Cats as Familiars

cats as familiars have along and dark history in western mythology these cats often found their way into literature one of the most famous was grimalkin the witches cat as witch witch companions are still aprt of the popular symbology associated with the modern holiday of hallooween

Cat Mythology

Cats as Familiars

      Cats as familiars have a long and dark history in western mythology. These cats

often found their way into literature. One of the most famous was Grimalkin, the witches'

cat from Shakespeare's MacBeth. Cats as witch's companions are still a part of the

popular symbology associated with the modern holiday of Halloween

.

      What is a familiar? In western mythology a familiar was an animal companion

given by the devil to a witch in order to help her with her evil magic. These familiars

would have names just like any other pet. In the middle ages, if you were caught talking

to your pet (like a lot of people do) you were considered to be consorting with the devil in

speaking to w obviously your familiar. The Middle Ages were a very dark and violent

period in Europe. Their alternative name "Dark Ages" should come as no surprise.

Learning was confined to clergy and nobility. The general population was therefore quite

ignorant and prone to superstition.

      A familiar could be any type of animal such as a toad, dog or cat. Black cats

became the traditionally cited companion and hence cats became particularly reviled. In

1233 Pope Gregory IX wrote in his Papal Bull "Vox in Rama" actually denounced black

cats as satanic. The Popes' proclamation began the persecution of cats all over Europe.

Thousands and thousands of cats were burned alive in the attempt to drive out the evil

Satan. Wild tales of these cats shape shifting into other creatures were common among

the populace and justified these terrible acts in their minds. When the power of the

Knights Templar was broken, some of the knights were said to have confessed to

worshipping cats. As these so-called confessions were given under extreme torture, they

would seem to speak more to the attitudes of their inquisitors than to anything the

Templars themselves had actually done.

     Why were black cats in particular singled out? There are a couple of legends that

might explain this singular revulsion. In the first legend, so the story goes, is that cats

who were born at the end of blackberry season were called blackberry cats. According to

this legend, the end of blackberry season coincides with the expulsion of Satan from

heaven. When he fell he landed on a blackberry bush which he defiled with his urine and

spit. Thus, blackberry cats, especially black ones are associated with the devil in this tale. 

The second tale comes from Italy. The Italian witches, called streghe, tell a legend about

Diana who is goddess of the moon and also called "Queen of the Witches". Her brother

who was known in ancient times as Apollo, is renamed Lucifer (Light Bearer) in this tale.

Supposedly, Diana wanted to have a son by Lucifer, so she attempted to trick him by

taking the shape of a black cat.

      As you can see, these stories were pretty wild, and yet the people of those dark

times took them as the gospel truth. The irony of this superstitious hysteria against cats

was that by destroying the cats the Europeans nearly destroyed themselves. Cats had been

used for centuries to keep down the population of vermin, especially mice and rats. When

their predators were destroyed, the vermin population exploded. They ate large amounts

of grain that had been meant for human consumption resulting in widespread hunger

among the people.  Even worse than the hunger was that the enormous numbers of rats

became disease carriers. The worst of these diseases was the bubonic plague, otherwise

known as the Black Death. The Plagues of the Middle Ages are terrible instance of the

repercussions that can befall humans due to misplaced zeal.