Animals Symbolism pt V - Cats

Hello all!! Today's post is about the Animal Symbolism of Cats!

Cats of various forms and sizes have been around for millenniums from sabertooth tigers to the modern day house Cat so, let's explore the symbolism of Cats throughout the ages.

Basic Symbolism

Cats have both positive and negative connotations with the negative consisting of an association with demons, Witchcraft (thanks to early Christianity) and other creatures of darkness. Positive connotations include, intuition, independence, enlightenment, balance and hope.

Native American Symbolism

The general consensus for Cat symbolism is that Cats are guardians of energy, associated with independence and mystery. They are also considered to be esoteric.

To the Oglala, Cats are associated with Witchcraft and it is believed that a feline could place a curse apon them.

The Hopi people would describe men who where disrespectful and callous towards women as 'Wildcats'. This kind of character is depicted in stories of various tribes for those who want further reading.

The Mohave and Zuni tribes consider the Native American Cat spirit to  be a healer and an aid when hunting.

The Pawnee tribe associated the Wildcats with the stars and would clothe children in its fur in the hopes of bestowing celestial blessings on them.

Pogumk is a figure in Native American legends, depicted as a symbol of a black Cat. Legend has it that Pogumk once once a man who protected his family and fellow tribespeople from a Witch. 

Eastern Symbolism

In Eastern Symbolism, there is, quite literally, a figure called Maneki-Neko. Maneki-Neko is a Cat totem for good luck which is said to come from a legend where a man who was saved from a storm's lightning by Maneki-Neko's gesture.

For Eastern Symbolism, the colour and positioning of the Cat's paw's affects the meaning of the Cat. If the front left paw is used then the Cat spirit will bring happiness and luck but a front right paw signifies money. A white Cat symbolises good fortunes, a black Cat symbolises  warding off evil , a golden Cat spirit denotes  wealth and prosperity, a red Cat spirit is for good health and a yellow Cat is for improving relationships.

If you wish to increase your academic prowess then a green Maneki-Neko figurine is needed, a purple one indicates longevity and beauty and a pink one is for love, romance and hope. 

Christian Symbolism

In the Bible, most mentions of Cats  normally depict them as wild animals to highlight their predatory nature. 

This crule and ruthless depiction has lead to Cats, specially black ones, as being an evil , satanic creature that preys on those who are frail. Christian Spiritual Symbolism of black Cats says that a black Cat is a being that is possessed by a demon, using the feline's mind, the demon can then spy on and establish contact with humans. 

There are positive biblical meanings for Cats. Jesus  acknowledged the Cat's strength and boldness which, in itself, has lead Cats to be linked to Lions and Lions are depicted as kingly figures with the power to pass judgement and wisdom into others.

The Cat is basically a portrayal of every aspect of humans both good and bad being both a protector and a symbol or ruin. 

Celtic Symbolism

In Celtic mythology, Cats are the guardians of the Otherworld, the meaning of the Cat omen is mystery, unpredictability and emotional distance which means that you need to find the middle ground with others and compromise if needs be, you should also be creative and take this time to find resources and change your actions if needed.

The Welsh have a Cat goddess called Ceridwen, who is regarded as a Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation and inspiration. She is said to have Cat minions who do her biddings on Earth, some stories say that these are specially white Cats. 

 For more on the Celtic Symbolism of Cats, click here to one of our previous posts 👉🏻Celtic Zodiac

Ancient Egyptian Symbolism

In Ancient Egypt, Cats where beloved and respected and owning one was said to bring luck to the household. Killing a Cat was punishable by death with the exceptions being for the relatives of a deceased person to kill the owner's Cat so that the Cat could be embalmed and mummified with its owner to join them in the afterlife and some temple rituals permitted Cat sacrifice. 

Bast is the Cat headed goddess of pregnancy, childbirth and fertility. She also had another form called Bastet with the head of a Lioness. Bast is the daughter of the sun and creator god Ra, leading to Cats being representatives of the sun. Although Cats themselves where not strictly worshipped, it was agreed that they had a divine essence.

The Ancient Greeks adopted Bastet and renamed her Ailuros which is where we get the name for the fear of Cats - Ailurophobia. Ailuros was considered to be the corresponding night version of Artemis who is once said to have escaped a Titan by transformation into a Cat. 

Domestic Cats came to Ancient Rome via Ancient Egypt and where regarded as a mythical symbol and represented independence and freedom. Cat's where also the only animals allowed to freely roame about temples and the goddess Libertas was often depicted with a Cat.

South American Symbolism

The Aztecs regraded the Jaguar (really big Cat) as a powerful religious symbol and treasured them above other animals despite their rarity. Tezcatlipoca is a creator god who ruled over the Jaguar Sun so, naturally, his animal counterpart was a Jaguar.

The Mayans saw the Jaguar as a symbol of strength, valor, strength and ferocity. Since they are adapted to see in the dark, they are also associated with perception and foresight. The Mayans had many Jaguar like deities and demigods with Jaguars being considered as god's of the Underworld. 

To the Inca's, the Puma represented power, strength, life on Earth and the middle and second phase of life, the World of the Earth. Inca peoples also dedicated temples to the Jaguar

The pre-Incan civilisation of the Mochica had a shape shifting God called Ai-Apaec who was usually depicted as an old man with a wrinkled face, long fangs and cat like whiskers and could take the form of a tomcat. He was also said to have evolved from one of the older cat gods. The Nazca civilisation also drew a giant Cat petroglyph into athe side of a hill. 

I think I've covered everything!! If I have missed something, leave a comment so I can add it to the post! If any of the language or terminology I have used is incorrect, please let me know so I can amend it! 

The animal symbolism posts will be very spaced out as they require a lot of research and I get quite overwhelmed so I need to give myself enough time to safely do a comprehensive post.

Blessings,

C )0(

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