Cassandra Sagram March, 2010
Myths and Legends: Journeys Through Time
The Cat
Mysterious, intelligent, independent, needy, curious, adorable, cunning and whimsical. These are
a few of many adjectives used to describe an animal. Particularly an animal that thousands
millions even, own or are owned by worldwide. That animal is the closely watched and
regarded with great suspicion sometimes. None other than feline domesticus, the common
cat. Cats are most often accused of being a witch’s familiar or too darn smart for their own
good. Aside from that black cats especially are thought to bring about bad luck and ill news.
Some cultures believe that if a cat goes near a corpse or jumps over one, that person will
return to life as a vampire. Other cultures praised the cat because of their cleanliness and
their wisdom. There is one culture though that held cats in the highest regard. The Ancient
Egyptians held cats in such a high regard that they were considered demigods. Not beings of
of this plane entirely but beings of both this plane and the god’s plane. Cats were so very
important to the Ancient Egyptians that anyone caught killing, or harming one even if by acci-
dent, were killed themselves. The cats guarded the royal granaries and kept out mice and
vermin that would have otherwise depleted the food supply. It’s no wonder then that the
people of Ancient Egypt worshiped a goddess whose duties included protecting cats.
That goddess would be Bast, also known as Bastet. There are many interpretations as to
exactly what Bast was the goddess of. Some interpretations have her as the goddess of fire,
dance, good fortune, music, and secrets. All accounts however agree that Bast was the
Goddess of cats, a goddess of fertility and a protector. The Ancient Egyptians associate with
Ra making her a solar deity. However to the Greeks she is a lunar deity as they most likely
associated her with artemis. As with most Ancient Egyptian deities, Bast has a temple
of worship as well as a town and cult that worshipped her. The town is called Bubastis,
or Per-Bast. Named after Bast and is located in Lower Egypt. There are many other temples
and many other cities that also worship Bast but the most holy and revered place is Bubastis.
Bubastis is so important because when the prefix “Per” is added to the beginning of a name
the meaning of the name translated loosely to as “home of” so Bubastis, was considered the
home of Bast. Originally Bast was seen as a protector of Lower Egypt and in fact her name
means “Fierce Devourer”. Before her name was changed to Bastet she was depicted as a lion
headed goddess and in charge of protecting the sun god, Ra. This association with Ra lead to
her gaining the titles ‘Lady of the Flame’ and ‘Lady of the East’. Some account say that Bast is a
daughter of Ra’s and that’s why she fights so hard to protect him. Other accounts say she is
simply a protective and avenging deity, a war type deity if you will. When Bast was renamed
Bastet which translates to “female of the ointment jar”, Bast also became known as a goddess
of perfume and eventually as the wife of Anubis, as he was known as the god of embalming.
As Lower Egypt lost more and more wars, Bast’s position in the deity order went lower and
lower, leading to her name change and her being seeing as less fierce and more motherly. It
was at this point at time that she began being depicted as a cat-headed goddess instead of a
Lion-headed goddess. It was also around this time that she became associated with fertility
and motherhood as domesticated cats are very gentle with their young. As cats were asso-
ciated with Bast and so very important, they were mummified. The cat owners would even
go so far as to shave off their eyebrows to show mourning when their cat died. At the temple
of Bast in Bubastis, more than 300,000 mummified cats were found. Also, when an owner died
they were buried alongside their cat. As the years changed Bast’s identity merged with those
of other similar goddesses which lead to the Greeks naming her “Ailuros“which is Greek for
cat and associating her with the moon goddess, artemis. All in all the stories, history of this
cat goddess is very intricate and has many different facets. Presented here are some of the
basic and more well known facets of this goddess. Also, presented are some slightly lesser
known facets. Suffice to say, this goddess is every bit as mysterious and unpredictable as
the charges to whom she gives protection are.
Works Cited
www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/bast.htm
www.crystalinks.com/bast.html
www.moggies.co.uk/bastet/bastet.html
Tags: cat, mythology
*A cat sitting with its back to the Fire is an Omen that the weather will soon change. *Hearing a cat Cry before leaving on a journey is Bad Luck. *It is Good Luck if someone gives you a Black cat. *A cat jumping over a Dead Body will cause the body to become a Vampire. *If a Cat Follows you, you will soon come Into Money. *If a Cat Sneezes it Is Lucky. *When a Cat Washes it Face Visitor’s will soon Arrive. *Stroke a Cat’s tail Nine times for Luck at Playing cards. *To Protect a home place a Statue of a Cat on the roof.
*There is a rule that must Always be followed~ Never Move a Broom from one Home to Another. Negativity will come with it. *To Purify the home you move from Swing your Broom around your Head Three times in Each Room. *For unwanted Guests place a Broom behind the Door with the Bristles facing Upward. If the Visitors still Refuse to Leave Stick a Fork into the bristles. *If a Broom drops across a Doorway, soon you will Embark on a Journey. You Must pick it up Quickly and Do Not step Over it. *When the Rain continues on, create images of Brooms and paste them to Your doors And fences to Bring Clear Weather and Sunshine. *If you shall Fall from your Hands while you Sweep, make a Wish Before picking it up. *If the Desire for Marriage is your Longing, Jump over a Broom nine Times and within a Year, Your Wish will come True. *To Bring Rain go Outdoors and Swing a Broom in the Air over your Head. *If it is your Wish to use Your Broom as a Lightening rod. Put your Broom on the porch, it has been Said that Lightening and Electricity are Attracted to Brooms. *Laying a Broom across a Doorway allows Departed friends and Family to Communicate freely with you. *If you Feel that Unfriendly Spirits are haunting you, Step over a Broomstick and it will prevent Them from Disturbing you for Ever more. *When Nightmares keep you from Sleep, hang a Broom from your Bed Room door and place Garlic beneath your Pillow. *Always sweep in the direction of the Fireplace if you Do Not have one sweep Anywhere, but toward the Front door so you do not your Homes’ Good Luck away.
*Blue ~ Intelligence and Divine Powers *Gray ~ Calculating *Green ~ Creative *Brown ~ Flirts before Marriage, but is Loyal Afterward *Eyelashes of the Right eye curl Down ~ A Good Omen for men; Bad Omen for Women. *Beware of the One whose Eyebrows meet, because in the Heart there Lies Deceit. *Eye- shaped Charms are worn often to Ensure good Health, courage And Wisdom. *A man’s right Eye twitching ~ Good Luck *The Left eye ~ Bad luck *A woman’s Right eye Twitching ~ Bad luck *The Left Eye ~ Good Luck *Right eye Itching ~ Expect good Luck *The left ~ Expect Bad Luck *Eyebrows* *Arched ~ Imaginative *Curved ~ Inquiring *Heavy ~ Blunt *Straight ~ Alert *Joins the Nose ~ Lucky, Untruthful, indicates a Vampire or Werewolf ~ Beware of the One whose Eyebrows Meet, because in The Heart lies Deceit ~ *Meeting a Person of the Opposite Sex who is cross Eyed ~ Good Luck *Eye shadow of Blue on the top Lid and Green on the Bottom will Strengthen Optic Powers and Provide Protection ~ Superstitions are Upheld by people whose Lives are different from those Who Fear the unknown. The Energy of these Forces are used To control and Perform actions to Protect oneself. The negativity that awaits in Every corner is a Risk that the Beholder is Not willing to Take. Perform the Ritual and Believe. It Will happen or Not.
