia
China
Cats that were favored pets during the Chinese
Song Dynasty were long-haired cats for catching rats, and cats with yellow-and-white fur called 'lion-cats', who were valued simply as cute pets.
[Gernet, 48.][Gernet, 122–123.] Cats could be pampered with items bought from the market such as "cat-nests", and were often fed fish that were advertised in the market specifically for cats.
Japan
In
Japanese folklore, cats are often depicted as
supernatural entities, or .
The ''
maneki-neko
The ''maneki-neko'' (招き猫, ) is a common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. In modern times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic. The figurine depicts a cat, traditionally a calico Japanese Bo ...
'' of Japan is a figurine often believed to bring good luck to the owner. Literally the ''beckoning cat'', it is often referred to in English as the "good fortune" or "good luck" cat. It is usually a sitting cat with one of its paws raised and bent, its left paw be. Legend in Japan has it that a cat waved a paw at a Japanese landlord, who was intrigued by this gesture and went towards it. A few seconds later a lightning bolt struck where the landlord had been previously standing. The landlord attributed his good fortune to the cat's fortuitous action. A symbol of good luck hence, it is most often seen in businesses to draw in money. In Japan, the flapping of the hand is a "come here" gesture, so the cat is beckoning customers.
There is also a small cat shrine () built in the middle of the
Tashirojima island. In the past, the islanders raised silkworms for silk, and cats were kept in order to keep the mouse population down (because mice are a natural predator of silkworms). Fixed-net fishing was popular on the island after the Edo Period and fishermen from other areas would come and stay on the island overnight. The cats would go to the inns where the fishermen were staying and beg for scraps. Over time, the fishermen developed a fondness for the cats and would observe the cats closely, interpreting their actions as predictions of the weather and fish patterns. One day, when the fishermen were collecting rocks to use with the fixed-nets, a stray rock fell and killed one of the cats. The fishermen, feeling sorry for the loss of the cat, buried it and enshrined it at this location on the island.
This is not the only cat shrine in Japan, however. Others include Nambujinja in the
Niigata Prefecture and one at the entrance of
Kyotango City,
Kyoto.
Another Japanese legend of cats is the
nekomata
''Nekomata'' (original form: , later forms: , , ) are a kind of cat '' yōkai'' described in Japanese folklore, classical kaidan, essays, etc. There are two very different types: those that live in the mountains and domestic cats that have grown ...
: when a cat lives to a certain age, it grows another tail and can stand up and speak in a human language.
Hello Kitty, created by
Yuko Yamaguchi
is a Japanese character designer and illustrator. She is well known as the third character designer of Hello Kitty.
Biography Early life
Yamaguchi was born in Kōchi, Kōchi, Japan. She attended Joshibi University of Art and Design where she stud ...
, is a contemporary cat icon. The character made its debut in 1974 and has since become a global staple of Japanese culture; the merchandise is available all over the world. According to
Sanrio, the official licenser, designer, and producer of Hello Kitty merchandise, the character is a cartoon version of a little girl. In her fictional life, she is from the outskirts of
London and a part of the Sanrio universe.
Islam
Although no species are sacred in Islam,
cats are revered by Muslims. Some Western writers have stated
Muhammad had a favorite cat,
Muezza. He is reported to have loved cats so much that, "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it".
The story has no origin in early Muslim writers, and seems to confuse a story of a later
Sufi saint,
Ahmed ar-Rifa'i, centuries after Muhammad.
Modern culture
Cats have also featured prominently in modern culture. For example, a cat named Mimsey was used by
MTM Enterprises as their mascot and features in their logo as a spoof of the
MGM lion.
By 1990, the ''
New York Times'' said that cats had become the most popular subject depicted on gift items (such as coasters, napkins, jewelry, and bookends), and that an estimated 1,000 stores in the United States sold nothing but cat-related items.
On the Internet,
cats frequently appear often as
memes and other humor; and on social media people frequently post pictures of their own cats.
Other
*In
Celtic Mythology
Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples.Cunliffe, Barry, (1997) ''The Ancient Celts''. Oxford, Oxford University Press , pp. 183 (religion), 202, 204–8. Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed a ...
, a
Cat Sith
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
is a fairy cat, sith or sidhe (both pronounced shee) meaning fairy.
*In
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, the patron saint of cats is Saint
Gertrude of Nivelles
Gertrude of Nivelles, OSB (also spelled ''Geretrude'', ''Geretrudis'', ''Gertrud''; c. 628 – 17 March 659) was a seventh-century abbess who, with her mother Itta, founded the Abbey of Nivelles, now in Belgium.
Life Family and childhood
The ea ...
.
* The
Cat Duet (
Duetto buffo di due gatti), attributed to
Rossini, is a popular performance piece for two
sopranos, whose "lyrics" consist entirely of the repeated word "miau" ("
meow").
See also
*
List of fictional cats
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
List of individual cats
This is a list of famous cats which achieved some degree of popularity either in their own right or by association with someone famous.
Before the modern era
* Nedjem or Nojem ( Egyptian: ''nḏm'' "Sweet One" or "Sweetie"), 15th century BC. The ...
*
Jaguars in Mesoamerican cultures
The representation of jaguars in Mesoamerican cultures has a long history, with iconographic examples dating back to at least the mid-Formative period of Mesoamerican chronology.
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is an animal with a prominent assoc ...
*
Lion (heraldry)
The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valour, because historically the lion has been regarded as the "king of beasts". The lion also carries Judeo-Christ ...
*
Cultural depictions of dogs
*
Ship's cat
*
Shashthi
*
Cats and the Internet
Images and videos of domestic cats make up some of the most viewed content on the World Wide Web, particularly image macros in the form of lolcats. ThoughtCatalog has described cats as the "unofficial mascot of the Internet".
The subject h ...
Notes
References
*Gernet, Jacques (1962). ''Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250–1276''. Translated by H.M. Wright. Stanford: Stanford University Press. .
*Dodge, Alleine (1949). ''Nine lives: an exhibition of the cat in history and art'', New York: Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration
archive.org
Further reading
*
The Cat and the Human Imagination' by Katharine M. Rogers; Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1998. .
*
Revered and Reviled: A Complete History of the Domestic Cat'by L.A. Vocelle; Great Cat Publications: 2016.
External links
The Complete History of the Domestic Cat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cultural Depictions Of Cats
Cultural depictions of animals