 An Illustration fromMore English Fairy Tales from the story "The King of the Cats". | |
| Creature information | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Cat-sidhe, Fairy Cat |
| Grouping | Legendary creature |
| Sub grouping | Fairy,witch |
| Similar entities | Phantom cat |
| Folklore | Scottish, Irish |
| Origin | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Region | Scottish Highlands |
Thecat-sìth (Scottish Gaelic:[kʰaʰt̪ˈʃiː], pluralcait-shìth), in Gaeliccat sí (Irish:[kat̪ˠˈʃiː]), is afairy creature fromCeltic mythology, said to resemble a largeblack cat with a white spot on its chest that walks on its hind legs. Legend has it that the spectral cat haunts theScottish Highlands. The legends surrounding this creature are more common inScottish folklore, but a few occur inIrish. Some common folklore suggested that thecat-sìth was not a fairy, but awitch that could transform into a cat nine times.[1][2][3][4]
Thecat-sìth may have been inspired by theScottish wildcat itself.[5] Furthermore, it is also possible that the legends of thecat-sìth were inspired byKellas cats, which are a distinctivehybrid between Scottish wildcats anddomestic cats found only in Scotland (the Scottish wildcat is a population of theEuropean wildcat, which is now absent from elsewhere in theBritish Isles).
Thecat-sìth is all black with the exception of a white spot on its chest.[6] It is described as being as large as a dog and chooses to display itself with its back arched and bristles erect.[1][6] When thecat-sìth thinks no humans are watching, it walks on its hind legs, which is how many stories of acat-sìth being discovered happen. Around humans, thecat-sìth will try and appear bigger by arching its back and fur stand on end as a way to show dominance.[4]
In theEnglish folk tale "The King of the Cats", a man comes home to tell his wife and cat, Old Tom, that he saw nine black cats with white spots on their chests carrying a coffin with a crown on it. One of the nine cats says to the man "Tell Tom Tildrum that Tim Toldrum is dead." Old Tom then exclaims, "What?! Old Tim dead! Then I'm the King o' the Cats!" The cat then climbs up the chimney and is never seen again.[7]
Thecat-sìth were believed to steal the souls of the recently dead and haven't gone to the land of the dead.[4] This would happen by acat-sìth crossing over a new dead body.[8] Beforemorgues were common, these were bodies keep in a room in the home or in the barn until the body could be buried so people could pay their respects to the body.[9]
To avoid the soul being taken during this period, people would stay to watch the body in a vigil called the Late Wake or Fèill Fhadalach inIrish Gaelic. People would distract thecat-sìth away from the body with things like music, games, dance, or catnip. It was also suggested not to light a fire near the body ascat-sìth was attracted to the heat.[4][8][10]
AroundSamhain, it was custom to leave out a saucer of milk for them. If you did, your household would receive good luck for the year.[4] If you didn't, thecat-sìth would return the favor and dry up the milk of the house's cows.[10]
Some people believed that thecat-sìth was a witch or demon in the guise of an animal, and thatcat-sìth had no connection to fairies.[1] If the witches have changed nine times, they will be stuck as acat-sìth for the rest of their life.[4]
One story where thecat-sìth is a witch is[11]
Once upon a time there was a man living near Ballymalis Castle, called Jeramiah Carter. One day he went to Killorglin to buy sheep. When he came home his wife told him that the cat was making mournful noise around the house all day. He went to hunt out the cat but couldn’t find it. Next day his sheep strayed away and he did not know where to find them. At last he said he would go towards the castle in search of them. When he reached Ballymalis Castle he heard a great wailing within. He waited for an hour, and at last a big cat came out on top of the castle. The cat spoke to him and told to tell her sister at home that her mother was dead. He got his sheep and went home. When he reached home he told his wife what the cat had said. When the other cat heard the news, she went away and was never seen again. It is said that those two cats were witches. They went to Ballymalis Castle and were there for many years after. I heard this story from my mother and she heard it from her uncle, who was seventy years at that time.
— Margaret Doyle, The Schools’ Collection: County Kerry, The Schools’ Collection
The demoniccat-sìth called Big Ears could be summoned (GaelictaghairmScottish Gaelic pronunciation:[tɤrʲɤm]) to appear and grant any wish to those who took part in the ceremony. The ceremony required practitioners to burn the bodies of cats over the course of four days and nights.[1][12]
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