Myths about cats were created by the inhabitants of Asia, Africa, Europe, and the ancient Slavs.

Slavic myths

In Slavic religion, the central deity was Veles - the god of poetry, livestock and agriculture. Veles' constant companion was the cat Bayun - a furry monster with a magical voice that could be heard seven miles away. He sits on an iron pillar and lures the heroes with tales, after which he eats them. However, the one who managed to catch a cat and tame it found salvation from all illnesses and ailments, since Bayun’s fairy tales became healing for its owner.

Very often, cats in Slavic mythology are mentioned in close connection with the ovinnik and the brownie, who reincarnated into cats or communicated with them. Cats, for example, willingly shared their meals with their keepers, for example, milk, which they were not averse to enjoying.

And in the Ural factory legends that Bazhov wrote, a certain Green Cat is often mentioned. Residents of the Urals believed that this fantastic creature lives deep underground, and only its fiery red ears stick out on the surface. If a person saw these ears, it means he was lucky enough to find a magical treasure. Apparently, these legends appeared because of the lights glowing in the mountain voids.

Totem cat

People whose subconscious is connected with the character of cats are sweet, but independent, and what are called “walking on their own.”

These people are very clean and love their own body, both women and men prefer to take care of themselves, know how to take care of themselves, and are independent.

The health of these people seriously depends on the quality of sleep - with such a totem it is necessary to get a good night's sleep, this perfectly harmonizes the nervous system. Another aspect is sexual , this topic often becomes the most intrusive in their lives, but it is also a powerful driving force for their growth and development.

Cat painting by St. Petersburg artist Vladimir Rumyantsev

A person who has a cat totem has instinct and intuition, often hypersensitive abilities, and can clearly distinguish for himself Good and Evil, good and bad energy, light and dark people. He himself gravitates more towards one or the other pole.

They are curious and nosy, they love news and want to see and hear everything first. But they don’t aspire to be leaders; it’s more convenient for them to sit next to the leader, receiving all the benefits and bringing benefit with their talents and skills.

People who have a cat totem have good energy and can awaken their magical abilities and engage in various kinds of spiritual practices. Remember? - “There is no stronger beast than a cat!”

Woman with cat totem

- a girl-girl, very desirable for the male sex, she feels great potential - sexual and partner.

Feline flexibility and dexterity, grace are the qualities of true women who know how to enjoy life and attract men into their company.

The cat woman gets everything she wants with softness and affection, cunning and patience, and at the same time she knows how to arrange relationships so well that she will never allow herself to be offended. Otherwise, there is a reason to release her claws, which are quite sharp. Brunette cats are especially dangerous, they are absolutely on their own and very insidious, they do not forgive insults.

Cat painting by St. Petersburg artist Vladimir Rumyantsev

A woman whose cat is an animal of power has a developed maternal instinct, gets pregnant easily and loves to fuss with children. She is caring and knows how to instill in her offspring the necessary life skills.

She chooses professions where there will be a demand for her internal qualities - instinct, understanding of people, she can become a consultant and expert in various issues. She does not want a strict regime of professional activity; she prefers to work under a contract, in freelancing mode. Knows how to adapt, find loopholes and the best options for implementation in any event.

Men having a cat totem

– in their youth they are very active, striving for more and more new adventures. They know how to talk and captivate girls, value variety, and often have several love affairs at the same time.

They prefer to communicate with women; they have few male friends. In companies he is a pleasant and funny joker, attractive and sincere.

Cat painting by St. Petersburg artist Vladimir Rumyantsev

As they get older, they become lazier, agree to start a family, but are not averse to going “left” on occasion, without depressing themselves with doubts and feelings of guilt.

Cats, in general, love such living conditions when other people do everything for them, and they can come to a ready-made situation and decorate and ennoble it.

They work well in positions where commercial talent - a kind of merchant master who knows how to find an approach and cajole (mur-mur-mur) any potential partner or customer.

Their second talent is the ability to understand people and sense danger , so they find themselves in internal security services, especially commercial institutions. “Rats” - they smell it!

Kote the Pied Piper

They appear as fighters most often in only three situations:

in situations of injustice, when they are severely deprived or their freedom is limited;
in personal relationships, the presence of a rival invigorates them and forces them to activate their energy and mental abilities. Competition is their driving force;
in extreme moments they instantly mobilize and are capable of feats.

Epics of the Scandinavian peoples

In the Scandinavian epics, cats were described as companions of the goddess Freya - leader of the Valkyries, patroness of elves and fairies. Beautiful Freya rode across the sky in a chariot drawn by a pair of fluffy cats that looked like lynxes, with tufts on their ears. Who knows, maybe these mythical creatures were the ancestors of the famous skognat, now considered a national treasure of Norway?

INTERESTING TO KNOW: “Cat Dad” Yuri Kuklachev

No less widespread is the legend of the terrible black Yule cat, which appeared in Iceland in the 19th century. This huge monster, the size of a bull, lived in a mountain cave along with a cannibal giantess who kidnapped lazy and disobedient children. The cat appeared during Yule and took with him those who celebrated the holiday in old clothes.

The cat gave gifts to the same people who were not lazy in shearing wool from sheep, weaving and spinning before winter.

Festive palette

In 2002, the International Fund for Animal Welfare celebrated World Cat Day for the first time. The holiday was invented not only to honor furry pets. Cat Day was designed to draw attention to homeless animals, their diseases and cruelty to them. The celebration soon gained popularity, and today it is joined by millions of “cat lovers” from different parts of the globe. Every year on August 8th, owners of mustachioed tabbys are simply obliged to pamper their pets especially: treat them to something tasty, please them with a new cozy house or an interesting toy. Knowing the cat's passion for comfort, the owners of specialized businesses schedule the opening of hotels, cafes and shops intended for furry visitors on this day. And TV channels produce programs dedicated to the heroes of the occasion. In the diverse palette of “cat” holidays, there are many other days dedicated to purring. On June 8, St. Petersburg residents honor their cats, and on September 5, Kaliningrad residents. November 17 is the Black Cat Day celebrated in Italy, February 17 is Cat Day in Poland, March 1 is Russian Cat Day. And on March 27, a holiday comes for the chosen few - cats living in the St. Petersburg Hermitage, the Day of the Hermitage Cat. In other words, there are more than enough reasons to congratulate cats in the world. But it is International Cat Day that is a common big holiday for all lovers of these amazing animals around the globe.

Magazine: Secrets of the 20th Century No. 32, August 2021 Category: Continuous Holidays Author: Ekaterina Kravtsova

Celtic legends

Irish and Scottish myths and legends about cats tell of the magical Shea - a black beast with a white spot on its chest and large protruding whiskers. He is not evil, but not good either. He can give back kindness to the people who treated him to delicious milk on Samhain (the Celtic harvest festival), or he can take with him the souls of the dead who did not have time to bury.

There is another version related to Shi. This is a werewolf witch who can change the appearance of a cat 8 times, but if she turns into an animal for the 9th time, she will remain one forever. Perhaps this legend is associated with the belief that cats have 9 lives.

But among English sailors there was a widespread legend about a sea cat. To appease her, you had to give her part of the catch, otherwise she could cause a storm. One day the witch went with her fiancé on a boat to the sea.

One of the sailors suggested throwing her overboard, since a woman on a ship is a bad omen. The sorceress became angry and caused a storm, during which all members of the ship died. And the witch herself jumped into the depths of the sea, where she turned into a cat.

Scandinavia

For residents of the Scandinavian countries, the cat was the companion of the goddess of love. Interestingly, she rode on a sled with cats.

The mythical cats, pictures of which you have seen, do not end there. Cats were special animals among almost all nations. They are still revered for their grace, dexterity, pleasant purring and are believed to help protect against evil spirits.

Basque legends

The prototype of the famous character from the fairy tales of Charles Perrault is the Basque matagot, who eats Christians. The peoples who lived in the south of France and the north of Spain believed that if you catch this evil black creature, you can live without knowing troubles and sorrows for the rest of your life. You need to lure the cat with some kind of treat, manage to grab it and run at full speed without turning around.

Every morning, the matagot must be the first to taste the cooked food and drink a sip of wine. For this, the owners will receive a gold coin from him. But when a person becomes rich, he must definitely release the cat into the wild, otherwise the creature suffering in captivity will send illness and death to him.

INTERESTING TO KNOW: Why does a cat have 9 lives?

Ancient Greece

Cats came to Greece from Egypt no later than the 5th century BC. Coins with images of cats found during archaeological excavations belong to this era. Due to the fact that the Egyptians prohibited the export of cats outside their country and suppressed illegal smuggling in every possible way, it was very difficult to get a cat, and for a long time cats remained an invaluable rarity.

Like the Egyptians, the Greeks immediately made the cat a companion of their gods, but for them the lunar side of the cat’s nature turned out to be more interesting. In ancient Greek myths, the cat is a symbol of Artemis, the goddess of the moon and hunting, who was distinguished by her jealous disposition and vindictiveness. Hecate, the patroness of witchcraft, also used to turn into a cat.

Cat in the myth of Hercules

The story of Hecate's acquaintance with a cat is described in the myth of the birth of Hercules. This legendary hero was the illegitimate son of Zeus from his beloved Alcmene. Jealous Hera did not want Hercules to be born first in the family, and ordered Lucina, the midwife of the gods, to delay Alcmene’s birth for a week with spells. But Alcmene had a devoted servant Galanfida, a girl with bright red hair.

She deceived Lucina, saying that the birth had already taken place, and she removed her spell, allowing Hercules to be born after all. Hera decided to take revenge on Galanfida by turning her into a cat and imprisoning her in the underworld. But Hecate, the ruler of the witches, had access there, she succumbed to the charm of the red cat and let her go.

Ancient Egyptian myths

The inhabitants of Ancient Egypt considered cats to be sacred animals and were revered on a par with the gods. There was even a religious cult of the goddess Bastet, who personified sunlight and moonlight, home and fertility. Images of the deity have survived to this day, where she appears as a maiden with the head of a cat or lioness. The meek Bastet has a formidable hypostasis called Pasht. Interestingly, Pasht was sometimes depicted as a cat with wings.

Rich temples were built for cats, surrounded by a mystical aura, and the bodies of dead animals were embalmed and buried with honor. The priests believed that a cat's eyes were windows to another world, and due to the dilation and contraction of the pupils, they were often compared to the sun.

Egyptian mythology says that the supreme deity Ra had a cat - a reliable ally in the fight against Apep, the cunning serpent. In other sources, Ra takes the form of a huge red cat and pierces his enemy with a spear.

Cat symbol - meanings

Cat symbolism is most suitable in the following situations:

if you are sure that the cat is your animal of power , totem (“How to determine your totem”);

if you were born in the year of the Cat according to the Eastern calendar: 1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011;
if your horoscope shows degrees associated with cat totems : 7 degrees of Aries (reed cat); 6 degrees Gemini (forest); 20 degrees Virgo (steppe); 2 degrees Sagittarius (Nubian); 11 degrees Sagittarius (tailless).

The symbol of a cat or cat as a talisman, amulet, talisman will be good in matters related to the realization of feminine energy - home improvement, keeping the family hearth, showing tenderness.

For a woman who needs to learn to set her own boundaries and love herself first, a cat is suitable as a symbol of compensation and reminder. She knows how to do well for herself and at the same time be useful and loved by others.

A wild cat or cat is a talisman, meaning life outside the rules, free, a person is able to move at the call of his nature. It is also a symbol that can impart the power of self-healing and use internal reserves.

Cats are an excellent logo for various security and safety services; their motto is: “Rats will not pass!”

The home mascot Cat in the interior as an object, an image - will help improve the home stay, add warmth and comfort to the atmosphere of the room. You can use a talisman or still prefer a real animal.

If you are engaged in practices of the astral level, then depending on your inclinations, either the symbol of a white or the symbol of a black cat . The white cat symbol will activate your connection with beneficial spirits. Conversely, a black cat is a symbol of the fact that you have chosen the lower world for your practices, be careful.

Ginger cat - can act as a sign in the field of love and sexual relationships. More details about this in the article “Is it true that a red cat is for love?”

Cat's eye is an amulet stone that protects its owner from negative energy and harmful influences from the outside. If, due to your activities, you are often in situations of danger or in an unfavorable external environment, learn to interact with this symbol or stone.

Bracelet with cat's eye

If you dream of a cat or several, it most often means the presence of someone else’s energy in your space, maybe it’s time for you to brighten your home and carry out cleansing procedures.

If a cat is your totem, then its image in a dream means the activity of your subconscious programs associated with the need to demonstrate its qualities. Analyze - perhaps you are holding yourself back and denying yourself some manifestations. Or perhaps this is a sign of anxiety and danger and you need to be more careful in situations and relationships.

On the topic - the section “Totems“

Tags: Talismans and amulets, Totems of birds and animals

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Discussion: 2 comments

Taisiya:
10.20.2019 at 19:34
Very interesting! I intuitively knew that the cat was my totem animal. They named it after Thais of Athens, and she was the queen of Egypt, and freedom for me is the main value, it coincided with the degrees in the horoscope - a steppe cat. I open an article on Wiki - please! 1 more hint: in Latin Felis silvestris is a European forest cat (subspecies), and my great-grandfather's name was Sylvester... coincidence? Don't think.
Answer
Admin:
10/25/2019 at 10:29 pm
Taisiya, cool. I love it when coincidences like this happen!
Answer