Animal
Superstitions
Animals of all kinds,
and cats in particular, have often found themselves to be the
focus of much folklore and superstition. Cabot has chosen some
of her favourite folk tales and superstitions involving all
members of the animal kingdom.
If you know of any
superstitions about animals, let me know at: cabot@mysticraven.net
Cat Folklore from
"Bluenose Magic"
Bluenose Magic is a
collection of folklore from Nova Scotia collected by Dr. Helen
Creighton. It contains everything from superstitions about
weather to folk remedies. A must for any student of
folklore.
- A cat's eyes open and
close with the tide. Pupils dilate when the tide is low and
contract when it is high. (Acadian French)
- Sea captains would
never take a cat aboard. (English)
- It's bad luck to throw
a cat overboard, the one who throws it won't live to go home.
(Irish)
- A black cat is bad
luck. (English, Scotch and Irish)
- A black cat crossing
your path or running across the road in front of you is bad luck
(English, Irish, Scotch and Acadian French)
- If a cat washes its
face, the weather will come from the direction the cat is
pointing. (New England)
- When a cat washes its
face, company is coming. (English)
- To keep a kitten from
wandering, rub its forepaws with butter.
(English)
- When you move, it is
bad luck to take a cat with you. (English)
- A cat should not be
left in a room with a sleeping baby lest it get on its chest and
strangle it. (English)
- It is an old saying
that a cat has nine lives. (English)
- If you lose a tooth and
you throw it out and a dog or cat gets it, you will grow a dog's
or cat's tooth in its place. (New England)
- When a cat lays on her
ear it is a sign of rain. (German)
- Cats run and jump
before a wind storm. (English)
Many of the superstitions
about cats seem to centre around black cats being bad luck, if
not cats in general. We can draw conclusion that many of these,
in particular the English superstitions, are a direct result of
the burning times where animals, and cats in particular, were
considered to be the "shapes" of witches out to do harm. It was
often claimed that the witch would take on the shape of an animal
in order to steal the life breath from sleeping infants, and the
cat seemed to be the animal most popular.
As a result, many cats
were put to death in the same manner as those accused of
witchcraft and heresy. The cat has truly suffered from the
ignorance of man in western culture, and yet many cultures hold
the cat in high esteem. Watch for articles on my mythology page
about the cat as mythic beast which should contrast with many of
these superstitions.
Superstitions are
amusing and give us insight into culture, but they should never
be allowed to run our lives.
~
Cabot
"Fear paints pictures of
ghosts and hangs them in the gallery of
ignorance."
-Robert
G. Ingersoll (1833 - 1899)