Magicats - Why do witches have cats?

The popular image of a witch wearing a pointed hat and riding through the Halloween sky just wouldn’t be complete without a graceful black cat sharing her broomstick. But why do witches always have a cat? Why has this animal come to symbolise magic and witchcraft?

Home is where the cat is

Some people say there is no such thing as a genuinely domestic cat, but we have evidence to suggest that cats were first domesticated a very long time ago. As skilled hunters they have always been useful for protecting food from rodents, so it’s no surprise that they were useful inhabitants in ancient settlements (like a lodger who knows Karate, or can figure out how to use the Sky remote, ed). Archaeologists on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus uncovered a 9,500-year-old human gravesite that contained the carefully buried remains of a cat. As pet cats go, it is possible this Neolithic feline is the earliest example we have.

The oldest stories of cats with special powers come from ancient Egypt. A number of Egyptian gods were represented by big cats, such as lions, but in her later form the goddess Bastet was portrayed with the head of a domestic cat. She was the goddess of protection. It was thought that if you kept a cat, Bastet would favour you and protect your home. When a cat died in ancient Egypt it was carefully mummified and buried in a special cemetery. Its owners would even shave off their eyebrows as a sign that they were in mourning. Cats were so important to the ancient Egyptians that you could be put to death for killing one, even if you’d done so by accident. 

Bastet statuette, 664–30 BC. Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bastet statuette, 664–30 BC. Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The cat’s whiskers… well, until the milk turns sour

Bastet was not the only goddess associated with cats. To the Romans, cats represented freedom and they came to be linked with Libertas, the goddess of liberty. In northern Europe, Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, beauty and magic was said to drive a chariot pulled by two cats. This connection between cats and magical female goddesses grew over a very long time, but it was in medieval Europe that cats began to be associated with witches and the devil. It was believed that people who practised witchcraft were helped by demons called familiars, which took the form of small animals, often cats. Cat ownership was often considered evidence of witchcraft. These superstitions not only led to the trials and occasional executions of people who were believed to be witches, but also to the deaths of the cats thought to be their familiars. 

Freyja drives her cat chariot. Emil Doepler, ca. 1905. Walhall, die Götterwelt der Germanen. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

FUN FACT TRUMPETS

  • A cat is more likely to survive a fall from ten storeys than two. The longer fall means it has more time to use its righting reflex – the instinctive ability to twist its body so it’s the right way up when landing!

 

  • Cats’ noses are covered in a pattern of bumps and ridges which are completely unique, just like our fingerprints.

 

  • Cats are venerated (greatly respected) in the Islamic faith and it is said that the Prophet Muhammad banned the harming of cats.

Cats on the water

European cultures have also had long-held beliefs that cats could predict the weather. It was thought that their heightened senses could tell if the conditions were about to change. Indeed it could be that their delicate inner ears are sensitive to variations in atmospheric pressure. Nowhere was this ‘magic’ power more important than on board ships, where stormy weather could be extremely dangerous. Many cats were kept on ships, not only to catch mice, but also because it was believed that they could protect sailors from storms. Sailors are a superstitious bunch. 

Most people no longer believe that cats are demons in disguise, but there remain a number of superstitions that are associated with our feline friends, particularly those with black fur. 

Depending on where in the world they are, black cats might bring good or bad luck. In Britain and Ireland they are thought to bring good fortune to anybody whose path they cross. In the rest of Europe and the United States of America, a black cat is considered unlucky. In Germany, the luck of the black cat depends on the direction it’s going in. If it crosses your path from left to right, congratulations. Buy a lottery ticket. If it crosses your path from right to left, well, avoid low-hanging light fittings.

Crew of the sailing ship Clan Macpherson taken on deck, Puget Sound port, Washington, ca. 1904.. Wilhelm Hester, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Black cats get all the action

In lots of cultures black panthers have also been revered as mysterious and symbolic. These beautiful big cats have symbolised death and rebirth; the protector of the universe; the Moon and also the ‘feminine’ in everything. Even today the black panther is a symbol of strength and power. Its image is used by sports teams, political parties and by military regiments.

Zoological Society of London: a black panther. Coloured etching by H. Canton after W. Panormo., CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

FUN FACT TRUMPETS

  • An orange tabby cat called Stubbs was the elected mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska for 20 years.

 

  • It is now believed that cats purr to self-soothe as well as being a sign of contentment.

The lucky cat

In Japan the Maneki Neko, or Beckoning Cat, is a beautifully decorated figurine that raises its paw to summon good luck or money for its owners. There are many different stories in Japanese folklore about the origins of these popular lucky cats. Different coloured Maneki Neko statues signify different meanings: gold is for wealth, black is for good health and white is for happiness. 

Cats have lived alongside humans for a very long time and they continue to inhabit a very special place in folkloric traditions from all over the world. Next time you see a cat, no matter what colour it is or what direction it’s coming from, why not allow it to bring a little bit of magic into your day? 

Maneki Neko. Gotokuji Temple. Laika ac from UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

FUN FACT TRUMPETS

  • A group of cats is called a clowder or a glaring. A group of kittens is called a litter or a kindle.

 

  • Ailurophobia is the name for the fear of cats. An ailurophile is a person who loves cats.

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Words: Frances Durkin. Illustration: Jasmine Floyd