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The Cat in Ancient Egypt
Tour Egypt ^ | FR Posts 1-30-2003 (April 1st, 2001) | By Ilene Springer

Posted on 01/31/2003 2:29:42 PM PST by vannrox

The Cat in Ancient Egypt

By Ilene Springer

After the pyramids and the kohl painted eyes, almost nothing evokes more awe and mystery than the fascination ancient Egyptians had with cats.

They were not only the most popular pet in the house, but their status rose to that of the sacred animals and then on to the most esteemed deities like no other creature before them.

Cats domesticate the ancient Egyptians

Although no one can pinpoint the time exactly, we know that the cat was domesticated in Egypt, probably around 2000 B.C., and that most modern cats are descendants of the cats of ancient Egypt.  One reason it is difficult to say precisely when domestication occurred is that the ancient Egyptians did not distinguish between wild and tame cats in their descriptions of them. There was one word for cat-and that was miu or mii, meaning "he or she who mews."

So then how did domestication of the cat come about?  Dogs, associated with hunting, had actually been domesticated thousands of years before, according to archeologists.  But cats, being the aloof, aristocratic creatures they are admired for, apparently took their time in fully befriending the ancient Egyptians.


Modern Egyptian Wild Cat: The Sand Cat
Possibly one of the ancestors of the Modern Cat

There is a cat known as the African wild cat (Felis silvestris libyca)-one of the closest wild relatives of the modern cat.  It is larger than the average domesticated cat of today.  The feline's tawny, yellow-gray fur, long tapering tail and striped markings, affording it ideal camouflage among the rocks and sand of the desert.  This cat is known as a predator-a hunter of small game-rather than a scavenger.  The other cat native to Egypt is the swamp or jungle cat-(Felis chaus), but it is the wild cat which is believed to have been the cat to "domesticate the Egyptians."

In the villages, the greatest danger to Egyptian households were the

numerous poisonous snakes, rats and mice which attacked food supplies in the home and the village granaries.  The wild cat, it is assumed, strayed into the villages and hunted down the vermin, keeping them at bay.  It's easy to imagine the grateful Egyptians leaving out scraps of food to encourage the wild cats on their vigils.  A symbiotic relationship occurred between animal and human.  Next, the felines found their way into the Egyptian homes, spent some time there, allowed themselves to be tamed and raised their kittens in a human environment.  As soon as the Egyptians began supplying the cats with
food, thereby significantly changing their diet, and breeding them for certain characteristics, the cats were domesticated.   They were perfect pets-playful, intelligent, affectionate and helpful to the farmers who sustained life in ancient Egypt.

Tomb paintings with cats as part of family life began to show up during the New Kingdom-about 500 years after the first attempts at domestication.  But the most direct evidence for domestication comes from cemeteries of mummified cats.  These appear to be from around 1000 B.C. (the late Pharonic era).  And they were most likely domesticated cats from ordinary households or temple catteries; it wouldn't make sense to go to such trouble for wild animals who died.

 The lovable and helpful pet

During the New Kingdom (1540 to 1069 B.C.), there were many tomb scenes that started showing cats as part of everyday life.  The ancient Egyptians took their cats on hunting excursions, especially in the marshes where cats may have been trained to retrieve fowl and fish.  Another very common scene in tomb paintings was a cat seated under a woman's chair, showing that the cat had become an integral   part of the ancient Egyptian family life.


Modern Egyptian Mau

Many Egyptian parents named their children after cats, especially their daughters.  Some girls were called Mit or Miut.  The mummy of a five-year-old girl named Mirt was found at Deir el-Bahri in King Mentuhotep's temple.

Cats were also valued for their mysterious and superstitious qualities. There is a myth that the Egyptians once won a battle because of cats. They were fighting a foreign regiment and just at the time of attack by the foreigners, the Egyptian released thousands of cats at the front lines. Seeing the onslaught of these terrifying creatures, the foreign army retreated in panic.

Cats as sacred animals

"The progress of the cat in Egyptian religion was quite remarkable and in many respects unusual," writes Jaromir Malek, author of The Cat in Ancient Egypt.  "Unlike some other animals, the cat was not primarily associated with an important local deity at the beginning of Egyptian time.  It never attained a truly elected 'official' status which would have enabled it to become a full member of the divine community encountered on the walls of Egyptian temples.  But in spite of all this, the cat's popularity eventually surpassed that of any other animal and reached far beyond Egypt's boundaries."

The earliest feline cat goddess recorded was called Mafdet and is described in the Pyramid Texts as killing a serpent with her claws. But the most famous cat goddesses in the world, first revered by the ancient Egyptians were Bastet (also known as Bast, Pasch, Ubasti) and the lion-headed Sekhmet.

Bastet was often depicted as having the body of a woman and the head of a domestic cat.  She was associated with the Eye of Ra, acting within the sun god's power.  The Egyptians loved Bastet so much that she became a household goddess and protector of women, children and domestic cats.  She was also the goddess of sunrise, music, dance, pleasure, as well as family, fertility and birth.  

Her supposed evil counterpart was the goddess Sekhmet who represented the cat goddess' destructive force.  She is known as the goddess of war and pestilence.  But even she was tamed by Ra (who supposedly got her drunk) and she eventually became the powerful protector of humans.  Together, Bastet and Sekhmet represented the balance of the forces of nature.

Cats began to appear on objects of everyday life.  There were gold cats on intricate bracelets, small golden cat pendants, cats amulets made of soapstone for necklaces and rings.  Women made up their faces holding mirrors with cats on the wooden handles and on their cosmetic pots.  The best part was that ordinary people could enjoy the protection of the cat goddess through their amulets on their clothing or around their necks or in their earlobes. Cats even figured in dream interpretation.  In one book of ancient dreams, it was said that if a man sees a cat in a dream, it means he will have a good harvest.

In the late periods of Egyptian history, the popularity of the cat increased and a great many bronze cat statuettes were made; most were intended for shrines or funerary purposes.  Most had pierced ears and silver or gold earrings.  Their eyes were made of inlaid rock crystal or a similar opaque material.  The ancient Egyptians considered the female cat as a good mother, and there have been several statues of mother cats and kittens discovered.

Cats were held in such high esteem that at one point, the penalty for killing a cat-even accidentally-was death.

Feline festivities

Probably the greatest testimony to cats were the cults and celebrations the ancient Egyptians devoted to Bastet.  In northern Egypt, around 3200 B.C., the city Bubastis came into being.  This was the center of worship for the goddess Bastet, which simply means "she who comes from Bast."  Once a year around October 31, the festival of Bastet would occur with hundreds of thousands of people making pilgrimages to Bubastis and other ancient cities including Memphis.  There was singing and wine and wild behavior. And as the evening ended, there was also prayers to Bastet, accompanied by music and incense.

Bubastis was destroyed by the Persians in 350 B.C.  But her most famous residents live on-not only in the streets of Cairo and the villages of rural Egypt but all over the world.  Through the common domesticated cat, the ancient Egyptians achieved a most uncommon mission-immortality.

### Ilene Springer writes on ancient Egypt and archaeology and is a

student of museum studies at Harvard University.

Source:  The Cat in Ancient Egypt by Jaromir Malek  (British Museum

Press, 1993)


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: agriculture; animalhusbandry; archaeology; bas; cat; cats; desert; egypt; fur; ggg; god; godsgravesglyphs; history; past; paw; pyramid; worship
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To: ActionNewsBill
NiMH cat brought home a chipmunk captive to question.
Never did get to question teh prisoner, as the second NiMH let him go, he ran off in absolute terror.
I'm pretty sure that the criminal rodent will never do whatever it was that got him collared in the first place again.
41 posted on 01/31/2003 4:15:51 PM PST by Darksheare (<----- Dances a jig on his own grave, and trips.)
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To: lizma
LOL!!!! What a great site!
42 posted on 01/31/2003 4:31:31 PM PST by vannrox (The Preamble to the Bill of Rights - without it, our Bill of Rights is meaningless!)
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To: spetznaz
Thanks for the site. I bookmarked it.
43 posted on 01/31/2003 4:34:00 PM PST by NEWwoman
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To: rintense
Cats are a great example of the need to be lazy, to sleep alot, to eat alot, to go out drinking (they like outside water better), to be selectively deaf, to love getting treats,... They should be man's best friend.
44 posted on 01/31/2003 4:36:39 PM PST by NEWwoman
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To: spetznaz
Thanks for the web site. Tooooo funny!
45 posted on 01/31/2003 4:45:39 PM PST by FoxGirl
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To: rintense
Great pictures! But how did you get them to sit still for the photographs?
46 posted on 01/31/2003 4:47:03 PM PST by neutrino (Audaces fortuna juvat)
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To: vannrox
Modern Abyssinian cat. Although this color is rare, it is quite persistent when bred with non-abbys


47 posted on 01/31/2003 4:57:20 PM PST by js1138
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To: Skooz
You just ahve to see the link i posted on post no. 7.
48 posted on 01/31/2003 5:34:53 PM PST by spetznaz (When i say i am perfect people say i am arrogant .....but i am just being darn honest!)
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To: vannrox

FOOLISH HUMANS!

We're just fattening you up. Then we will EAT you!

49 posted on 01/31/2003 5:39:43 PM PST by LibKill (ColdWarrior. I stood the watch.)
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To: rintense
They are beautiful!
50 posted on 01/31/2003 5:41:16 PM PST by angcat
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To: neutrino
I just had my digital camera on standby. The cats love to lounge in the sun that comes through the window. So, I just waited for a sunny day this past summer and got them. They're actually all posers- they love having their picture taken!
51 posted on 01/31/2003 5:46:11 PM PST by rintense (Go Get 'Em Dubya!)
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To: NEWwoman; FoxGirl
Some of my favorites (the quotes are also from the website on no.7)

The advance scouting party for an interstellar invasion. We will be subjugated and treated harshly.

The rage is obvious.

This cat hates this man so much he had to defend himself

Fueled by total ego, Bob waves to the camera before unleashing the 01-25 virus that almost took Korea off the map.

Yes, Stella has rabies... and so will you, soon

She hates you because you wear those red clothes even though you know she's colorblind. Now she uses her Laser Power

52 posted on 01/31/2003 5:55:28 PM PST by spetznaz (When i say i am perfect people say i am arrogant .....but i am just being darn honest!)
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To: vannrox
Great post, thanks! We have four cats, all strays and the youngest one (below) runs the place.


53 posted on 01/31/2003 5:55:53 PM PST by Lady Jag (Googolplex Start Thinker of the Seventh Galaxy of Light and Ingenuity)
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To: afraidfortherepublic; lawgirl; happygrl
Ping-a-linga-ling!
54 posted on 01/31/2003 5:57:37 PM PST by spetznaz (When i say i am perfect people say i am arrogant .....but i am just being darn honest!)
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To: All
This is "mean" Max. Any suggestions for a caption so I can add his photo to the site? He surprisingly tolerates his new red collar that has a jingle bell.
55 posted on 01/31/2003 6:04:36 PM PST by FoxGirl
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To: rintense

Wimpy the Cat, 2002, aged 16

56 posted on 01/31/2003 6:15:49 PM PST by wimpycat (US: Masters of our Domain...France: Morally bankrupt "old Europe")
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To: spetznaz

Wimpy in his element.

57 posted on 01/31/2003 6:22:31 PM PST by wimpycat (US: Masters of our Domain...France: Morally bankrupt "old Europe")
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To: wimpycat
Wimpy: "Not only did I kill the family dog for his coat (nice cushy rug, hehe), but i also have pyrokinesis and can start fires with a mere look!"
58 posted on 01/31/2003 6:25:54 PM PST by spetznaz (When i say i am perfect people say i am arrogant .....but i am just being darn honest!)
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To: FoxGirl
Max:"You may have heard of the film titled 'Mad Max!' Well, i was the inspiration for that flick, and if you continue staring at me like that i will show you why!"
59 posted on 01/31/2003 6:31:26 PM PST by spetznaz (When i say i am perfect people say i am arrogant .....but i am just being darn honest!)
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To: spetznaz
ROFL!

Actually it was a bear....

(fake bearskin rug)
60 posted on 01/31/2003 6:31:26 PM PST by wimpycat (US: Masters of our Domain...France: Morally bankrupt "old Europe")
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