There
are many tales of cats in folklore. But today I want to take a look at a
particular cat that it is said can steal souls. This cat haunts the Scottish
Highlands. So if you ever find yourself in this beautiful part of the world,
keep your eyes open.
The
cat is, of course, a black one, but it is easily identified because of a large
white spot on its chest. The cat is also the size of a dog, so not your average
house feline. But be warned, they are very good at disguise, on the face of it
they they act like a normal cat, but when no one is watching they will stand up
on their hind legs and act as if they are human. Of course, there is an
explanation for this, for it is thought that the cat is actually a witch, who
can transform from her human form to a cat at will. But...The witch can only do
this eight times because if the witch transforms nine times the she will remain
a cat forever. So I guess a witch has only nine feline lives. Interesting!
Now
it is vital to keep the cat away from the newly departed because, as I said, it steals souls. It is therefore vital
to never leave a corpse unattended. This prevention is called the Feill
Fadalach. To prevent the cat from stealing souls the Feill Fadalach has to be obeyed by the letter. This is what you have to do...
*
Firstly, plant Catnip as far away from the corpse as you can ~ we all know how much cats love Catnip. They will be too busy playing in the Catnip to worry about stealing
souls.
*Tell
the cat a riddle. A really hard one that the cat has to spend hours trying to
figure out.
*Extinguish
all fires ~ Best not attract the cat to the warmth, you know how they like to monopolize
the heat.
*Organise
a wrestling match ~ cats love watching wrestling...?!
*Play
some music. Cat's love to dance to music. Some of them even sing along!
But
this cat was so revered that it even had its own special night, where it was surprisingly welcomed. This night was called Samhain. On this night it was essential that you
left a saucer of milk outside your house for the cat. The cat would then bless
your house. If you did not the cat would curse your cows, and their milk would
dry up.
Who
knew…?
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See you on your next coffee break!
Take Care,
Mary Anne xxx