Sunday, October 12, 2008

CRITTERS SUNDAY - WHITE CAT MYTHS

This is the same friendly cat I photographed for Critters Sunday in a previous post. What is it about cats and gutters? Is it the best place to have a good scratch. It must be because this one always seems to be lounging around the gutters of Ramsey along with the black cat I had last week. So we all know about black cat mtyhs, but are there any white cat myths and superstions? Apparently yes there are, but very few.


In cat lore white cats are a symbol of light and good.
In the UK a white cat crossing your path is considered unlucky.
It America it is considered lucky if a white cat crosses your path.
Also too though in America it is considered unlucky to see a white cat at night
To dream of a white cat is considered a fortuitous omen, a portent of glad tidings, creativity and a contented spritual life.
To kill a white cat leaves your soul to the devil.
A white cat is often considered an angel, say hell0 and they will watch over you.

Unlike the black cat myths, the white cat has little attached to it in mythology. In some versions of the tale of Rapunzel she had 3 white cats to help her spin her hair into a golden ladder for her lover. Unlike the Manx cat and the black cat, the white cat seems to be relatively myth free. Perhaps you know of a white cat myth of superstition in your part of the world?

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54 comments:

i beati said...

You just told me a lot I didn't know ..Thank you all of mine havebeen sweeties..

Michele said...

What a wonderful photograph and the literature along with the white cat is quite interesting!
Mountain Retreat

George Townboy said...

Beautiful white cat and a thought provoking post. I'm studying white cat symbolism now.

Carole said...

What a sweetheart! Nope. I don't have any white cat myths to add.

Anonymous said...

LB,

Crazy cool cat. You got me at hello.

Kelly said...

This is so interesting! I've never heard about any other colored cat but a black cat being unlucky. This is such an interesting post and your cat is just beautiful!! Thanks for sharing the story that went with it!

ratmammy said...

this is such a beautiful cat!

Virginia said...

You know from previous posts that my grandkitty is a yarn demon. Enough said.
V

slim said...

I like the way this white cat fits in the frame . . . very pleasing. I'll be on the lookout for some wc myths.

Louis la Vache said...

hehehe
Maybe this cat's mind was in the gutter - and its body followed.... ;-)

Copenhagen said...

What a beautiful cat

magiceye said...

beautiful capture...

Carletta said...

The cats you capture always seem well fed and taken care of on the streets.
Lovely kitty and good info you shared.

Webradio said...

What a beautiful photo !
The cat is very white...
Your explain is good for me to understand...
Have a good day Babooshka !

Anonymous said...

I don't quite know why but I can't like white cats but I am very fond on black.

Anonymous said...

very cute:) we have a black puppy..they would have a great contrast together:)

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Babooshka: Doesn't seem it would stay white being in the gutters.

Laurie Allee said...

I was always told by my somewhat superstitious Louisiana-born mom that a white cat crossing your path meant you were going to come into money.

Great shot of this white kitty, Babooshka. (Let us know if you make an unexpected windfall!)

EG CameraGirl said...

I didn't know until today that there are white cat myths. Makes sense though...I mean, why let black cats have all the fun? ;-)

Unknown said...

I never knew about all the legends re: white and black cats.How interesting.

Jeanne said...

Beautiful kitty and what interesting information. Your blog is a pleasure to visit.

Kitty said...

aw, he or she looks quite happy, rubbing around on the ground
it doesn't take much for an animal to be content. I think they're a wonderful way to keep life in perspective

Anonymous said...

It is said white catch dreams and bury them.

Marie-Noyale said...

I don't know anything about white cats ,I learned with you some today.
This one seems to have a very good time!

Roan said...

Lovely white cat. I wasn't aware they were considered unlucky anywhere. Interesting piece. BJ

alice said...

Does this white one has red eyes?

Rayne said...

Beautiful cat.
I didn't know there were myths attached to white cats at all. Interesting.

marLou said...

I never knew about all the stuff about white cats. Thanks for sharing!

Willard said...

A beautiful photograph and interesting post.

Jim Klenke said...

I never heard of unlucky for the white cat. Did you and Trisha in Poplar Bluff, team up on your posts?

laxeylass said...

The Manx Cat myths I enjoy. We had a rumpy called meg. This looks like Duchess from the Aristocats only a bit more street.

Anonymous said...

He/she is adorable. White cats crossing you path in cornwall are unlucky. If you spit after they pass you have cancelled the bad luck.

Belgrade Daily Photo said...

How nice to be a white cat who rolls around in the gutter without a care of whether it will dirty his fur!

Pat said...

No cat superstitions here, except the black cat one... This is a "cuddly" photo!

Sue Seibert said...

Wow, I had given no thought to the lack of white cat myths! I've only heard the black cat ones. Lovely cat, anyway!

Eki said...

His/her totally white fur is beautiful. THanks for sharing the myth about white/black cat crossing your path. I didn't know that.

Cat is almost a sacred animal where I live. Most people would not even dare to harm it because it means bad, bad luck.

 gmirage said...

I grew up in a country where superstition is like a way of life, that every movement of a person is tied to something mystical. I always doubt them though, I find it unreasonable to the point of absurd :) Since good luck nor bad luck and all superstitions are brought about by some unknown spirits, it is not something from God.

Anyway, cats are my most favorite photo subjects, back in the Philippines, I take photos of them a lot especially because there are lots of stray...here, 1 or two in a blue moon! lol.

Lovely furry white cat with pink ears...simply cuddly! Have a nice week!

Anonymous said...

White cat myths are few. Black cats are the ones to go for. Cute kitty pic

Gretchen said...

Never heard of half of those myths. Interesting! I knew about black cats being considered unlucky.

Anonymous said...

Here kitty, kitty. Who's cat is it? If it has no owner I will adpot him, I am not superstitious.

marley said...

Ahh, cute cat photo. I didn't know any of this about white cats. Thanks for enlightening me!

lv2scpbk said...

Interesting post and nice photo.

Teena in Toronto said...

What a cutie!

I played too :)

Kris McCracken said...

I’ve been told that all white cats have a genetic predisposition to deafness, but have no idea if it is true or not.

Misty DawnS said...

So - I wonder... since you see a black cat and a white cat together all the time - does the unlucky/lucky cancel each other out? hehehe

This cat is very pretty!

Anonymous said...

Lucky or unlucky it's too cute it didn't matter.

Gattina said...

My completely white Arthur is a very down to earth cat, very social, loves all neighbors, sleeps in their beds falls from the table like a stone when he is asleep and all in all is a little clumsy, lol !

Anonymous said...

I really think your 'angel kitty' is pretty.

Heart of Rachel said...

What an adorable white cat. I enjoyed reading the interesting myths.

Berleen said...

Interesting post! I have 2 white cats... hmmmm.

Unknown said...

I had no idea there were any myths about white cats. Interesting. Love your white kitty!

tr3nta said...

I love white cats... the photo is very nice.

Buck said...

Uh oh. I live with a black cat AND a white cat! I guess I'll have bad luck no matter what!

My white cat has one blue eye and one yellow. The myth here is that odd-eyed whites are deaf. I've known 2 in my life, and neither were deaf.

Ilse said...

I had a white cat with odd eyes that was deaf. It was so difficult because the cat would knock objects over & make a loud noise. But it could not hear so he would not scare himself--just all the people around. Anyhow. Love the photo of this white cat.

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