History of Cats Part III
China
The cat as a figure of divinity was also true in China where the Chinese cat god Li Shou was also depicted in a cat form. The petitions and sacrifices made to Li Shou were for pest control and fertility. There is an ancient Chinese myth that relates to the beginning of the world, where the gods appointed cats to oversee the running of their new creation. To make sure that communication was clear, the gods granted cats the power of speech. However, cats were more interested in sleeping beneath the trees and playing with the falling leaves than with the boring task of having to pay attention to the operation of the world.
After the creation, the Gods, returned three times to see how well the cats were doing with their job and all three times were disappointed to find their overseers asleep or at play. Well, on the third visit, the cats explained they had no interest in running the world and asked that human beings take over that position. The power of speech was then taken from the cats and given to humans but, because the humans seemed incapable of understanding the words of the gods, cats remained entrusted with the important task of keeping time and so maintaining order. It was said that one could tell the time of day by looking into a cat’s eyes and to this day this belief is still maintained in China.
Gaze into my eyes and you can see it is feeding time!
In Japan, the famous image of the `Beckoning Cat’ (the figure of a cat with a raised paw) represents the goddess of mercy. The legend says that sitting outside of the temple of Gotoku was a cat with her paw raised in acknowledgment of the emperor who was passing by. The emperor being attracted by the cat’s gesture entered the temple, and at that very moment, lightning struck the very spot where the emperor had been standing. Therefore the cat saved the emperors life and was accorded great honors.
The image of the Beckoning Cat is said to bring good luck when given as a gift and remains a very popular present in Japan. Also, regularly considered a guardian of the home and was thought to be the protector of valuable books. Cats were often given private pagodas for their home in Japan. Cats were considered so valuable that, by the 10th century AD only the nobility could afford to own a cat.
The people of Greece and Rome kept cats in their homes but, the appreciation for the animal as a hunter was not as great in those cultures. Greek and Roman practice were to keep domesticated weasels for pest control. The Romans regarded the cat as a symbol of independence and not as a creature of utility. Cats were kept as pets by both Greeks and Romans and were regarded highly.
A first century AD epitaph of a young girl holding a cat is among the earliest pieces of evidence of cats in Rome. The Greek playwright Aristophanes (446-386 BC) frequently featured cats in his works for comic relief. He coined such phrases as “the cat did it.” Within ancient civilizations, the cat was probably least popular among the Greeks. That is because the Greek goddess Hecate carried the myths of death, darkness, and witches, who was, more commonly associated with the dog. Hecate’s Roman counterpart was the goddess Trivia, associated with sorcery and witchcraft. Much later on, the Greek appreciation for the cat was brought out in the legend that the cat protected the baby Jesus from rodents and snakes. So this accorded the best of spots in a Greek home for the cat but, originally, the cat did not seem to have been regarded highly.
It is said that cats were brought to Europe by the Phoenician traders who smuggled them out of Egypt. It is known that the Phoenicians had extensively traded with every known civilization of the time, so cats could have been spread around the region. Cats were also kept on ships to control rodents during the time of the 15th century AD so most likely, they served the Phoenicians for the same reason. Due to this, it seems most likely the cat was associated with the goddess Hecate. Hecate was associated with the dog, but one story connects the dark goddess with the cat.
There was a Greek myth about Galinthius who was a maid-servant to Heracles’ mother, Alcmene. The story goes that the god Zeus seduced Alcmene, and she became pregnant, giving birth to Heracles. Now Zeus’ wife, Hera, found out about this affair and was prevented from killing Alcmene and Heracles by the cleverness of Galinthius, the maid-servant. Enraged by this, Hera transformed Galinthius into a cat and sent her to the underworld to serve Hecate. This story was made popular by the writer Antoninus Leberalis (2nd century AD) which was read by many up through the 16th century AD. Because of this myth, it associated cats with the darkness, witchcraft, and the underworld. So in time, because of these associations, this would prove very unfortunate for the cat.
Cats as Demonic Figures in history will be in our next issue.
Thank you for reading Kitty Village News.
S&B