Are cats the messengers of hell? Where does it come from? Or what legend is it, Eastern or Western?

In the Middle Ages, many people believed that black cats were the pets of witches, or the incarnation of witches, or Satan (the messenger of the devil). Everything stemmed from its sense of mystery, and medieval Christianity took advantage of it. At this point, all problems are pushed to the cat, its image is discredited, and it is described in the above form, so people think it is ominous.

Black cats are considered to be witches’ pets. This originated from the European Renaissance in the Middle Ages. People believed that witches had their own ‘Familiar’, elves who specialized in serving witches. They could take on various forms. Appearance: such as cats, crows, owls, etc.

Cats have given people a mysterious feeling since ancient times. Because they move quickly and come and go without a trace, people see them as a supernatural image; in addition The coat color is black, which makes people feel particularly evil, so people usually think that black cats will bring bad luck. Black cats are said to fly into the sky on broomsticks with witches. At that time, people thought that cats were like that Mysterious, it scares people.

In 962 AD, hundreds of cats were used as Lent ritual sacrifices. In the era of "witch hunting", there were a large number of cats Women and cats were killed; during the Dark Ages, many women were burned to death as witches, some of whom were regarded as witches for raising cats and were tortured together with the cats. Hundreds of children were hanged in Switzerland , because they had been in contact with cats and were thought to have been instigated by the prototype of cats - the devil. Cats can also remind people of female characteristics, which made both women and cats feel untrustworthy at that time. Cats may be the incarnation of witches, and women Maybe they were witches. Under the male-dominated society, both cats and women were persecuted. However, after the cats were slaughtered, the plague became more rampant, making people more afraid. Christianity therefore denounced everything as being caused by cats and was the work of pagans. It symbolizes and instills in the people that "cats are the incarnation of witches and messengers of hell. They have the power of Satan and must be destroyed." Being dubbed the messenger of the devil makes cats even more persecuted. Folks also believe that cats raised by witches Able to talk and predict the future, it is a fairy at the command of witches. The black cat has become the incarnation of the devil when it plays tricks on humans, and everyone hates it. There is also a rumor that cat noses can spread the Black Death virus, and people will be infected with the Black Death after drinking it. This puts all the blame for the Black Death and other disasters on cats.

The results appeared in 1200 AD This led to the large-scale persecution of cats. The crime of cats was also added to the trial: "Strange cats sneaked into houses at night and attacked babies (or suffocated people in their sleep)" was widely known by the witnesses of the witch trials at the time. Testimonies; some testimonies claim that witches can transform into cats to get closer to the objects they want to harm; some describe witches or pagans meeting to kiss cats' butts; and the so-called "crime" of worshiping cats also appeared in religious interrogations

< p>In the 13th century, Pope George VI declared black cats to be the incarnation of witches. Therefore, when people think of cats or women, they will think of the other; therefore, both were persecuted, burned at the stake, and were called Satan or Satan. The devil's minions and even their true form. In fact, cats are regarded as the incarnation of witches. There is also a legend: There was a kind-hearted judge who, in order to save a girl who was about to be burned at the stake, secretly let the girl go and replaced her with a cat; but during the burning When people saw the cat escaping from the fire, they believed that the girl had turned into a black cat. The concept that witches are cats has long been deeply rooted in the people's hearts.

In addition, there are many nursery rhymes and folklore about black cats. In the company of witches: To this day, some people still believe that black cats are responsible. Cat has nine lives (cat has nine lives) because if you kill a black cat that a witch turns into, she can change into another eight times. In the popular story of Snow White, the queen who transforms into a witch often has one A black cat followed behind, seemingly her personal belongings.