Let's reveal the roots of this false belief born in the Middle Ages and carried over as a superstition to the present day about black cats.
Black cats are among the most talked about and least accepted cat breeds in history. They have been the object of many prejudices and beliefs, still valid today in different cultures of the world.
Black cats: sometimes revered, sometimes hated
En ancient rome they were the favorite pets and in Ancient Egypt They were revered as true divinities. Even the Scottish They once thought that having one at home helped keep bad luck away. Today, however, if you come across a black cat on the street, there are still those who cast spells and prayers, and the most superstitious can even change their route.
In fact, it is believed that this charming four-legged friend is the bearer of misfortune and adversity. For 15 years, the Day of the Black Cat It is celebrated every November 17, a day dedicated to night-colored kittens with the intention, also, of promoting their adoption. But Why would the black cat bring bad luck? ?
The reasons for this superstition must be sought in the Middle Ages, when the witch hunt raged. Pope Gregory IX believed that these cats were associated with demonic figures and therefore ordered their extermination.
First it was the white cats that brought bad luck
In England, the belief that black cats bring bad luck was the exact opposite of what is currently believed. It was the white cats that were considered unlucky.
The cause of this turn of fortune where black is the new white can be found abroad. In America there was a real obsession with witches, witchcraft, black cats -the typical companion animals of witches- were demonized and this superstition has survived to this day with the tradition of Halloween. Every Halloween trick or treat bag has a pumpkin, a bat, and a black cat!
Black cats were blacklisted by Americans at a time when British settlers were establishing colonies in New England. These founding fathers were fundamentalist Christians who persecuted everything they saw as witchcraft. Witches and their cats were viewed with fear and hate and black cats were considered especially demonic. They regularly appear in essays of the time.
The classic American symbol of bad luck began to subvert the superstition of the good black cat and the bad white cat after the 1934 film the black cat, starring Bela Legosi and Boris Karloff (famous for their roles in Dracula and Frankenstein in the same decade). The theme of the film was based on the short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. The commercialization of the American style of Halloween in recent decades has set this superstition of black cats as an animal to be feared in stone. .
Do black cats bring bad luck? Meaning, superstition and popular beliefs
The meaning of the superstition linked to the black cat and the origin of this popular belief does not have certain universal motivations. Still, it is passed down from generation to generation, to this day.
Like any self-respecting superstition, it is surrounded by a aura of mystery that fascinates the most curious. But, where does the belief that the black cat brings bad luck come from?
The black cat brings bad luck because of the witches (another topic that we will address later, the witches)
As we have commented before, the black cat is attributed the ability to bring "bad luck" from medieval Europe, when this dark-haired feline was associated with the world of witches and was believed to be their descendant. This association with witches made them see these nocturnal cats like dangerous beings of that time because they reminded them of the underworld, death, mourning.
They were animals capable of seeing at night, and he believed that this dark-cloaked "bringer of bad luck" was possessed by the devil.
A long time has passed since then, but unfortunately they have remained the aftermath of superstition about black cats that brought bad luck. Free and ungenerous rumors about these sweet felines that hopefully will soon be just a distant memory. More and more families decide to adopt a black cat, welcoming it at home and enjoying its pampering and love.
What does it mean when a black cat crosses the street?
In some parts of the world, including England a few centuries ago, the direction of a black cat crossing the road mattered. If the cat crossed it from left to right it meant good luck, if he crossed it in the opposite direction, bad luck. Similarly, if the cat comes towards you, it means luck, but if he leaves, he takes luck with him. Therefore, chasing a black cat from the garden or from the house brings bad luck.
The quintessential symbol of the fleeing black cat is when it dies. It is said that in 1640, King Carlos I said that his good fortune was due to the black cat and that he feared the day when his nine lives would end. Shortly after the cat's death, Charles, who had lost the English Civil War, was arrested and beheaded.
Black cats and anarchists
In fact, from the early 1900s, within American and European union politics, the black cat assumed a meaning related to the concept of anarchy.
black cats and pirates
But another story also condemns the poor black cats... when black cats were not a known typology in Europe they arrived by sea brought by pirates, who had them on their boats to hunt mice. And when the pirate ship docked in the port, these cats were the first to go down. In short, when they saw each other black cats in the city, people understood that they had arrived pirates Since then it is said that they bring bad luck, but today we can say that the times of pirates are quite far away, the time has come to get away from certain superstitions.
What does it mean to dream of a black cat?
Mysterious, independent and with an elegant demeanor, in the dream symbology the cat is imbued with multiple meanings.
Among these is symbol of femininity, seduction, sensuality and sexuality. The black cat also represents the mystery of the unconscious, instinct, creativity, power and malice.
Specifically, dreaming of a black cat can be a expression of the unconscious which translates into the very need for rebellion and independence to which the color black is associated, which, in the dream field, is the symbol of the unconscious, of the mystery that frightens. of one lack and a fear present in the experience that the unconscious wants to point out.
In which countries does the black cat bring good luck?
However, legends and superstitions about the black cat bringing bad luck are not experienced in the same way by everyone!
- Spain, Italy and USA.The USA remain closely linked to the belief of religious origin. These populations, in fact, are not welcome to meet or have a black cat. as in China, this type of cat is associated with famine and poverty.
- In other countries like Japan, England and Germany, the black cat seems to bring good luck and be a true talisman with a thousand benefits.
- In Scotland black cats are considered a symbol of prosperity.
- En Germany, depending on how they cross the street, either from right to left, or vice versa, they can be a symbol of good or bad luck.
- in the celtic world, a cat with these characteristics was an auspicious sign for a woman who was looking for a husband.
- In islam, on the other hand, the cat with seven lives (sabaa'arwah) was greatly loved by the Prophet Muhammad and is still highly respected and free to roam unmolested in many Muslim cities.
- in burma it was believed that the spirits of the dead, before reaching the afterlife, took the appearance of a cat.
- in LatviaOn the other hand, the birth of black cats indicates that there will be a good harvest.
- In the superstition of sailors people wanted to be in the company of black cats because they were considered good luck charms, not only for those who enjoyed their presence (hence the families waiting for their return) but also as a symbol of protection for those who faced the journey at sea .
Gladstone, the black cat of Whitehall
The tradition of black cats bringing good luck survives within the very heart of the British government. Whitehall has adopted several cats over the years in the traditional role of rat catcher. Many of them were black cats, including the current incumbent of the post, Gladstone, who officially began her Cabinet job in 2016.
It is not strange to know that Gladstone the black cat is a social media star. its very popular Instagram page makes him one of the most famous black cats in the world.
August 17: Black Cat Valuation Day
Conceived by English-speaking countries, Black Cat Appreciation Day is the day to say STOP to stupid superstitions related to the world of all cats black, among the most noble and elegant specimens that exist.
November 17: a whole day dedicated to the cat! black !
If history has not been too generous with this tar-colored feline, the Association for Animal Rights and the Environment (Aidaa) establishes since 2003 the black cat festival, which aims to dispel the superstitions behind this feline with a resolute but calm attitude.
The objective, however, is above all to prevent these animals from being victims of violence for esoteric purposes or linked to popular beliefs and satanism.
It is no coincidence that the date of the Day of the Black Cat is symbolized by the number 17. This number, in fact, in numerology has a story similar to that of this black feline.
Where do black cats come from?
In folklore, witches' black cats have very distant roots. In Greek mythology, Hecate, the goddess of magic, had a black cat that was formerly Galinthias., a slave of Hera (wife of Zeus). He had turned her into a black cat as punishment for trying to prevent the birth of Hercules.
In Shakespeare's colorful tragedy Macbeth, the figure of Hecate appears (although the black cat is not mentioned).
All superstitions about cats aside, a black cat is simply a cat with the maximum amount of melanin that makes its fur black. All-black cats are rare in crossbreeding and only 22 of the recognized cat breeds are believed to have all-black varieties.