Kansas City journal., 1898-02-06
The FOLKLORE OF CATS.
TABBY IS A HERITAGE FROM
ANCIENT EGYPT.
Practically Unknown in ROme-How
the Cat Figures in Northern
MytholOgy-The Legends of
the Wyats of England.

Some scholarly enthusiast should write
| a volume on this theme. says the Pail
Mall Gazette. So long as We believed that
| tho domestic cat descended from the wild
European species, its appearance in leg
ends 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 we'll worth the study Of
! those who take interest in such subjects.
| Our cats are heritage from ancient Egypt.
| Max Muller pronounces that even the
| Sancrit word is comparatively recent.
| India received the animal probably from
| the Greeks, who themselves had lately
| become acquainted with IL. The intelligent
| schoolboy will jeer at this assertion. Does
| not Aristophanes refer to the gale. and Is
not gale cat? The husbandman in The
| Peace" suspects it of stealing game from
his; larder. Anyhow" he says, Il heard
the gale making a great noise there last
| night" What could the household pet be
| unless a cat? Professor Rolleston has DEM
onstrated that it could be the white
breasted marten. and was. in fact-a de-
lightful little creature, for those who
could bear its smell, and one not to be
surpassed at mousing. 1t would seem that
the Romans were not familiar with cats
! even in Pliny's day, for he evidently thinks
they stank like a gale. 1t is. alleged that
the whole Roman literature contains less
than half IA dozen illusions to cats be-
fore the Christian era.
In Northern Mythology.
Upon the other hand. a cat is represented
in one of the grandest and, apparently,
one Of the oldest Etruscan tombs; it has
just caught d mouse. and holds it. No
doubt there was intercourse between the
ern mythology the chariot of Freyga, or
Frigga, is drawn by two cats. She was
goddess Of Love and Luck, very properly
associated with creature which IS gen.
tie and tender at the domestic hearth, but
enterprising in courtship and fearless in
meeting a rival. Is II to be credited that
Freygas cats were the wild variety? The
matter is not so important as it looks:
but decidedly this is not the place for an
excursus upon the date of the Asa gods.
In very early Saga We find a wicked
man. Thorolf Sleggla, defying the Ven
geance of his neighbors under protection
of twenty cats. AT length the chief of the
district mustered eighteen men and as
sailed the house. Thorolf posted his cats
at the door, 'and they looked very fierce.
mewing and rolling their eyes" When
the chief approached they cried out and
began to act hdeously." So he remarked.
This is u wicked company" and with
drew to the fence. where his men pitched
tirebrands on the roof and set IL to blazing.
Thorolf burst out presently, with chest
of silver under each arm, caught one of
his enemies and jumped into the neigh
bodies nor treasure could be recovered.
The site of his house was haunted by cats
ever afterwards. '.and evil was thought
to dwell there"
Story of Sir Henry Wyatt.
A volume is needed for this subject, be-
cause. among other reasons. it must be
illustrated by stories, or the public will be
bored; and stories fill up. A mere string
of facts goes in at one ear and out at the
other" In such a volume the legend OF
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 by
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 cat slid down the chimney, came
master. curled itself upon his chest and
kept him warm until morning. Then 1t
passed up the chimney again, to reappear
presently with a pigeon. which it put in
day. When the jailer came he begged for
more food. but the man replied that he
burst not Then wilt thou dress and
provide?'' asked Sir Henry. Very willing
word, though startled and alarmed at
sight of the pigeon. So things went on for
a time. But wicked Richard determined
to starve his enemy to death. and gave
orders to that effect. Then the cat paid
several visits during the day. bringing
pigeon each time, and the jailer. rightly
concluding that there We're miracles
about" reverently cooked them. So Henry
outlived his prosecutor and the story is
extant TO this day among the muniments
of the ancient family; but not transcribed
by the hero, as we understand nor in his
generation. The account states. however.
that picture of Sir Henry with the cat
and the pigeon were to be seen; like EVIL
dence is put forward in Whittingtons
case. Since all things are possible 1t
must not be said that either wondrous mar
rative is untrue. But meantime We class
them both among folk-tales.
Cat Figures in Another Record.
A cat figures prettily, however, In the
historic records of family not so old as
the Wyats. but very much more conspicu-
Gus at the present day. Sir Edward Os-
borne. lord mayor of London in his time,
bought an ancient house in Yorkshire, and
sent his children thither. There were two
boys. The elder dutifully obeyed when
a turret; but the younger. lettering. hap
ped to light upon cat which he delighted
to play with, and crept after her to catch
her under table in the room, which was
covered over with 4 carpet hanging down
to the floor" Thus he disappeared; and
the next instant terrible rush of wind
overthrow the turret, in which his brother
and the tutor sat at work, crushing them
to death. Supposing that both her sons
were there, the mother fell into convul-
sions, and we imagine the scene. One of
the maids. running in a distracted manner
from room to room. caught sight of the
small boy peeping from under the table
with the cat in his arms snatched him up,
and bore him in ecstasy to his mother he
dn nnt x1.Iiy -
So it may be said that the Duke of Leeds
now owes his existence to q cat