The Dickinson press., 1888-08-04
TIE CAT IN FOLK LORE.
PROMINENT IN THE MYTHOLOGY
OF THE EARLIEST NATIONS.

The Cat Naturally Considered a Weather
rious Lands-Omens and Supcrstitions.
In Nursery Lore-The Niue Lives
The cat has figured in folk lore and popu
lar superstitions more than any other ami
nal, except perhaps the serpent. and is
prominent in the mythology of the earliest
nations In Egypt, especially, it was re.
gardcd with peculiar veneration, or with
superstitious fear The presence of thou
sands of mummies of cats testify to this
"Bools of the Dead" speaks of Mau, the Great
Cat meaning the sun-the eye of that ami
nal glowing and contracting i'll the light,
being taken to represent the orb of day. Tho
feline tribe is also prominent in India.
AS an instrument of power in the hands Of
Satan and his witch subjects, tho cat would
naturally become weather maker Its early
connection with Diana, tho moon goddess,
would also indicate the same power over the
clements possessed by that orb. Witches fire.
quently used it to raise storms. The cat is
particularly regarded with distrust by sail
ors, who say: "It carries gale i'll its tail"
and that it will surely provoke storm to
throw one overheard. Even while on board,
if it is unusually frolcsome, gale of wind
is thought to be imminent. Many stories nre
told of storms caused by the sacrifice Of
cat These animals arc said to smell wind,
while pigs see it. This storm raising power
is not confined to witches familiarS, nor to
cats at sea.
The cat is universally weathcrwise. IN the
west of Ireland you may obtain good wind
by bulying cat up to its neck in sand on tho
scashore, with its head opposite to the desired
direction. There is ;,n Old story told in Block
Island of n man Aho slut cat up in n bar
rel to prevent n hostile skipper from sailing,
and no fair wind came until pussy was re-
leased. In Lancashire, stormy and wet
weather is coming when puss frisks about tho
house. In Ireland, if she stretches so that
her paws touch bad weather will cnsue
Scotch fishermen declare that if she sneezes
or licks her paws rain will surely come. In
Shetland, the cat "gaaniu in da luft' fortells
wind, and "slecpin on her tarns' with the
back of her head DOWN indicates calms. An
old English writer says: "Whcn the cat
washes her face over the ears VIC shall have
great store of rain"
A German proverb says, "If the cat basks
in the sun in February she will go back to
the stove In March," "Cats courtng the
fire" says the author of Natures Secrets"
"more than ordinary, or licking their feet
and trimming the hair of their head and
mustachcs, prognosticates rainy weather."
In our own country if the cat sneczcs it is n
sign of rain; if it snores, Of foul weather.
When cats wash themselves fair weather is
coming, unless the face is washed over the
car, in which case foul weather is imminent,
and rain If it is the head behind the ears.
III pussy washes her face after u rain wind
will come from the point to which she turns,
and n thaw will occur if sho washes her face
with her back to the fire in winter Rain Is
also indicated when the cat scratches itself,
n storm when it claws chair or table legs,
lies on its head with its mouth open, or sits
tail toward the fire. A change of weather is
indicated by the electrification of the cat's
fur, and wind is coming when her tail is
bushy and stiff.
The presence of the cat in the house is us,l-
ally deemed al omen OF good luck. "Who
has cat has Il happy married life" says
German proverb. In antiquity onlens were
drawn from the entrance and exit of strange
cats an'i it was then Il bad sign to have cat
cross your path. This is still believed III
many places In Ireland persons entering
house say God save all here except the cat ("
-
ney, should meet Il cat and look it squarely
i'll the face the journey must be postponed
1t is also an i'll omen for u cat to cross your
path when you first go out in the morning.
In Sussex, if the cat sneezcs she must be sum.
nlarily elected from tho house, for three such
explosions would bring misfortune upon the
family.
The cat has figured extensively i'll nursery
lore. The well known tale of "Puss in
Boots" has been recognized in the popular
tales of many countries widely separated In
Japan the Wind God is figured with n cats
face at,d claws, and in China wooden cats
adorn the ridges Of the houses to ward off
storms and tempests. The Irish say there is
king of the cats who may be discovered by
nipping off n bit of his ear. lie will then
speak and declare his authority
The cat in folk lore is commonly diaboli.
cal, and in the bag of proverbs has probably
n diaboical allusion. The popular idea that
it has nine lives expresses its mystical char
acter.-F. S. Bussett in Globe Democrat