CAT O' NINE TALES

Not that one.

I know, the spelling is ‘cat o’ nine tails’ but I enjoy the play on ‘tales’, however, we are not talking about this particular nasty object.

You can learn more about that, here.

This Tale is about Cats.

Our furry friends. Our pets who control us, love us, drive us crazy, eat our homework (mine did!)

So, when I had the idea of writing about cats because they are so prominent in my novels, I was totally unprepared (as usual) for the amount of information out there – just on CATS.

The Medieval period:

cats were hated!

William Caxton wrote, “the devyl playeth ofte with the synnar, lyke as the catte doth with the mous.”

And there you have it: the devil plays often with the sinner. like the cat does with a mouse.

So even when the cat was doing its duty and keeping down the vermin, the poor animal still couldn’t win.

The Middle East:

Evidence shows that cats were domesticated in Mesopotamia 10,000 years ago! That’s modern-day Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey, and Syria. Farmers encouraged them to hang around to keep vermin from their stored crops.

Check out this great story from Brittney Boroweic, McMaster University

Cats are like tiny, judgmental camels…

The East has always maintained its affection for cats.

Why are there so many cats in Istanbul?

Again, check out this fascinating story.https://www.legalnomads.com/istanbul-cats/

Muhammad had a favourite cat called Muezza.

There are several well-known tales about Muezza. One says that the cat saved Muhammad from the deadly bite of a venomous snake. Another relates a time when Muezza was asleep on Muhammad’s robe when the call to prayers sounded. Although most people would have simply shooed away the cat, Muhammad instead cut off the sleeve of his robe so Muezza could rest in peace. He then stroked Muezza three times to grant him the ability to land on his feet under any circumstances and also gave him seven lives.

The Egyptians:

Egyptians did not worship cats, but they did believe that cats held divine energy within them. The most widespread belief was that domestic cats carried the divine essence of Bastet (or Bast), the cat-headed goddess who represented fertility, domesticity, music, dance and pleasure.

Wikepedia

Killing a cat brought the death penalty.

Now This is Cool:

The ancient Egyptian word for cat, written with the letters “MW,” was pronounced “mew.” Isn’t that what cats say? Some Egyptian parents named their children after cats, particularly girl names like Mit and Miut.

Cats were even mummified.

Credit: Justin Ennis, Flickr

This is the Viking Goddess Freya who features hugely in my second novel, ‘Sailing to Byzantium‘,

Freya is the Goddess of love in Norse mythology, but she is also associated with sex, lust, beauty, sorcery, fertility, gold, war and death.

As shown in the picture, she loves cats and two large males pull her chariot.

In my story, Mistress Wistowe, a witch and wise woman, calls on Goddess Freya several times to save them. She and Annie also use their cats, Bea and Rosamund to represent Freya’s cats.

As I’m talking about Sailing to Byzantium, here is the new cover: drum roll, please.

Soon to be available. See note below.

And then along came…

Pope Gregory IX (13 century)…

… did not like cats. He believed cats embodied the devil, Lucifer himself. A member of his Inquisition had informed him that a heretic cult existed in Europe that used black cats in their ceremonies. This sect had taken its inspiration from the legend of the Nordic goddess of sexuality, Freya, written down in 1220. Goodbye, black cats and any woman who owned one. The witch-hunting season had begun.

Cats were also blamed for causing The Black Death – the Plague. Goodbye again, cats. Pity, because they killed the rats that carried the fleas.

So now you know. Cats were hated so much in Medieval Europe that even in pictures they were ugly.

mymodernmet.com

This hatred of cats lasted at least 300 years in the West.

But cat lovers unite. Times have changed…

Cat Population by Country 2024

Cats are one of the most beloved and widespread pets globally, with their population exceeding 1 billion. This vast number includes around 100 million wild cats, such as cougars, lions, and tigers. A significant portion, approximately 480 million, comprises stray cats, while over 350 million cats live comfortably in homes with their human companions.

World Population Review.

Tigerlily

Tigger

My two cats. Now deceased but much loved and missed. Tigerlily, came to us barefoot and pregnant – with Tigger. Tigerlily, having lived wild, never left our yard and never hunted. Tigger loved to go for long walks with me. Go figure!

Frustration

On a more weary subject; I am in the l-o-o-ng process of attempting to remove my ‘old’ books online to replace them with my revised books, including covers and copy. As the first three were traditionally published, I am relying on my former publisher to join the party. Until then, I am unable to share a link.

If you enjoyed this Tale, remember the heart.

See you soon for more Tales from York Cottage