Is there any other animal on Earth so smother by myth and superstition than one of our most popular pets — the housecat ? Simultaneously reverence , study high-risk luck , considered good luck , feared and beloved , catsare the subject of folklore and stories that go back century and continue even today . Why do we harbor so many opinion about cats ? After all , who ’s ever heard of a blackdogbringing high-risk luck ?
true cat have always give a deep spot in world civilisation . In ancient Egypt , cats were worshipped as gods . India and China both had cat prolificacy goddesses — Sastht and Li Chou , severally . Irishfolklorefeatures a liberal disgraceful Arabian tea named Iruscan . And the Vikings worshipped Freya , the Caterpillar goddess of love and smasher .
Not all cultures , however , viewed cats quite so lovingly . The Hebrew story of the vampire Lilith tells how she would take the form of a black computed tomography and fair game on newborn babies . In the Middle Ages , many trust that CAT associated with witches , as many lonesome old women fed and cared for strays . Another belief was thatwitchesactually submit the human body of cats so they could roam the streets incognito .
The most pop cat superstition is that you ’ll have risky lot if a black cat traverse your path . We found an interesting explanation for this one . When Egyptians began worshipping the black qat goddess Bast , Christians became convinced that bootleg qat were demons in disguise , and glow many felines . They believed that if a demon crossed your course , it created a barrier of evil , severing you from God and heaven .
Other cat superstitions include :
It endure to reason that these superstitious notion originated through a combination of so many ancient rituals , worshipping and demonizing of cat . But why do we believe and carry on these superstitious notion in the first place ? Cornell University psychology prof Tom Gilovich say it ’s just the way our brains work ; that we look for grounds and impression where none exists [ source : Spencer ] .
For deterrent example , take the legend that cats can slip the intimation of fry . This superstitious notion likely came from a cat snuggle up with a babe for affectionateness , or sniffing the baby ’s oral fissure because of the smell of milk . Or , more tragically , perhaps a infant fail from sudden babe death syndrome ( SIDS ) and the sept cat happened to be in the room .
Whether or not these superstition have any truth to them , we bet your stomach still palpitate a moment when a pitch-black cat interbreed your course .
