Thousands of years ago, cats of all colors enjoyed the good life in ancient Egypt, where killing a cat was associated with a quick death sentence. A few millennia later, pagan customs and traditions were overthrown by Christianity, which spread throughout Europe.
This included slanderous members of the pagan religion, such as the Roman goddess Diana, as well as the cat, which was symbolic of paganism, witchcraft, and goddesses.
Superstition, prejudice, bringer of good or bad luck
Black cats are often a symbol of Halloween or witchcraft. In most Western cultures, black cats have generally been seen as a symbol of ill omens, especially they are believed to be familiars of witches or to be shape-shifting witches. Most of Europe considers the black cat to be a symbol of bad luck, especially when it crosses in front of a person, which is considered to be a harbinger of bad luck and death.
In Germany, some believe that black cats crossing a person's path from right to left are a bad omen, but from left to right the cat bestows auspicious moments.
The black cat in folklore could transform into human form to act as a spy or messenger for witches or demons. When the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, they brought with them a deep faith in the Bible. They also brought with them a growing distrust of anything seen as Satan, and were deeply suspicious of other Christians, including Catholics, Quakers, Anglicans, and Baptists. Pilgrims viewed the black cat as a companion or familiar to witches, who were said to "use black cats as part of their trade." [unreliable source?] This superstition has led people to kill black cats. There is no evidence in England of regular large-scale killing of "satanic" cats or their burning at the stake in midsummer, as has sometimes happened in other parts of Europe. Today, many people in the West, including Christian ministers, keep black cats as pets, and few associate them with superstition.
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| Black Cat casting call, Los Angeles, 1961. The studio was looking for cats for the Roger Corman film Tales of Terror. |
On the other hand, the supernatural powers attributed to black cats have sometimes been viewed positively; For example, sailors considering a "ship's jack" would want a black one, as it would bring good luck. Fishermen's wives also sometimes kept black cats at home in the hope that they could use their influence to protect their men at sea (see ship's cat). In the folklore of Chiloé in southern Chile, black cats are an important item needed for the Carbunclo treasure hunt.
In the early days of television in the United States, many stations on VHF channel 13 used a mascot black cat to amuse themselves on an "unlucky" channel number. Ironically, the black cat superstition persists to this day, and the only ones it brings bad luck to are the black cats themselves. According to the ASPCA, black cats are adopted from animal shelters more often than any other cat. color. But they are actually more accepted. Although these fearsome kitties make up the majority of the facility's cats, they also contribute to the adoption of a large number of felines.
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| As a positive omen in Britain and Ireland |
But not all are good news. Because so many black cats end up in shelters, even more end up in long-term euthanasia. Although we can't say for sure, the myths surrounding black cats and bad luck could play a role in why so many of them end up in animal shelters. And come on, we know these cute kitties aren't really witches, right?
Anarcho-syndicalism
Black has been associated with anarchism since the 1880s. The black cat in an alert fighting stance was later adopted as an anarchist symbol.
Specifically, the black cat, often referred to as the "sab cat" or "tabby sabo", is associated with anarcho-syndicalism, a branch of anarchism focused on organizing workers, including the use of wildcat strikes.
In court testimony at a 1918 trial of world-leading industrial workers, Ralph Chaplin, who is widely credited with creating the IWW's black cat symbol, said [citation needed] that the black cat was commonly used by children as a representation of the idea of sabotage.
The idea is to scare the employer by mentioning the name Sabotage or putting a black cat somewhere. You know, when you see a black cat walking your way, you think if you're superstitious you're going to have a little bad luck. The idea of sabotage is to use a little black cat against the boss.
Space Shuttle program
When the space shuttle program's mission naming system was revised to avoid a Space Transportation System (STS)-13, some associated it with superstition and Apollo 13. The crew of what would have been STS-13 (which turned out to be STS-41C) made a humorous mission patch that included a black cat and a number 13.
The mission was successful and he even landed on Friday the 13th. The other main reason for the new numbering system was to better accommodate a much larger number of pitches.
The UK government has adopted several molting cats from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. Gladstone is best known as Chief Mouser of HM Treasury. India, also known as Willie, was a presidential cat owned by George W. Bush and Laura Bush, who lived with them in the White House.
Trim sailed with Matthew Flinders when he charted the Australian coastline between 1801 and 1803. Trim now accompanies him on various statues in Australia and England. Hodge (fl. c. 1769) was a cat owned by Samuel Johnson. Most of what is known about Hodge comes from James Boswell's biography, and a statue of Hodge stands in front of Dr. Johnson's house.
Oscar the "bionic" cat had his hind legs cut off by a combine harvester while he slept in a field in Jersey. He flew to the UK and had prostheses fitted in a groundbreaking operation in 2010.