Cats of Myth and Legend

Felines have been an important part of cultures around the world for thousands of years, ever since they decided to grace us with their presence by living near us, and eventually with us. There is an abundance of stories, legends, tales, and myths that revolve around particularly special cats. Here are the tales of but a few of those felines of legend.

Bakeneko

化け猫

Yosa Buson (与謝蕪村, Japanese, *1716, †1784), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

If your cat ever starts dancing around joyfully with a towel wrapped around its head, you'd best start watching out for ethereal fireballs and reanimated corpses.

Bakeneko, also known as "changed cats", "ghost cats", or "monster cats", are cats who were once regular cats, but who transformed into yokai, supernatural creatures. Tales of Bakeneko originate from Japan, and different prefectures have different beliefs on just how a cat becomes a Bakeneko. Cats who have been raised for twelve years in Ibaraki Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture can become Bakeneko, whereas it takes thirteen years for cats in Kunigami District and Okinawa Prefecture to become Bakeneko.

Cats can also become Bakeneko by licking lots of lamp oil or by reaching 3.75 kg (about 8.27 pounds). Cats licking lamp oil was considered an omen of an incoming strange event during the Edo period. Fish oils were commonly used in lamps, so perhaps that's why they were of interest to felines. A sign that your cat is on the cusp of becoming a Bakeneko is an unusually lengthy tail, which is also the symbol of a wise, older cat. This superstition is thought to have led to the "bobbing" of cats' tails in their youth to prevent them from becoming Bakeneko. In some areas of Japan, it is believed that cats killed by humans in particularly brutal ways would become Bakeneko as a sort of revenge, cursing the humans who killed them as punishment.

If a cat did manage to make it to old age/lick up lots of lamp oil/get to a certain weight, they would then develop supernatural powers and transform into yokai. A recently-turned Bakeneko still ultimately looks like a regular housecat, but then they begin walking around on their hind legs. As they get older and larger (up to human-sized), their powers increase. They are generally known to be menaces, and with good reason. 

Bakeneko can shapeshift into smaller cats or even humans, able to take on the shape of their very caretakers. They can allegedly learn to speak human languages, and enjoy wrapping towels or napkins around their heads and dancing about. Bakeneko can eat things much larger than themselves, as well as poisonous things. Bakeneko can even eat their caretakers, shapeshift into their form, and live in their place. If Bakeneko aren't feeling directly homicidal, they can also bring misfortune and curses upon their household. They can summon ghostly fireballs and ignite houses with their tails. One of their more disturbing qualities is the ability to reanimate the recently deceased and use them as puppets of flesh to carry out wicked deeds. They are also rumored to be able to possess humans. Some tales say that Bakeneko lurk in the mountains, conniving with wolves to attack travelers.

An atypical account of a Bakeneko tells of a cat that shapeshifted into a human because they wanted to partake in the art of sumo, but most Bakeneko, to human knowledge, weren't interested in sumo.

Bastet

Louvre Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bastet is the feline-headed Egyptian goddess of cats, amongst many other things. She is the daughter of the sun god Ra. Bastet is also in charge of the home, domesticity, women's secrets, fertility, and childbirth.

Bastet's godly duties involve protecting her father Ra as his boat pulls the sun across the sky, and at night she shapeshifts into a cat to protect Ra from his enemy, the serpent Apep. A couple of her epithets are "Lady of the East", "Goddess of the Rising Sun", "The Sacred and All-Seeing Eye", and "Goddess of the Moon", among many, many more.

Bastet is called upon to protect people from evil spirits and disease, which also puts her in charge of protective ointments. One interpretation of her name is actually "She of the Ointment Jar". Like many other Egyptian deities, she also had a secondary job as a guide in the afterlife.

One of the fascinating things about Bastet is her extreme, enduring popularity--this is not limited to women; men have long been fond of Bastet as well. Her cult's epicenter could be found at the city of Bubastis from at least 5th century BCE onwards. Bubastis became one of the most resplendent cities in Egypt, as people would travel from all over the country to pay respects to Bastet and to have the bodies of their dead cats interred. Her temple could be found with female and male clergypeople providing medical services, counseling, and food.

Bastet's festival was a very important day in ancient Egypt. Many would travel to Bubastis via boat, singing, playing music, clapping, and dancing along the way and shouting at people they passed down the river to encourage them to come to the festival as well. Upon arrival, the revelry would continue, and people would drink alcohol to honor the goddess. One of the most important parts of Bastet's festival was the delivery of mummified cats to her temple. When the temple was excavated, over 300,000 mummified cats were found there. Naturally, her festival was one of the best, according to Herodotus.

In her earlier depictions, Bastet has the head of a lioness, and is closely associated with another lion-headed goddess, Sekhmet. Both goddesses are defenders of the innocent and avengers of the wronged, fierce and dedicated to their roles.

Two more of Bastet's epithets are "The Lady of Dread" and "The Lady of Slaughter". The "slaughterers of Bastet" inflict plague on humanity, but if one wants to be spared the pain and suffering, one can pretend to be the "son of Bastet" according to an Egyptian medical spell. Simultaneously feared and venerated, both a nurturing mother and a fearsome warrior, Bastet is a complex goddess.

As time went on, the deities changed with their people, and Sekhmet started to be depicted more and more aggressively. To make the two goddesses appear more distinct, perhaps, to match their shifting roles, people began carving and painting Bastet as a housecat or housecat-headed goddess. People called upon Bastet for more domestic and familiar tasks, not so much with the vengeance anymore. She was occasionally depicted with a litter of kittens at her feet, but the most popular form of hers was that of a sitting cat gazing ahead. Sometimes she would be holding a sistrum, which is an ancient musical instrument. Though her image may have softened, that did not soften her punishments to those who abused others or broke the law.

Bastet protects women and the household, and her popularity with men comes from the fact that they all know, love, are related to, or care for women who benefit from Bastet's care and protection. Women had nearly-equal rights in ancient Egypt, making their protector very important.

Cats were treated with reverence as well, because they controlled disease and protected crops through their hunting, and they did not ask much from their human companions. They were also considered by some to be the physical form of Bastet.

Cath Palug

Image from here

Cath Palug is a feline of Welsh origin and a figure of note in Celtic mythology, having even done battle with King Arthur in some legends.

One origin story tells of Cath Palug being born in Gwynedd to a great white sow named Henwen of Cornwall. The sow had previously given birth to various grains, bees, a wolf cub, and an eaglet.

Henwen's final birth was that of the kitten Cath Palug, a huge black kitten with haunting yellow eyes that foretold of future evil deeds. The swineherd who was looking after Henwen grabbed Cath Palug and threw him into the sea, hoping to drown the kitten, but Cath Palug took to the water like a fish and swam away from Gwynedd, all the way to the nearby island of Anglesey.

The kitten was found by the sons of a man named Palug, and he was given the name "Cath Palug," or "Palug's Cat". Palug may have been a local king. Cath Palug grew to at least the size of a horse. He was indeed evil, just as the swineherd had feared, and he menaced the island of Anglesey by killing cattle and other livestock before he took to killing humans. Cath Palug infamously became one of the three plagues of Anglesey (the other two being his wolf and eagle siblings).

Some believe that Cath Palug's name might also mean "clawing cat". Another version of Cath Palug's origin has him be born to Henwen in Llanfair in Arfon under the Black Rock, where she had been chased by her owner.

Even further versions tell of Cath Palug being a kitten fished out of a river by a fisherman. The kitten in this version of the legend proceeded to slaughter the fisherman and his family. In these stories, the rest of the people on Anglesey either die or are forced to live in hiding, leaving warnings to would-be visitors. A group of monks tried to visit Anglesey, but they turned around after being warned of Cath Palug by the survivors. Cath Palug was not to be deprived of a meal, however, and pursued the monks through the sea. In this story, it is revealed that Cath Palug has storm-controlling powers.

Cath Palug is also featured in Arthurian legend, where he fights and kills nine score (180) warriors and knights. In the poem "Pa Gwr," an Arthurian knight named Cei (or Cai/Sir Kay) went lion-hunting on Anglesey, and he slew Cath Palug in battle. However, in other versions of the tale, it is King Arthur himself who travels to the island of Anglesey to find the giant Cath Palug. They have a terrible battle, and King Arthur succeeds in felling the beast and ending Cath Palug's part of the plague of Anglesey.

There is a French version of Cath Palug as well, known as Capalu, and Arthur fought this version near Lake Bourget.

Cat-Sìth

kʰaʰt̪ ˈʃi

An Illustration from More English Fairy Tales from the story "The King of the Cats"

The Cat-Sìth is a fairy creature (its name meaning "fairy cat") hailing from Scotland and Ireland resembling a big black cat the size of a dog with a white spot on its chest. Cait-Sìdhe (plural form of Cat-Sìth) walk around on all fours around humans, but walk on their hind legs when they think no one's looking. The myth is thought to come from a real-life feline, the Kellas cat, a Scottish wildcat, which comes from the intermingling of domesticated cats with other Scottish wildcats.

Cait-Sìdhe are thought to be able to steal souls before any gods can take the souls, so it's important to keep Cait-Sìdhe busy so they won't walk over the body before the funeral, when the gods will receive the soul of the deceased. Cait-Sìdhe are also famously fond of warmth, so recently-deceased bodies can be kept in cold rooms to ward off the tricksy cats. The body should be guarded day and night during a Feille Fadalach, or "late wake," and there are a number of things people have traditionally done to keep the Cat-Sìth distracted.

People would play games of leaping and wrestling, as they believed the Cat-Sìth would want to watch and/or play with them. Fireplaces would be lit in every room save for the one the body was in so the cat would lay by the fires and stay warm and away from the cold room with the body. Catnip would be spread around in rooms away from the body, and music (coronach, or "laments") would be played so the cat would dance and enjoy the music and forget about the body. Lastly, riddles would be asked and never answered, so the Cat-Sìth would contemplate what the answer could be and not think about the soul it came for. Cat-Sìth were famously easily distracted, and bitter when not shown proper respect.

During Samhain (Halloween), people would leave out saucers of milk for the Cait Sidhe, who would in return leave a treat behind. If you didn't set out a saucer of milk, the Cait Sidhe would curse your cows for not giving them milk, and they'd probably steal the milk straight from your cows anyhow.

Taghaim was another Scottish tradition, but a less nice one than Samhain by far. A demonic Cat-Sìth called Big Ears would answer any question or fulfill any wish his summoner asked of him on Taghaim, presuming that the summoner burned multiple cats alive on a bonfire each night for four consecutive nights. Big Ears enjoyed watching the other cats burn alive.

One Cat-Sìth story tells of a farmer who was returning home from working in the field one evening when he spotted an extremely peculiar funeral procession. Eight black cats with white spots on their chests were carrying a coffin, which was draped in the royal shield. Following those cats was a crowd of cats chanting "The King of Cats is dead!" While passing the farmer, one of the cats said "Tell Tom Tildrum that Tim Toldrum is dead." The farmer, intrigued, continued on his way home and told his wife all about it--the coffin, the chanting, Tom Tildrum--and their house cat, Old Tom, sat up and said, in a human voice, "What? Old Tim is dead? Then I must be King o' the Cats!" and he climbed out the chimney, never to return.

In Irish mythology, the Cat-Sìth wasn't a fairy, but instead a witch who could shapeshift into a cat. The witches could only do this nine times total, and upon the ninth time of changing into a cat, they would be stuck as a cat evermore. This legend is a likely source for the saying that cats have nine lives.

Cha kla

จะกละ

Image from here

The Cha kla is a Thai ghost that takes the form of a cat, and it is reported that shamans use these cats to attack their enemies. In the Southern Thai language, it is known as Phi Luang. The Cha kla is a distinct ghostly feline, appearing as a solid black cat with matte fur that runs back to front, contrasted by blood-red eyes. The Cha kla prowls around at night, though fears humans during the day and runs away to hide in its underground burrow when it spots a human.

If a person sees or touches a Cha kla, the person will eventually die (before their time). Several deaths have been attributed to this creature: a family of three was found dead, and the local doctor pronounced the cause as "heart failure". Relatives of the deceased, however, found a strange, deep black hole in the ground in the back of the family's house, and it was ringed with black cat's fur. Another man attributes the death of his son not to dysentery, which is what the doctors diagnosed him with, but rather to his son's unfortunate contact with a Cha kla. This indirect method of killing makes their appeal to shamans clear.

Dawon

Image from here

Dawon, sometimes called Gdon, is a sacred tiger (occasionally depicted as a lion) with origins in Tibetan myth, adapted to Hindu mythology. Dawon was offered by the other gods to serve the goddess Parvati or Durga (considered by some to be different aspects of the same being, but still unique goddesses) as a mount, as an acknowledgment of Parvati/Durga's skill and victory in combat.

Durga was able to wield ten weapons with her ten arms, and Dawon would support her in battle with sharp claw and tearing fang. The tiger and her ferocity came to represent Durga's power from all the wars she had won, all the enemies she had conquered. Dawon was a guardian and a friend to Durga, and many prayed and fasted in honor of them. During more peaceful festivals, Durga is called the Fair Lady and Dawon is depicted as a pure white tigress.

Sometimes Dawon is represented in the form of Ghatokbahini, or a lion-tiger hybrid, particularly in ancient Bengali and Indian culture.

Matagot

Photo by Marek Kupiec from Pexels

The matagot, also known as the chat d'argent (money cat) and occasionally mandagot, is a supernatural cat hailing from southern France. Tales of this fierce black feline likely originated in oral traditions. They most frequently take the form of black cats, but have been known to occasionally take other forms, such as that of a fox, rat, dog, or cow, depending on what suited them and the situation. Matagots are usually in the service of witches or other magic-users.

Matagots are not exactly the nicest creatures, generally considered to be evil, but if one is careful, one can capture a matagot and learn how to care for them properly, all to one's benefit. The matagot will need the first bite of food and sip of drink at every meal before their caretaker, and they also need a suitable place to sleep (presumably they will show their disdain if the sleeping place is deemed unworthy). Matagots also generally require that they be treated with respect. If these conditions are met, the matagot will provide wealth and good fortune to their caretaker. This wealth/good fortune often looks like receiving a gold coin a day, harking back to the name "money cat".

Some legends consider matagots to be fairy-creatures, while others believe them to be spirit-creatures that protect one's home. In other stories, matagots can walk between worlds and access the peculiar, darker places of night.

To actually capture a money-cat, you need to obtain some fresh, meaty chicken with which to lure the matagot out of hiding. Once it's crept close, you must scoop up the cat and walk home without ever glancing behind you (try not to be tempted like Orpheus). Then, and only then, is the cat bound to you.

Now, this is all well and good, but should you die before releasing the matagot from its service to you, it will make your last days chock-full of misery and agonizing pain. It's probably got its reasons.

Panther

Image from British Library, Harley MS 3244, Folio 37r

The Panther, according to the medieval bestiary, was a type of gentle big cat with a multicolored hide. Its coat was spotted with white or black disks, depending on the story being told. The Panther would feast upon fleshly creatures before retiring to its cave for three straight days and nights, slumbering soundly the entire time.

Upon the completion of the three-day sleep, the panther would emerge from its cave and let out a roar, its breath's headily sweet scent hanging heavily on the air. All four-legged creatures who could hear the Panther's roar or smell its breath were drawn to the mouth of the cave. All four-legged creatures, that is, save for the dragon, who is too afraid of the Panther, its sworn enemy, whose breath it believed to be a poison. The dragon isn't entirely wrong, because the Panther then eats the animals it has attracted, feasting and beginning the cycle once more.

Panthers were known for their beauty, save for their heads. Some writings claim that the head of the Panther was too terrible for most creatures to behold, so after roaring/breathing its sweet-smelling breath, it would hide its head as the curious animals approached.

The Greek god Dionysus allegedly favored Panthers as mounts. Other names for the Panther include Pantera, Pantere, Pantiere, and Love Cervere.

Female Panthers could reportedly only give birth once, because the soon-to-be-born cubs were excitable and impatient, and clawed at their mothers from the inside, rendering them unable to further conceive.

In some interpretations, the Panther symbolizes Christ, who drew humankind to him with words as the Panther drew animals with sweet breath. The dragon in this telling represents the devil, fearing the Panther/Christ and hiding from him. The three days of slumber can also represent the three days that Christ was dead, and the emerging from the cave and roaring represents Christ announcing his triumph over death.

In heraldry (the system by which coats of arms are designed and regulated), the Panther was used by King Henry VI of England, as well as other descendants of the House of Lancaster. This Panther had flames spouting from its mouth and ears, and was referred to as the "Panther Incensed". King Henry VI chose the panther for his coat of arms, because he believed that kings should be as virtuous as Panthers are colorful, so his subjects may follow him the way other animals follow the Panther for its breath.

Tepēyōllōtl

Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tepēyōllōtl is the Aztec god of the animals, darkened caves, echoes, and earthquakes. The spots on Tepēyōllōtl's coat symbolize the stars in the night sky.

His epithets include the Heart of the Mountain and the Jaguar of the Night. Tepēyōllōtl is actually the god Tezcatlipoca disguised in a jaguar hide, so the other Aztec gods won't know who he is. His voice is the echo in the wilderness, his words the darkness itself. Tepēyōllōtl is the eighth Lord of the Night.

Calendar-wise, Tepēyōllōtl rules over Calli (house), the third day, providing it with its tonalli, or life energy. Calli is a good day for rest, tranquility, and family life, and it's best to avoid public life on Calli. Tepēyōllōtl also rules over 1-Matzal (deer), the third trecena (13-day period). This trecena is about hunting and stalking. Studying the routines of others is good on these days, so long as you avoid your own routines.

Underwater Panther

Mishipeshu; Mishibijiw

Uyvsdi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Underwater Panther is a powerful Native American creature that is like a cross between a big cat and a dragon. It lives in the deepest parts of lakes and rivers, causing storms and drowning humans who don't show respect. Depending on the legends, which vary from tribe to tribe, the Water Panther can be the size of a mountain lion or much larger. The Water Panther has an exceptionally long prehensile tail made of copper; fur, scales, or feathers; horns or antlers (bison or deer); and a sharp, saw-toothed back. It always seems to have the head and paws of a large wildcat, and the other animals it is hybridized with vary depending on the legend. Its roars and hisses sound like storms and rushing rapids.

The Underwater Panther is associated with the following tribes: Ojibwe, Algonquin, Odawa, Shawnee, Cree, and Menominee. Some traditions believe Underwater Panthers to be helpful and protective. More often than not, however, the tales hold that the Underwater Panthers are malevolent beings that need appeasing if one is to cross their territory safely.

Other names of the Underwater Panther include Great Lynz, Water Lynx, Night Panther, Matchi-Manitou, Mishipeshu (the great lynx), Mishibijiw, Underground Panther, Underneath Panther, the Fabulous Night Panther, and many, many more.

The Underwater Panther is one of the most important water beings among Great Lakes and Northeastern Woodlands tribes, especially among Anishinaabe peoples. For the Algonquins, the Underwater Panther is the most powerful underworld being. The Ojibwe hold Underwater Panthers to be masters of all water creatures. In some versions of the Nanabozho creation legend, there are references to whole communities of water lynx.

Underwater Panthers live in opposition to Thunderbirds, the masters of the air. They are opposing yet complementary forces, embroiled in an everlasting conflict. Some traditions hold that the Underwater Panther must be appeased (often before crossing its territory) in order to maintain balance with the Thunderbird.

The Underwater Panther guards great quantities of copper in Lake Superior and the Great Lakes region, and the Great Lynx's home of Michipicoten island is off-limits for copper harvesting. It is considered stealing from Mushipeshu himself to take copper from his island or from the Great Lakes, and is forbidden by some tribes and generally considered taboo. A copper rush in the 1840s resulted in many lives being lost to the Water Panther.

One legend tells of four Ojibwa tribe members who went on a journey to the home of Mishipeshu to retrieve some copper for heating water. After gathering copper, they pushed off the island and started heading back home. As soon as they left the island, the eerie voice of the Underwater Panther surrounded them, growling and accusing them of stealing the playthings of his children. One by one, each person died on the way back to the village. The last one lived long enough to tell an account of what happened before passing.

Yule cat

Jólakötturinn

Image from here

The Yule Cat hails from Iceland, where it is said that this gigantic black cat appears on Christmas Eve to eat people. To be clear, there is a stipulation: the Yule Cat only eats people who don't have any new clothes under the Christmas tree.

The Yule Cat is only part of the larger Icelandic Christmas mythology. Instead of Santa Claus, there is Grýla, a supposedly hideous troll-woman who mothered the thirteen Yule Lads. Grýla is a much more punishing being than Santa Claus. The Yule Cat eats people alongside Grýla, who devours naughty children. The Yule Lads are tamer than their mother, but still nasty, until more recent history when they became more tricksy than anything--they stopped eating children, which is a definite plus. The Yule Cat didn't stop eating people, though.

The Yule Cat's fame stems from a poem by Jóhannes úr Kötlum (1899–1972). The first stanza is as follows:

"You know the Christmas Cat,
– That cat was enormous.
People know not where he came from
Nor to what place he went."

Another promising stanza reads:

‘If he faintly meowed outside
The misfortune was soon to happen.
Everyone knows, that he fed on men,
But mice he would not eat.’

A good way to avoid being eaten by the Yule Cat is to make sure you finish your chores before Christmas, and you'll likely get new clothes as a reward  protection from the Yule Cat. The Yule Cat peers in through windows to see what presents people have under the tree. Presumably, it can see through wrapping paper and boxes. If you don't do your chores and earn your new socks, the Yule Cat will first eat your dinner, as an appetizer, and then eat you for the main course.

If you don't have the money or the means for new clothes, it sounds like you're out of luck.

Centuries ago, likely when this myth originated, most chores related to wool production. The only gifts families could afford were often woolen clothes, and the family could only afford things if everyone in the family completed their chores on time. The Yule Cat and other supernatural Christmas beings were likely used to scare children and lazy adults into doing their work. It was also a general motivator to make sure the family was prepared for the cold winter season.

Written by Skye I. R. Iwanski