The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-30
FOLKLORE OF CATS.
Tabby Originated in Egypt-Wyat's
Four-FOOted Friend.
From the Pail Mall Gazette.

From the Pail Mall Gazette.
Some scholarly enthusiast should write a
volume on this theme So long as we be-
lieved that the domestic cat descended
from the wild European species, its APP
pearance in legends and fairy tales was in
no way more puzzling than that of the fox
or the wolf But science has wrecked
that comfortable theory, and it seems to
follow that all the folklore of cats has
arisen in historic time-a conclusion well
worth the study of those who take inter
est in such subjects. Our cats are a her
itage from ancient Egypt. Max Muller
pronounces that even the Sanscrit word
is comparatively recent" India receiv-
ed the animal probably from the Greeks
who themselves had only lately become
acquainted with it. The intelligent school
boy will jeer at this assertion. Does not
Aristophanes refer to the gale, and is
not gale a cat? The husbandmen in
1.-THE Peace" suspects 1t of stealing game
from his larder. Anyhow" he says, 81
heard the gale making a great noise there
last night" What could this household
pet be unless a cat? Prof Rolleston has
demonstrated that it could be the white
breasted marten, and was, in fact-a de-
lightful little creature, for those who
could bear it's smell, and one not to be
surpassed at housing 1t would seem
that the Romans were not familiar with
eats even in Pliny's day, for he evidently
thinks that they stank like gale. 1t is
alleged that the whole Roman literature
contains less than half dozen illusions
to cats before the Christian era.
Upon the other hand, cat is represent
ed i'll one of the grandest, and, apparent
ly, one of the Oldest Etruscan tombs; it
has inst caught mouse and holds
No doubt there was intercourse between
the Tuscans and the Egyptians. But in
Northern mythology the chariot of Frey
ga, or Frigga, lis drawn by two cats She
was goddess of Love and Luck very
properly associated with creature which
is gentle and tender at the domestic
hearth, but enterprising in courtship and
fearless in meeting a rival. Is it to be
credited that Freyga's cats were the wild
variety? The matter is not so unimpor-
tant as il looks; but decidedly this is NOT
the place for an excursus upon the date
of the Asa gods In a very early Saga we
find a wicked man. Thorolf Sleegia. de-
flying the vengeance of his neighbors I'M
der protection of twenty cats At length
the chief of the district mustered eighteen
men, and assailed the house Thorolf
posted his cats at the door. land they
cried out and began to act hideously. .
So he remarked, This is a wicked com
pdHys ana Withdrew TO the fence. where
his men pitched firebrands on the roof
and set it blazing. Thorolf burst ont
presently, with a chest of silver under his
arm, caught one of his enemies and
jumped into the neighboring bog. holding
him tight. Neither bodies nor treasure
could be recovered. The site of his house
was haunted by cats ever afterwards
land evil was thought to dwell there -
A volume is needed for this subject ha-
cause, among other reasons il must be H.
lustrated by stories, or the public will he
bored; and stories fill up. A mere string Of
facts goes in at one ear and out AT tbe
other In such a volume the legend az
Dick Wilmington would require several
scores of pages for proper treatment: here
we say nothing about it. But there is an
other folklore tale of the same class NOT
nearly so familiar to the public. Sir Henry
Wyatt was committed to the tower nv
Richard Ill, and pitifully treated. He had
neither bed nor clothes, and only food
enough to keep him just alive. Winter SET
in and he was like to perish with cold
one night a cat slid down the chimney
came up to him purring and confident ss
to its master curled itself upon his chest
and kept him warm till morning. Then ~
passed up the chimney again. to reappear
presently with a pigeon, which n p,lt into
Sir Henry's hand, and vanished for The
day When the jailer came he begged For
more food, but the man replied that he
darst not Then wilt thou dress any