Author Terry Pratchett once said: "In ancient times, cats were worshipped as gods - they have not forgotten this. When you hear this sentence, do you automatically think about ancient Egyptian gods? Probably. Do you think about other cultures? Probably not. But don't worry, I too have been guilty of this misunderstanding: for many years I believed that the ancient Egyptians were the only ones to have revered, praised and even adored cats. But when I started to explore the mythology of the world, I discovered that there is much more to cats, gods, and miracles than I originally thought.
Beyond all the folklore about nodding cats, useful cats, cats guarding the temple, prophets being kind to cats and cats serving as omens and families, there are some tales related to divinity that we rarely hear about. Here are six.
1. Freyja's cat-drawn cart
The Nordic goddess Freyja, goddess of love, fertility, war, wealth, divination, and magic, rode on a cart pulled by two giant grey cats that had given her the god Thor. Farmers abandoned cat offerings to ensure a good harvest.
2. A Peruvian god who changes shape
Ai-Apaec, a god of pre-Inca civilization known as the Mochica, was often depicted as an old man with a wrinkled face, long fangs, and cat mustache. It was said that he had evolved from an ancient cat god and was able to take the form of a cat.
3. A guardian of Chinese families
A cat god called Li Shou appears in the Chinese Book of Rites. It was adored by farmers because it protected crops from being eaten by mice and mice.
4. A Polish protector
In ancient Poland, Ovinnik, which appeared in the form of a black cat, was venerated by many peasant families because it watched over domestic animals and hunted away evil spirits and mischievous fairies. (Like most creatures of Slavic mythology, they were fantastic until they appreciated them or gave them what they needed - then they did things like doing harm that could have tragic results.)
5. A Greek goddess who changes shape
Greek mythology tells of how the goddess Ecate took the form of a cat to escape the monster Typhoon. Later, she extended special treatment to all cats.
6. A Helper of the Celtic Goddess
Ceridwen, the Welsh goddess of wisdom and mother of the famous bard Taliesin, was frequented by white cats who followed her orders on Earth. I couldn't get into all the stories of gods and goddesses turning into big cats, or this post would be about a mile long. This unfortunately excluded many stories from the tribes of Native Americans and other early nations, among others, and for that, I apologize. I would like to write another post about great cats and spiritual traditions, if you are interested, because the subject of jaguars, tigers, leopards and other great cats in popular traditions, religious beliefs and stories of creation certainly deserves a reading.
What are your favorite myths and folklore about cat gods and cat goddesses? Please share them in your comments! About JaneA Kelley: Punk-rock cat mom, science nerd, volunteer for animal shelters and all-round geeks with a passion for wordplay, clever conversation and role-playing games. She gratefully and gracefully accepts her status as the main cat's slave to her family of feline bloggers, who have been writing their cat advice column, Paws and Effect, since 2003. Janet dreams of living her love for cats well.