Are cats evil

Among superstitions, one of the oldest and most enduring is that crossing the road with a black cat brings bad luck. Dark cats have also been transformed into modern Halloween symbols, giving them a creepy reputation. But when and where did the association between black cats and bad luck begin? Here’s what’s known about the connection between Halloween and black cats, including the lasting impact this superstition still has today.

The Origin of Black Cat Superstition
The connection between humans and cats dates back to some of the world’s earliest civilizations, most notably ancient Egypt, where cats were considered sacred symbols. Cats also appear in Greek mythology, notably Hekate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the moon, and sorcery, who was described as having a cat that was both a pet and a familiar (a supernatural creature that aided witches, according to European folklore) . On June 13, 1233, Pope Gregory IX issued an official church document called the “Voice of Rama” that documented the connection between black cats and the occult. “The edict marked the beginning of heresy and witch hunts sanctioned by the Inquisition and the Church,” said Layla Morgan Wilde, author of “Black Cats Tell: True Stories and Inspiring Images.” Initially its purpose was to suppress the growing cult of Lucifer in Germany, but it soon spread throughout Europe. “

Cats and witches were seen as threats to the early Christian church
In addition to their early association with Satan, cats are also closely associated with witches in medieval Europe. According to Wiccan priestess Cerridwen Fallingstar, author of Broth in the Cauldron: A Journey of Wisdom in Everyday Magic, witches were practitioners of pre-Christian paganism in Europe. Although the early Christian church in Europe co-existed with witches, as the church gained power, she said they viewed witches as their direct competition for winning hearts and minds. She explained that this was when the church began hunting, persecuting, and torturing witches in large numbers. “Witches respect the natural world and have a deep respect for plants and animals,” Fallingstar said. “As a result, human-animal affection began to be seen as evil, and old ladies with cats were seen as suspects.”
But it wasn’t just the connections they made up between witches, cats, and the devil that early Christians feared: they also saw both as a threat. “Cats, like women accused of witchcraft, often display a disrespect for authority,” she points out. “They will not please unworthy people like dogs. Neither independent women nor independent animals will be tolerated in the church.”
At some point, the witch-cat pairing was narrowed down to black cats, though Fallingstar says it’s not entirely clear why this happens. “The relationship between witches and black cats in particular may be fictional, but black cats may be better mousers because they can’t see at night and therefore have a hunting advantage,” she explains. “Witches do tend to be practical.”
Eventually, Puritan colonists spread their fear of black cats and their association with witchcraft across the Atlantic, said Daniel Compora, associate professor of English language and literature at the University of Toledo. “The idea that witches could transform into their relatives likely developed from people accused of witchcraft who kept cats as pets,” he explains.

Cats blamed for spreading plague
In the Middle Ages, it was not uncommon for cats to be killed because of their association with evil, Compora said. Some even blamed cats for spreading the Black Death and used this as another reason to eliminate them. However, their ill-conceived plan backfired. “It is especially ironic that the killing of cats contributed to the spread of the plague,” explains Compora. “With fewer cats to control rodent populations, the disease spread rapidly.”

The Origin of the Black Cat Crossing the Road Superstition
Folklorist and artist Phoebe Millerwhite says that given the belief in medieval Europe that devils and witches could take the form of black cats, it makes sense that superstitions would develop around them crossing the street. “So a black cat crossing your path is most likely a witch’s mission,” she points out. “Just as easily, it could be the devil in disguise – no one wants to cross paths with the devil. This would explain why a black cat crossing your path is considered a bad omen.”
This belief persisted into the Renaissance, and when a black cat crossed your path, it could be a sign that a witch was sending her familiar to harm you, Fallingstar said. “Many timid farmers at that time might have rushed to the nearest church and paid a priest to come and pray for them to free them from any curse the cat might have cast,” she said. “As this was the church’s source of income, it was possible It amplifies that fear.”
But Compora said the idea that black cats are bad luck is not widespread. In fact, some cultures believe that black cats bring good luck. “Their resemblance to the cat goddess Bastet led to their veneration in ancient Egypt,” he explains. “In other countries, such as Scotland and Japan, they are known to represent prosperity. Obviously, whether black cats are seen as benevolent creatures or evil supernatural forces depends entirely on the legend one may accept.