Black Cat Superstitions
Most of us have heard the old superstition of how unlucky it is to have a
black cat cross your path, but not all superstitions regarding cats are bad ones, and anyone who has ever owned a black cat will likely tell you that they are no more unlucky than any other. Black cats are thought of as objects of terror perhaps because of the unlucky and evil associations with the color black itself, perhaps aided by the difficulty of seeing a black cat in the darkness and the fear that arises when one pops up unexpectedly.
Halloween time is a particularly popular time for black cats to make an appearance, both in real life and in the stores and shops that we frequent. We might find decorations featuring black cats on lawns, in windows, and on everything from paper plates to posters and stickers for the holiday. Black cats might not appreciate all of this attention if they only knew what it signified!
In most of these decorations, the black cat is found in an aggressive stance, back arched, fangs bared, eyes, if they are visible, often narrowed to slits or glowing terrifyingly. These images are meant to conjure a sense of fear from those who see them, or at least a bit of spine tingling nervousness in the name of Hallowe’en fun. Additionally, the black cat is often seen accompanying the gap-toothed hag on this scary holiday.
The association of black cats with witches and hags is one that stretches back through the years to the dark ages and perhaps beyond, with these animals being held in fearful contempt and known to cause bad luck. Black cats, depending on the region, were thought to bring illness and misfortune upon a home, or to be witches in disguise.
Some people still treat the black cat with such fear and contempt that it is not good to be a black cat wandering the streets in October. People have been known to brutalize and kill these animals in the most gruesome ways, and the activities are often blamed on witches, cults, or Satanists, though it is equally if not more likely that the crimes are perpetrated by particularly cruel teens.
The truth is that black cats have no more power than any other feline, and while they might be particularly dangerous if they like to sleep on the stairs at night, they are no more deadly than any other cat, either. In Britain and Japan it is even considered fortunate to have a black cat cross your path, and in Scotland it is lucky if you find a strange black cat on your porch.
There are superstitions world wide about everything from black cats to umbrellas, and it would be dizzying to try to track them all. Instead, it seems like a much better option to take a black cat (or any cat) into your home and into your heart. A
black cat is certainly no quick ticket to a lifelong curse!