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In ancient Egypt
murdering a cat resulted in a guaranteed death sentence for the human offender.
Based on the finding of
cats buried with humans in the ancient Jericho archeological dig, we can
assume cats have been domesticated for over 9,000 years.
The worship of Bast in
Egypt began about 2890 B.C. (if not earlier) and lasted for about 3000 years.
Bast
is one of several names known as the "Eye of Ra", this
title denotes a protector, destroyer or avenger. She was a daughter of
the sun god Ra and her initial role as the king's protector eventually
spread to include children and pregnant women. She then became a symbol
of maternity and fertility.
Early Egyptians worshipped
the lion headed goddess Bast. It was not until about 1000 BC that
she was represented with a cat's head and the domestic cat also became
an object of reverence.
In Egypt male cats were
called Mau and females Mait. Cats knew the words to vanquish the powers
of darkness and would whisper them to people who loved and befriended
them. The black was believed to carry particularly potent magical powers.
The Greeks identified Bast
with Artemis. Artemis (or Diana) often appeared in cat form. The legend
of cats having nine lives probably stems from Artemis as the mother of
the nine muses or from the nine primal great Deities of Egypt; a male
and female pair for each of the 4 elements plus their mother.
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