THE BLACK CAT…ORIGINALLY A SIGN OF GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FORTUNE…BUT LIKE THE REST OF OUR HISTORY & SYMBOLS…THAT TOO..ALSO DEMONIZED!!!:

In ancient times cats were animals to be revered and in Ancient Egypt the humble cat was worshiped as a sacred animal. The Romans also held the cat in high regard and introduced cats as pets throughout Europe.

But as Christianity spread throughout Europe and pagans, wise women and adherents to other belief systems were persecuted; the black cat also saw a downturn in its luck.

Vulnerable women became the easy target for religious fanatics who wanted a scapegoat to explain the woes of the world. During the Middle Ages they were accused of witchcraft and were the victims of torture, hanging, burning at the stake and drowning.

These same women often kept cats as companions. Cats, and in particularly black cats, (deemed the colour of evil) were seen as “Witch’s Familiars” or partners in crime to the accused Witch, and the poor animal suffered similar fates to those of their mistresses. In Witch trials, ownership of a cat was taken as evidence of witchcraft and was all the proof needed to condemn both the woman and the cat to a terrible fate.

But the humble cat redeemed itself as controller of vermin during the Great Plague that swept throughout Europe. The cat, and in particular the black cat, came to be seen as a very lucky omen.

By:Blackgodd Anu