The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1891-07-11
THE CAT IN FOLK LORE.
PROMINENT IN THE MYTHOLOGY
or THE EARLIEST NATIONS.

The Cat Naturally Considered u Weather
Maker-Feliue Weather Wisdom In Va
rIous Lands--OmenS aud Superstitions.
In Nursery Lorc-The Nine Lives,
The cat has figured in folk lore aud popu.
lar supcrStitions moro than any other ant
NAL, except perhaps the serpent, and IL
prominent in the mythology OF the earliest
nations In Egypt, especially, IL was re
garded with peculiar veneraton, or with
superstitious fear The presence Of thou,
sands Of mummies OF eats testify 60 this
alteration of the feline tribe, Tho ancient
"Book of the Dead speaks Of Mau, the Grcat
Cat, meaning the suu--the eye of that ami
NAL glowing and contracting in the light,
being taken TO represent the orb of day, The
feline tribe is also prominent in India.
As an instrument Of power in the hands Of
Satan and his witch subjects, the cat would
naturally become a weather maker. Its early
connection with Diana, the moon goddess
would also indicate the same power over the
elements possessed by that orb. Witches fro
Quently used it to raise storms, The cat is
particularly regarded with distruSt by sail
uIs, NuO NY IL NAilltS u kllc lAl It's t'Allt
ami that it will surely provoke storm 10
throw one overheard Even while on board
If it is unusually frolicSome, gale OF wind
is thought to be imminent Many stories are
told of storms caused by the sacrifice OF
cat These animals are said to smell wind,
while pigs see il. This storm raising power
is not confined 10 witches familiarS, nor 10
cats at sea.
The cat is universally weatherwise I'm the
west of Ireland YOU may obtain good wind
by burying cat up to its neck in sand on the
seaShoro, with its head opposite 10 the desired
direction. There is an old story told in Block
Island of a man who shut IA eat up in bar
rel to prevent 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 the
house In helcud, il she stretches so that
her paws touch, bad weather will ensue.
Scotch fishermen declare that If she sneeles
or licks her paws rain viii surely come. In
Shetland, the cat "gaanin in da luft' fortells
wind, and 'sleepn en- her harms" with the
back of her head down indicates Gains An
old English writer says; "Whon the cat
washes her face over the ears we 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 courting the
fire. says the author of "Nature's Secrets
'more than ordinary, or licking their feet
and trimming the hair of their head and
mustacheS, prognoStIcates rainy weather"
In our own country if the cat sneezes 1t is
sign Of rain; if it snoreS, of foul weather.
When cats wash themselves fair weather is
coming, unless the face is washed over the
ear, in which case foul weather is imminent,
and rain if il is the head behind the ears.
II pussy washes her face after rain wind
will come from the point to which she turns,
and q thaw will occur if she washes her face
with her back TO the fire in winter Rain is
also indicated when the cat scratches itself,
a 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 10y the electrihcation OF tue cats
fur, and wind is coming when her tail is
bushy and stiff
Tue presence of the cat in the house is usu-
ally deemed an omen Of good luck. "Who
has a cat has happy married life" says
German proverb In antiquity omens were
drawn from the entrance ard exit of strange
cats, and it was then bad sign to have a cat
cross your path This is still believed III
many places. In Ireland persons entering
house say God save all here except the cat"
And if any one, in setting out upon jour
ney, should meet a cat and look 1t squarely
in the face, the journey must be postponed.
1t is also an I'll omen for a cat to cross your
path when you first go out in the morning
In Sussex, if the cat sneezes she must be sum
marily elected from the house, for three such
explosions would bring misfortune upon the
family.
The cat has figured extensively in 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 a cats
face and 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 ofR bit Of his ear He will then
speak and declare his authority.
The cat i'll folk lore is commonly diaboli-
cal, and in the bag Of proverbs has probably
a diabolical allusion. The popular idea that
it has nine lives expresses its mystical char
acter-F. s. Bassett in Globe-DemocrGt