Black Cats: Luck Or Bad Luck?
Want to know why black cats are associated with bad luck? Where did this superstition originate? Read on to learn more about it.
Black cats in ancient times
We have to travel back in time to ancient Egypt in order to trace this question. Cats were very popular pets back then because they were very helpful in fighting rats.
A goddess named Bastet, who looked like a cat, was even worshiped. The killing of cats was punishable by death!
Pharaohs were often buried with their cats, and the animals were given a very important place in royal cemeteries. They were very important in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.
In the hieroglyphs, too, there is more than just a cat figure.
Cats were also very important to the Greeks, which is why they spread throughout Europe. But how did it come to be believed that black cats bring bad luck?
Why is it believed that black cats bring bad luck?
We continue our journey through time into the Middle Ages. The Catholic Church had a lot of power and influence over society. At the end of the 12th century , the Inquisition began in France, in which many were accused of witchcraft and heresy.
Many single, mysterious women were accused of being witches, persecuted and ended up at the stake. Black cats were also hunted because many believed they were used for witchcraft.
Cats are actually mysterious, reserved animals that often hide from humans. They are more independent and not as affectionate as dogs. Therefore, many thought that it was enchanted witches who tried to escape the pyre in this way.
Black cats and the plague
The first document linking black cats with witchcraft and heresy dates back to the 13th century. In this document , Pope Gregory IX pointed out that these animals are associated with the devil.
Because of this, society began to be afraid of cats and, like witches, tried to destroy them: through torture and fire.
Since the cat population had decreased significantly, it did not take long for the rats to reproduce. This also resulted in an increasing number of often fatal diseases. The black plague, also known as bubonic plague, claimed over 25 million lives across Europe within 3 years.
At the time, it was not known that the cause was a rat-borne parasite. Since cats are the natural hunters of rodents, they have been linked to the epidemic.
The killing of these animals almost led to their extinction in 1400. Nobody was aware that this was precisely why the rats reproduced wildly and the plague spread.
More interesting facts about black cats
In 1560, in the English county of Linolnshire, a man and his son were walking down the street at night and met a cat with dark fur.
When the animal was hiding in a corner, the man began throwing stones at it to kill it. Wounded and helpless, the cat ran to the house of a single woman suspected of being a witch.
The next day it was seen that the woman had wounds and bruises. People concluded that it was the cat that had been wounded that night.
Many still believe that a black cat coming from the left is a sign of bad luck. Even in the time of Halloween, black cats still play an important role.
