Scary Halloween Black Cat Myth

Ever wonder why the black cat is associated with Halloween?  It’s a feline akin to any other; it doesn’t seem to possess any mystical powers.    Nevertheless they’re commonly displayed in Halloween landscape with rigid flexed backs and spiked layers of raised fur as if to imply the warning to stay away from this feral companion of the underworld.  Moreover no one wishes for a black cat to cross their path for fear of attracting bad luck.  However, has the black cat of Halloween really earned such a spooky reputation? 

It appears the answer to this question is buried deep beneath the many Halloween legends and folklore beginning as far back as the commencement of the holiday itself.  Many say it is in the superstitions of old Ireland where the fear of black cats began.  Of course, Halloween or “hallow-even” it were, was traditionally celebrated in Ireland to appease those of the spirit-world in hopes they would not become hostile and cause illness, failed crops, or other calamity.  Apparently, because cats are nocturnal and due to the difficulty they had seeing in the night time during that era (due to the absence of street lamps), they thought all cats that came out at night were black.  Since they already had heightened superstition they assumed the black or darkly colored cats must be somehow related to the wandering spirits who revealed themselves in the dark hours.  However, they were also known for using cats for sacrifice, perhaps because they feared them.  Whatever the case, they are no longer considered a bad omen, instead quite the opposite.

Interestingly, black cats are considered good luck in many regions of the world such as Japan, Australia, Britain, Scandinavian countries, and of course most famously, Egypt.  In fact, the Egyptian people regarded cats so highly that the killing of a cat was considered of the most odious crimes.  Even after the death of an Egyptian cat occurred its funeral was prepared with as much attention as a human’s including a sarcophagus, embalming, and preservation. Yet, several thousand black cats are killed every year in Italy because they still believe a black cat is synonymous with the presence of the devil and a prediction of misfortune.  

It seems as though the black cat continues to be considered a symbol of bad luck in countries where witchcraft was at one time a controversy.  Conversely, in locations that didn’t debate the issue of witches and black magic, they tend to be a symbol of good luck.  Reason being, cats were considered the best kind of pet for a witch since it is a nocturnal creature and


most of the witches business was conducted at night in secrecy.  However,
in the 1400’s superstition later transitioned the association of the black cat from “pet” to becoming the witch’s loyal “familiar”.  A familiar or domestic servant was said to be a shape-shifter thereby allowing the witch to change form and avoid capture or sneakily perform their evil-doings unnoticed.  As the fallacy became more exaggerated, so did societies fear of the black cat.  Often if a witch was burned at the stake her cat was burned with her given the executioner could never be sure the cat itself was not a witch who had changed its form.  That seemed a terribly lofty penalty to pay for being the recipient of a recessive mutated gene that causes a dark coat of fur. 

Although much of the mystical folklore associated with the black cat has died
with its descendants, there  are still many active suspicions today.  In fact, in1969 a black cat was witnessed entering the famous Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets, when they were playing the Chicago Cubs.  The cat supposedly walked in and circled the cubs and then left.  Subsequently, the incident was followed by the demise of the Cubs and the success of the Mets. This event reflects the interesting twist the legend has undergone through the centuries.  As a result of the changes in perception the fables have given birth to different versions of the myths.  For example if a black cat enters your home without invitation you will receive good luck, however if you ask him to leave you will receive bad luck.  Much of the rules of each of these myths depend on what part of the world you are in. 

With the return of the black cat myth and it's long standing association with witches Scary Black Cat Witches Costumes suddenly became a very hot Halloween idea. The reality is over the years the costumes have become far less scary and far more sexy. Today's sexy witch costume is a popular choice for those looking to brew up a bit of fun. Another popular choice is the Black Catwoman Costume. The movie Catwoman may not have been a hit but the cat suit costume always gets attention.

In general “darkness” seems to have always been deemed evil thruout history and it is no exception for the black cat.  Not only did it possess all the wrong physical traits as it sauntered around at night looking mysterious and shadowlike, they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.  In conclusion it appears the black cat will remain part of Halloween’s ornamentation but it may be one of the more misunderstood and least frightening of all of the holidays icons.