Black Cats

black cats

Black Cats - "Cashmere," a young Black Maine Coon female

They are evil, the devil, witches etc. - NO...Due I am afraid to man's lack of insightful thinking over many centuries there is a long and unfortunate history of black cats being associated with, it seems, pretty well any kind of evil, badness, unhappiness, you name it, it's the black cat's fault. Black cats though are also associated with good luck demonstrating the superstitious nature of the human race.

Here's some examples (there are many more):

association with witchcraft and evil - "witches familiars" meaning companions (early Christianity and middle age Britain and I presume other countries)
comparison with serpents (Hebrew folklore)
associations with the "beast" the devil (Yehovah witnesses). Non-black cats are also associated in this way
back luck when they cross your path in USA (but see below), India, Romania (Moldovia) and Spain for example (still the case world wide it seems)
association with witches ("the Church")
associations with anarchy (anarchist symbol)
representing the idea of sabotage - linking in with the commonly held belief that the black cat brings bad luck (Ralph Chaplin International Workers of the World IWW)
to dream of a back cat indicates that you are frightened to use your psychic ability

Brom Bones
if someone was sick in Italy in the 16th century and a black cat lay on the sick persons bed the person would diea black cat walks away from you means bad luck
removing a white hair from a black cat means bad luck
love this one - driving along and black cat crosses your path you mark cross on windscreen with felt tip pen and turn your hat (if wearing one) around - then you crash and get bad luck while you are trying to avoid the bad luck :-)
belief that black cats are human witches transformed into cats or that the cat is a witch.
this lives on in Western society during Halloween when the black cat is used as an icon
in the USA there is a firework manufacturer or supplier cat Black Cat Fireworks (I've put this under bad luck as fireworks are noisy and dangerous...I'm a grumpy old man)
Apparently a Black Cat Firework is one of the best you can buy.

BUT black cats are also associated with good luck:

in China apparently they symbolize good luck
if a black cat comes into your house that means good luck in some parts of the world
in UK if they cross your path it means good luck apparently
this is classic superstition: in Yorkshire, UK it is perhaps lucky to own a black cat but bad luck if one crosses your path
to dream of a black cat is lucky but see abovein USA it means good luck if a white cat crosses your patha black cat you don't know on your porch means good luck (old Scotland)
a black cat walks towards you means good luckwhite hair on black cat means good luck

black cats

Black Maine Coon

THE BAD OUTWEIGHS THE GOOD LUCK SO I DECLARE THAT HUMANS THINK BLACK CATS ARE BAD LUCK....(conclusion - humans are superstitious and frightened creatures)

Witchcraft

The black cat's association with witchcraft is perhaps the most noted. This seems to have derived from the color black making the cat unseen in dark lighting and thereby be able to support the witch. Also cat generally are nocturnal supporting the concept of doing evil under cover of darkness. Cats (including black cats) were tortured and burnt in the middle ages when witchcraft was believed (it still is but to a much lesser extent). Modern witches keep black cats as companions.

Fireworks

Brom Bones

Black cat fireworks are popular. Fireworks are associated with Halloween and firecrackers ward off evil spirits. There is an association between black cats, fireworks (Black Cat Fireworks) and evil spirits - the myth lives on....

Sources:

http://cats.about.com
http://en.wikipedia.org
own knowledge

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