Black Cats a symbol of the occult, or of good fortune?
On International Black Cat Day apart from celebrating the companionship these black beauties of the feline world, it’s an opportunity to reflect on their history steeped in legend, myth and witchcraft, becoming a symbol of Halloween.
The Celts who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1 This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death.
Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31st they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
Over centuries, this ancient tradition evolved into Halloween where the connection to witches and black cats as symbols of Halloween and an extension to the occult remains.
Black cats as a symbol of the occult dates as far back as the 13th century when an official church document called ‘Vox in Rama’ was issued by Pope Gregory IX on June 13, 1233. In this, black cats were declared an incarnation of Satan!
Cats also made an appearance in Greek mythology, specifically Hecate, the goddess of magic, sorcery, the moon and witchcraft, was described as having a cat as both a pet and a ‘familiar’ (a supernatural creature that assists a witch), according to European folklore.
During the Middle Ages, it wasn’t uncommon for cats to be killed, given their association with evil. Some people even went as far as blaming cats for spreading the bubonic plague and used that as another reason to get rid of them. However, their ill-conceived plan backfired.
With a healthy dose of irony, the killing of the cats helped fuel the spread of the plague. With the reduced number of cats to control the rodent population the disease spread rapidly.
Given the belief in medieval Europe that the devil and witches were capable of taking the form of black cats, it makes sense that the superstition surrounding crossing their paths developed. Therefore, a black cat crossing your path might very well be on a mission from a witch! Just as easily, it could be the devil in disguise—and no one wants to cross paths with the devil.
This explains why a black cat crossing your path is considered a bad omen in many cultures. But the idea that black cats are bad luck isn’t universal. In fact, some cultures believe that black cats bring good luck.
Their resemblance to the cat-goddess Bastet led them to be honoured in ancient Egypt. In other countries, such as Scotland and Japan, they have been known to represent prosperity. In Scandinavia when a black cat crosses your path it’s deemed to be assign of good fortune.
Apparently, whether a black cat is viewed as a benevolent creature or an evil supernatural force is entirely based on whichever folk-lore you’re likely to embrace.
As crazy as it seems in our modern-day world, black cats remain in rescue centres longer down to the se ancient folklores and superstitions surrounding them. Coupled with the sad truth that both black cats and black dogs are harder to photograph and as such may be less popular in our world driven by social media images.
Even if black cats were associated with witchcraft in medieval times, witches were associated with nature, natural remedies, and had a reputation for rebelling against the church and society.
Being outcasted by establishment is nothing new, and if black cats represent the rebellious or even an underdog, then they’ll always remain a part of culture as daring to be different. Standing out no matter certain biases, as stunning in their own right.
