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The Trials Of Cats In Medieval Times
Cats have been companions
to man throughout history, but not always as a beloved
companion.
In ancient times, the cat earned it's
keep by helping to reduce the population of rats and
mice that raided precious grain stores. In ancient Egypt,
the cat was adored and celebrated - even mummified along
with their human companions.
Medieval man, however, had an entirely
different opinion of the cat.
Up until Medieval times, the cat had
been elevated to a high status. She was even worshipped
in some places, like the German states, where cats were
associated with Freya the goddess of love and fertility.
But medieval man was superstitious,
believing that witches and demons walked the earth doing
evil deeds. The church became a central part of medieval
life and in its quest for power, preached that the old
ways of worship were evil.
The church took a dislike to the old
Freya rites and in 1484, Pope Innocent VIII instructed
the Inquisition to burn the Freya heretics as witches
- along with their cats.
During the 16th and 17th centuries over
175,000 supposed witches were executed in Germany and
France. Along with them went thousands of cats.
Medieval man thought the cat had supernatural
powers and any misfortune was blamed on them. Anything
from sour milk to an outbreak of disease was blamed
on our furry friends. Cats were even thought to be witches
in disguise, running in the darkness of night to perform
evil acts. Cats were burned, boiled, stoned, flayed,
stabbed, gutted, dropped from high places, hanged, impaled
and buried alive with an almost religious fervor.
To own a cat during these times was
risking ones life as many an old lady was accused of
witchcraft simply because she kept a cat as a companion.
Throughout these bleak times, however, some did remain
loyal to the furry feline.
Millers and Sailors still saw great
uses for the cats to rid their respective areas of vermin
and others kept their fondness for cats as well. As
time went on, more people of influence began to keep
cats (even Cardinals Wolsey and Richelieu kept cats
as pets) and the tide began to turn in the cats favor.
Finally, but the 18th century, cats
were no longer persecuted and cats as companions began
to make a comeback. Today, of course, cats are widely
accepted as the loving companions and, while they don't
typically enjoy the status they did in ancient Egypt,
they are adored and cared for as loving pets.
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