The Story Of The Cat, Incredible But True!
The history of the cat and its relationship with humans began a long time ago, probably around 7,000 years before Christ. Since then, no other animal has experienced such a changing relationship with humans.
It takes far more than a short article to talk about the many interpretations of the cat in history. But today we will try to highlight the most important moments in order to shed a little more light on the relationship between humans and cats throughout history.
The cat in ancient Egypt
The story of the cat in ancient Egypt is often linked to the goddess Bastet, also known as “the star Sirius”. The representations of this divinity have always been associated with cats. She was depicted as a black cat or as a woman with a cat’s head.
The cult of the goddess Bastet was particularly widespread in the ancient city of Bubastis, where numerous mummified cats were found. It is believed that these cats were considered to be the incarnations of the goddess Bastet herself.
Therefore, after their death, they were worthy of the mummification ritual to which only the nobles and pharaohs had access.
In ancient Egypt , the goddess Bastet was the protector of the house and pregnant women. She also had the power to drive away evil spirits. Thanks to her guardian spirit, Bastet had a loving and peaceful side. But she also showed a hard and headstrong face.
In addition to the development in science , Egyptian civilization was also distinguished by its love and respect for animals. Even ancient civilizations, such as the Greeks, mention with astonishment the Egyptians’ habit of sharing their homes with animals and considering them part of their family.
The attempt at domestication in ancient Egypt was most successful with cats. Obviously, mutual respect for the freedom and independence of each individual was the key to strengthening the relationship between humans and cats in Egyptian society.
The story of the cat in the flood
The Flood is one of the most famous biblical stories and there are many different versions of it. It’s the story of Noah and his family. You will receive a mission from God to build a huge ark to save a couple of every kind from the great flood on earth.
But what many do not know is that the story of Noah’s Ark is also one of the oldest versions of how cats were made. If you stick to the original narrative, you will see that Noah never took a pair of cats into his ark.
For one simple reason: it doesn’t seem that cats have existed on the entire planet.
However , Noah is said to have been surprised by the rapid increase in rats. These then became a problem due to the limited food supplies. Not knowing how to solve this problem, Noah asks God to guide him. The latter tells him to stroke the lion’s head three times in a row.
Without fully understanding divine instruction, Noah strokes the big cat’s head. After the third caress, the lion sneezes heavily and, to Noah’s great surprise, throws out a pair of cats through his nostrils.
The kittens quickly seem to have understood their purpose on the boat and were able to control the overpopulation of the rodents thanks to their natural hunting talent.
The cat in the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages were undoubtedly the cruelest time that the velvet paws experienced after their approach to humans . For more than 10 centuries, cats – especially black ones – were persecuted and burned at the stake for their alleged relationship with witchcraft.
In the extreme years one could even find references to cats as “satanic beings”. Their behavior, their nocturnal habits, and even the myth of the seven lives have been linked to heretical activities.
Among the many misconceptions about the cat in the Middle Ages , it has been said that their eyes lit up the darkest nights for the witches’ satanic rituals.
Another popular legend was that the devil himself took the form of a black cat to mingle with people.
Unfortunately , there are still many who fear these false rumors or consider black cats to be bad luck charms.
