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Halloween black cats: the stuff of legends
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How could it be bad luck to have a wonderful black cat
like Nina from Mt. Eden, Kentucky?
The black cat and the bat run paw to wing as the two animals most associated with Halloween in the United States. Nowadays, the black cat’s connection to the country’s spookiest holiday is mostly all in good fun. But black cats have been fighting an undeserved reputation as harbingers of evil for centuries. Reportedly, way back in Babylonian times, the sight of a black cat curled up by a fire was a portent of problems.
The severe miscasting of black cats in Western society began back in the Middle Ages, when churches in Europe declared that black cats were friends of the devil. The kitties were also considered witches’ familiars, and many a black cat was rounded up and killed. It was also thought that witches would turn themselves into black cats in order to avoid capture, which wouldn’t have been too smart, given the great animosity toward those ebony animals.
When the pilgrims came to America, bringing along the Puritan faith and customs, they also came with the same wrongheaded notions about black cats. If you were caught with one in your possession you risked punishment or even death.
While we’ve chilled out considerably about the dangers of black cats, there is still the widespread notion that you are in for bad luck if a one crosses your path. There is, however, much evidence to the contrary. In at least one instance, a math-challenged high schooler got her only 100 on a math test ever the day a black cat darted in front of her on her way to class.
Actually, there are numerous legends in which black cats are good luck omens. Some of them date all the way back Ancient Egypt, where, the black cat was revered, and it was a capital offense to kill one.
Centuries later, in sailing communities, in an effort to keep their men safe at sea, fishermen’s wives kept black cats as talismans. The fishermen themselves often set sail with black cats on board. It was a sign of good luck if a black cat strutted toward you on deck. But, if the cat turned tail, that was not good. And, needless to say, if a black cat fell overboard, it was bad luck for everyone involved.
In many of today’s cultures, black cats are considered good luck. In Scotland, if one appears on your porch you are in for good luck. In Great Britain, if you own one it's good luck, but if one you don’t own crosses your path, you’re in for trouble.
Whether you think black cats are good or bad luck (or neitherl), one thing about them is not in question. It takes black cats (and apparently black dogs too) a longer time to get adopted from animal shelters than any other kind of cat, both here and in the United Kingdom. No one knows why. Could it be all that bad luck baggage? Surely here in New York City we can do better. After all, doesn’t everyone here love basic black?
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