Black Cat
When a cat crosses your path.
Life in itself is a mystery. Add to it the deep-rooted superstitions and it becomes even more complex. You like it or not, there are many superstitions that exist in our society. Most of them were born to help mankind and were based on sound reasoning. But with time the logic was left behind and the belief became a superstition. The perplexity is one can neither believe them nor ignore them. Particularly those superstitions that predict future. Anything from a bird’s call to the falling of utensils can alter your life.
As far as superstitions go, fear of a black cat crossing one’s path is of relatively recent origin. It is also contrary to the revered place once held by the cat in Egypt, around 3000 B.C.
During the middle ages, the dread of black cats first arose in England. The cat’s characteristic independence, willfulness and stealth, coupled with its sudden overpopulation in major cities, contributed to its fall from grace. Alley cats were fed by poor, lonely old ladies, and when witch hysteria struck Europe, and many of these homeless women were accused of practicing black magic, their cat companions (especially black ones) were deemed guilty of witchery by association.
One popular tale from British lore illustrates the thinking of the day. In Lincolnshire in the 1560s, one moonless night a father and his son were frightened by a small creature that passed across their path into a crawl space. Hurling stones into the opening, they saw an injured black cat scurry out and limp into the adjacent home of a woman suspected by the town of being a witch. Next day, the father and son encountered the woman on the street. Her face was bruised, her arm bandaged. And she now walked with a limp. From that day on in Lincolnshire, all black cats were suspected of being witches in night disguise.
‘Breaking a mirror’, one of the most widespread bad luck superstitions still in existence, originated long before glass mirrors existed. The belief arose out of a combination of religious and economic factors.
The first mirrors, used by the ancient Egyptians, Hebrews and Greeks, were made of polished metals such as brass, bronze, silver, and gold, and were unbreakable. By the 6th Century B.C., the Greeks had begun a mirror practice of divination called catoptromancy, which employed shallow glass or earthenware bowls filled with water. A glass water bowl was supposed to reveal the future of any person who cast his or her image on the reflective surface. If one of these mirrors slipped and broke, the seer’s interpretation was that either the person holding the bowl had no future (because he or she would soon die) or the future held events so dreadful the gods were kindly sparing the person a glimpse of their fate.
The Romans adopted this bad luck superstition in the 1st Century A.D. and added their own twist—our modern meaning. They maintained that a person’s health changed in cycles of seven years. Since mirrors reflect a person’s appearance (that is, health), a broken mirror augured seven years of ill health and misfortune. The superstition acquired a practical, economic application in 15th Century Italy. The first breakable sheet glass mirrors with silver-coated backing were manufactured in Venice at that time. Being very costly, they were handled with great care. Servants who cleaned the mirrors were frequently and emphatically warned that to break one of these treasures invited seven years of a fate worse than death. Such effective use of the superstition served to intensify the bad luck belief for generations of Europeans. By the time inexpensive mirrors were being manufactured in England and France in the mid-1600s, the broken mirror superstition was widespread and firmly rooted in tradition.
About the Author
Ankita Singhal is a freelance writer and a mass comm graduate.
Janet Jackson – Black Cat
|
|
FURminator deShedding Tool $29.99 FURminator Small deShedding Tool Reduces shedding up to 90 percent by removing the loose, dead undercoat without damaging the topcoat. It is by far the absolute best deShedding Tool on the market, throw away all your other tools, you’ll never need anything except the FURminator again!Watch the video to see the furminator for dogs in action, then scroll down and see the actual amount of fur r… |
|
|
Eureka 71B Hand-Held Vacuum $59.99 Eureka 71B Hand-Held Vacuum… |
|
|
Coolaroo Elevated Pet Bed with Knitted Fabric Coolaroo pet beds are unique and differ from other pet beds by using a cot style design that takes advantage of the Coolaroo “breathable” knitted fabric for ultimate pet comfort . They are elevated off the ground to promote air flow on all sides, including underneath to keep your pet cool and comfortable. Our unique fabric is also flea, mite, mold and mildew resistant. It features a lightweight, y… |
|
|
Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Halloween Haunts [VHS] $12.98 … |
|
|
Cat & The Fiddle [VHS] $16.00 … |
|
|
P.D. Eastman Are You My Mother? (plus Go, Dog. Go! and The Best Nest) $19.98 P.D. Eastman’s funny, touching story about a baby bird hatched while its mother is absent makes wonderful material for this animated adaptation. Looking for its mom, the feathered newborn approaches–among other things–a dog and a cow hoping to make that vital imprint. Following that contemporary classic are two more highly enjoyable tales, including The Best Nest and Go, Dog. Go! The latter is a… |
|
|
Pest Offense POBD-I-01 Original Electronic Pest Repeller $20.53 The Original Pesticide Free Pest Control PEST OFFENSE® IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ALTERNATIVE FOR SAFE PEST CONTROL. Pest Offense® reduces the use of hazardous chemicals (insecticides and pesticides) in your everyday life. Pest Offense® is safe to use around adults, children, most pets and even food products. This revolutionary new product is an innovative breakthrough in the control of many pests. … |
|
|
395 nM 51 UV Ultraviolet LED flashlight Blacklight 3 AA, 7202UV395 $16.50 This large uv flashlight with 51 uv LEDs allows you to cover a much bigger area without losing the intensity of the UV light. The applications is perfect for inspection applications, security control, rodent contamination, hotel room inspection, and much more. Emits 395 nanometer wavelength |
|
|
Black Vinyl Cat Mask – Cat Costume Accessories $7.37 Black Vinyl Cat Mask |
|
|
Black Cat $15.31 Black Cat by Home & Garden for Unisex – 1 Pc Tall Bucket |
|
|
Catarina Black Cat Hat – Cat Costume Accessories $15.63 This Catarina Black Cat Hat is great for any cat costume! |
|
|
Black Cat Nose – Funny Costume Accessories $6.5 This is a Black Cat Nose. |
|
|
Black Cat Fashion Hat – Costume Hats $11.94 Black Cat Hat |
|
|
Black Cat Sven Flexible Keychains $5.98 Black Cat Sven Keychain This is an officially licensed flexible Black Cat Keychain made out of durable pvc plastic and features a Black Cat image. |
|
|
Black Cat Rinslet Flexible Keychains $5.98 Black Cat Rinslet Keychain This is an officially licensed flexible Black Cat Keychain made out of durable pvc plastic and features a Black Cat image. |
|
|
Black Cat Eve Flexible Keychains $5.98 Black Cat Eve Keychain This is an officially licensed flexible Black Cat Keychain made out of durable pvc plastic and features a Black Cat image. |
|
|
Black Cat Eve Wristbands $5.98 Black Cat Eve Wristband This is an officially licensed Black Cat Wristband embroidered on a Terry cloth wristband that is stretchable to fit most sizes. |
|
|
Deluxe Black Glitter Cat Costume Kit – Cat Costumes $18.4 Deluxe Black Glitter Cat Costume Kit – Cat Costumes |
|
|
Black Cat Suit Black Wristbands $5.98 Black Cat Sven Wristband This is an officially licensed Black Cat Wristband embroidered on a terry cloth wristband that is stretchable to fit most sizes. |
|
|
Black Cat Train Milk Patches $4.99 Black Cat Train Milk Patch This Black Cat Patch is an officially licensed iron-on patch. These Black Cat patches feature an embroidered Black Cat image. These Black Cat patches are about 3 x 2 inches height and width. They can be easily ironed on to most any fabric with a house hold iron. |
|
|
Earrings Cat(Pack of 1) $4.49 High back black cat earrings. |
|
|
Atticus Black Cat T-Shirt Black $19.99 Spring 2011 Atticus Black Cat T-Shirt Black |
|
|
Lace Cat Ears $9.75 Enhance your cat costume with this black Lace Cat Ear headband. |
|
|
Tween Spider-Man Black Cat Costume – Marvel’s Black Cat Costumes $38.97 This Black Cat Tween Costume includes the Amazing Spider-Man Black Cat dress with faux fur trim, leggings, choker, glovettes and the character eye mask. |
|
|
Black Cat(Pack of 1) $62.49 Latex black cat is sitting down and has a devilish look on its face as it looks ready to attack. |
|
|
9 Stretching Black Glitter Cat $5.99 “Includes (1) 9″” Stretching Black Glitter Cat. Approximately 9″” high.” |
|
|
Black Cat Venetian Mask – Animal Masks $9.18 This Black Cat Venetian Masi is made in Italy |
|
|
Black Cat Mylar Balloon Each $5.99 The Black Cat Mylar Balloon is a fun, affordable decoration. Use the Black Cat Mylar Balloon as a centerpiece, just add coordinating latex balloons and a balloon weight. |
|
|
Black Kitty Cat Costume – Cat Costumes $27.66 Halloween Costumes for Girls – This Black Kitty Cat Costume includes the sparkle dress, petticoat and the headband with kitty ears. |
|
|
Black Cat Ears In Faux Leather $5.96 Features a black headband with Faux Leather Black Cat Ears with black marabou trim. |
|
|
Venetian Cat Mask $11.46 Features a black and silver cat mask with marabou trim. |
|
|
Stretching Black Cat Decoration $9.99 “Stretching Black Cat Decoration is approximately 14″” high x 13.5″” wide. Please note: Prop does not move or make noise.” |
|
|
Scary Black Cat Decoration $12.99 “Scary Black Cat Decoration measures approximately 9″” wide x 6″” high. Please Note: Prop does not move or make noise.” |
|
|
6 Sitting Black Glitter Cat $5.99 “Includes (1) Sitting Black Glitter Cat. Measures approximately 6″” high x 10″” wide.” |
|
|
Atticus Black Cat T-Shirt Heather Grey $19.99 Spring 2011 Atticus Black Cat T-Shirt Heather Grey |
|
|
Black Cat Nose – Animal Noses $4.6 This Black Cat Nose features a little pink feline nose and is designed to fit over your own nose! Pair it up with a little make-up and this nose makes a perfect addition to any Kitty Cat costume. |
|
|
Black Cat Tablecloth(Pack of 30) $1.99 Black Cat Tablecloth brings a fun and festive look to your Halloween party table. 54 X 96 inches. |
|
|
Tween Cat’s Meow Cat Costume – Cat Costumes $32.23 Tween Cat’s Meow Cat Costume – A positively purrr-fect costume for feline friends! This Cat’s Meow Costume for tweens includes velvety pink and black leopard print zip-front romper trimmed in black faux fur with attached black faux fur hood and tail, mask, plus matching poly-knit glovelettes and leg warmers. 100% polyester, hand wash cold and line dry. |
Tags: black, black cat, black cat anime, black cat boulder, black cat fireworks, black cat names, blog, cat, cats, humor
