THE SHORT-HAIRED DOMESTIC CAT. The domestic cat in history and legend. Part 9.

    By way of Greece and Rome, where it was the symbol of freedom, the cat reached Central Europe, and here  it was considered as a gift of great rarity. At that time, if ever a court surrendered to an enemy, then the cat would be listed - by name - along with the other entries in the inventory. However, it was its prodigious fertility, which from a breeding point of view was of course a great advantage, that very soon led to a decline in its value. Wherever corn was planted and stored after harvesting, and wherever a town was in danger of siege and starvation, the cat was highly prized as a rodent exterminator. In the Middle Ages a cat-worshipping Freyja cult still persisted. In 1484 Pope Innocent VIII issued a papal bull to put a stop to this. Cats fell into disfavour. During the Inquisition they even came to symbolise the devil and frequently met their end burned with witches and heretics at the stake. Hatred of cats became a cult. During the 150 years of the Inquisition, 30,000 witches and magicians and thousands of cats died in the flames. Even today popular superstition links the cat with all kinds of properties of fortune telling, sorcery and malevolence. Just think how many British people there are who belive a black cat will bring them luck, while in other countries people worry if a black cat crosses their path from the wrong side, and watch out for rain if they see the cat eating grass and other such nonsense!

THE SHORT-HAIRED DOMESTIC CAT. The domestic cat in history and legend. Part 8.

   Domestic cats were comparatively rare in Greece and Rome until approximately the beginning of the Christian era. The Greeks and Romans preferred the weasel for dealing with rodents. Admittedly, furriers everywhere included cats' fur in their wares as we learn from the writers og Greek comedies. The Gree goddess Artemis later succeeded to the place of Bast, as protectress of women and goddess of childbirth. The celebrated Artemis grotto near Beni-Hassan-el-Amar contains numerous cat burials and images of Bast.

THE SHORT-HAIRED DOMESTIC CAT. The domestic cat in history and legend. Part 7.

    After the end of the sixth century AD, the cat was profoundly revered and loved by the Prophet Mohammed. It is said that Mohammed cut off the sleeve of his garment, rather thandisturb a cat which had fallen asleep on it. Mohammed is supposed to have singled out his closest followers with the honorary title 'Father of Cats'. However, in his frenzy to convert all around him, the same Mohhamed was quite merciless towards his enemies, causing many heads to roll. Today the cat is still regarded as sacred by Hindus and Muslims, and is probably the only animal revered by members of both religions.

THE SHORT-HAIRED DOMESTIC CAT. The domestic cat in history and legend. Part 6.

    Herodotus, the historian, describes the ceremonies held in Bubastis in honour of the cat goddess in about 440 BC. Hundreds of thouthends of pilgrims came from all over Egypt, bringing with them the mummies of any cats that had died in the past year. Encased in coffins of precious wood or precious metal, they were taken to the vast cats' cemetery at the feet of the goddess, for this was the only place where they could be buried.