Spider Mythology, Legends and Folklore - Learn Religions They were present in Africa and in Native American cultures. She stepped up as the fierce protector when Bastet took maternity leave and ruled with an iron fistor claw. While it is unknown why there was an emergence of cat breeding centers and empty feline mummies, one can speculate. The practice of worshipping cat gods is also present in Japanese mythology, a practice known as Shintoism. Cats and Witches: A Magical History | The Alchemist's Kitchen She is usually shown to be a beautiful woman wearing the double crown of Egypt, the pschent. Keep reading below to learn all you can about the Egyptian cat gods. In norse mythology there is Angrboda, Hel, Fenrir, Loki, Odin, Hati and Skol, Geri and Freki, All of which are, or are related to wolves. Spirits Associated with Bears, Crows, Snakes, Spiders, Cats - Sirian Shadow I feel like there's something more going on. You live your life to the fullest I was tolerating all kinds of torment and hurt on a regular basis at the hands of someone I cant avoid. If you arent impressed yet, just wait! Just kidding, its nothing to worry about thats just the cat gods. I replied with a yes. Below youll find a list of Egypts famous leonine goddesses (and a god, too)! Thats the size of a medium-sized dog! Spirit animal is an hoary bat. . The cult center of Sekhmet was in Memphis, though she also had a large following in Taremu (Leontopolis). They were beloved pets as much as they were sacred creatures. He was extremely pissed. It had been conquered by the Persians in the 5th century, and subsequently conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BCE. Because of this connection to gods, all cats throughout Egypt were valued and there were strong . The purpose of r/mythology is to further an appreciation for mythology and other types of folklore by providing a platform for creative and scholarly discussion. Thumbnail:Photography by EgyptianStudio on Thinkstock. There were many large size feline deities though. Obviously everyone worships the sun and all, but why cats? READ MORE: The 10 Most Important Hindu Gods and Goddesses, Religion/Culture: HinduismRealm: The goddess ParvatiModern Cat Breed: ToygerCousin: Toyger. It would also explain why there are so many tomb paintings of cats beingwell, cats. Originally it was a Celtic belief that having a black cat cross ones path was a sign of good luck; the blessings of the old religions become the curses of the new. In all seriousness, no other face jumps out at you amongst the ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses than that of a cat. Mythical bugs created by gods, monsters based on bugs, stories about such creatures. Despite their admiration, cats were also commonplace amongst funerary goods. . He was seen riding in a chariot drawn by panthers or cheetahs. In Egyptian ALL of their gods were anthropomorphized animals, with only a handful being specifically cats. With Marduk out of the way on the opposite side of the city, Nergal rampaged through Babylon, indiscriminately leveling buildings and killing citizens. To have one around was a blessing from the gods themselves. Marduk, embarrassed, agreed and resolved to go to a tailor. Hecate: Goddess Symbols, Correspondences, Myth & Offerings Cats were hated by the Catholic Church so much for their association with witchcraft that Pope Innocent VIII declared in 1484 that the cat was the devils favorite animal and idol of all witches. One idea behind this also, was the idea that the cat was rebellious and wouldnt submit. I have 4 kitty, fur babies, & a stray cat showed up at my door step about a month ago, so I also have her as well even though she stays outside. The cat was also associated with Diana. Gods and Goddesses of the ancient world held a connection with certain animals. Ceridwen, the Welsh goddess of wisdom and mother of the famous bard Taliesin, was attended by white cats who carried out her orders on Earth. Shivas wife is Parvati, the goddess of beauty and love, whose mount is also a lion. 3. Together, they represent duality: life and death, mercy and wrath, submission and domination. 6 Cat Gods & Cat Goddesses From Ancient Cultures. The Sumerian goddess of weaving, Uttu (not to be confused with Utu). Between its pyramids and hieroglyphics, the Ancient Egyptian civilization that existed for thousands of years before Rome has given us many memorable Egyptian cat gods and goddesses. I gave up one morning and just cried my heart out in front of Asmodeuss sigil. In Sekhmets most famous myth, she was so bloodthirsty that Ra or Thoth had to get her drunk enough to sleep so that she would stop slaughtering mortals. Actually, there are many gods that people worshipped that were, or were connected to more than just cats. Required fields are marked *. In one Hungarian witch-trial transcript, the prosecutions witness recounts how upon encountering two cats at night, whom he perceived as nocturnal apparitions, he began to talk with them, informing them that he wasnt afraid of them because Lord Jesus Christ is with us. The cats, he claimed, responded with peals of human laughter. and our [17], In African mythology, the spider is personified as a trickster character in African traditional folklore. Thats where Mafdet comes in. Dated to around 717 BCE and 339 BCE, the burials had been conducted in a tomb complex near the pyramid of pharaoh Userkaf. She's the goddess of perfume and ointment, which were very important for making mummies. Cybele, one of the most ancient Greek goddesses, rules over large cats like the lion and tiger. A mysterious Greek deity, Hecate lives in the corners of the Greek mythos. Unlessyou havent committed any crimes recently, have you? We bring them offerings of food and trinkets. Your email address will not be published. Ive had one chase me around my aunts van one time. In addition to blogging about cats, JaneA writes contemporary urban fantasy, and whatever else strikes her fancy. And I must say he sounds amazing, not just sexually but what he can help people with. The knowledge we have can be found everywhere. Shes the OG cat god of ancient Egypt and the only one of the bunch that can actually take on a feline form. Try and write down about it all and see the link between all these experiences Dream and physical ones. One is the Egyptian God Ra. It seems to be true that cats have always had a big influence on our lives. Meanwhile, Pharaoh Ramses II had a lion as his royal pet. They prefer to come out during stormy weather, or at night, and are usually accompanied by hellish flames or lightning. I'm Latvian and I follow Latvian paganism, so I'm not too educated on other pagan deities. She has violent tendencies, though most worshippers brush that aside in favor of her more nurturing aspects. Cats have an inherent link to the spirit world and to the old gods. Maahes is looking a little hungry and Mafdet is filing her nails; the last time she did that it took us a week to clean to floors. It depends on the setting and the intention with which the cat was mummified. Additionally, Maahes affinity for war and devouring captives has caused historians to draw parallels between him and the Nubian deity, Apedemak. He was also known as the Great Mau who slew the serpent Apep and nightly as Ras barge sailed threw the sky. I became friends with spiders Im not sure if this is because of my somewhat involvement with Lilith. With all things in mind, cats were highly regarded in ancient Egypt. The Roman goddesses Diana and Juno have close ties to big cats, as well. In some eastern cultures the spider is seen as a trickster. Author Terry Pratchett said, In ancient times, cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.When you hear this phrase, do you automatically think of ancient Egyptian cat goddesses and cat gods? It was a huge huntsman spider, about the size of my palm. E-mail me at jphd1001@yahoo.com or jesspaige027@gmail.com or if you have tiktok add me, @littlejess27. For example, cats are nurturing, so Bastet and Mut are nurturing; cats are protective, so Sekhmet and Mafdet are protective; cats have a penchant for brutality, so Sekhmet, Mafdet, and Maahes have cruel streaks. Known for rampaging and killing without regret or remorse, Nergal according to one myth was feeling stagnant and bored one day, and so decided to disguise himself and go to the city of Babylon. Dawon would use her claws and teeth to fight off enemies. Bastet is a well know Egyptian Cat Goddess. Ovid shares thatwhen Princess Alcmene was pregnant with Hercules by Zeus, her servant Galinthias played a trick on Hera to ensure that Alcmene would successfully give birth without Hera thwarting it. Like Mafdet, the Savannah cat is very protective to the point where it can be aggressive around strangers. Bes was a fierce protector of the people. You wont come across any image of Sekhmet as a mother cat nursing a litter. Cats played a vital role in the survival of early men. Over time, this role became associated with the menacing Sekhmet. One of the most famous offerings made to Bastet is the Gayer-Anderson cat, an embodiment of feline elegance. It is a huge creature the size of a human or bigger that looks like a cat. Whomever the ancient goddess is, she has a clear connection to cats as she is flanked by two lions. It seems excessive, considering the difference between cats and gods is that the gods were thought to rule over every aspect of human life. There may not be any animal so closely associated with bad luck or witchcraft than that of the black cat. Like Bastet, she rode with the sun god through the sky. She is known to bless women with babies and also protect them. Alternatively, cat mummies were offered as thanks for prayers answered. Herodotus and Pausanias also wrote that Bastet and Artemis were one and the same. JaneA is the webmaster and chief cat slave forPaws and Effect, an award-winning cat advice blog written by her cats, for cats and their people. When Bastet became domesticated, she had a new realm of influence. I found the following on a website, spiderzrule.com: 1507 The reason being that like angels and demons, deities are incredibly powerful, devoid of human traits and emotions. Cookie Notice iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order In a way, the general habits and behaviors of these early cats were shared with those of feline deities. This is a major reason why western Europe was ravaged by the black plague. kristian--mingle said: I've heard that Loki is commonly associated with spiders. Like the kasha, you have to keep an eye on them. Who Won the Catster Purrrific Photo Contest in 2018? He was beyond the understanding of both the other gods and mortals and so humans could stay secure in their faith while being able to attach some kind of explanation to otherwise indiscriminate violence or anguish. The practice is recorded by Herodotus in 440 BCE; it is suggested that the mourning period ends when the eyebrows grow back. If they hadnt, she would have destroyed humanity. The idiots killed off so many cats due to fear of witches. Scan this QR code to download the app now. As Shiva is the god of destruction, the link between Shiva and the predatory tiger is evident. Domesticated cats in ancient Egypt were regarded very highly for their ability to ward off rodents, pests, and snakes, and for being protective mothers to their kittens. My friend keeps seeing spiders and feels its a sign. Her cult center was at the ancient city of Bubastis. These two cat goddesses were revered in their own way in two very different cultures. One of these is https://www.google.com/amp/s/okamimythology.tumblr.com/post/29087486649/the-spider-queen/amp. Cookie Notice At some point in time, live lions were kept in temples dedicated to her and her son, Maahes. The cat was also associated with Diana. Liked it? In myths, its said she would ride through the sky with her father Ra the sun god protecting him as he flew from one horizon to the other. Witch-hunters such as Nicholas Remy and Jean Bodin disagreed on whether cats were really witches or demons. No matter which deity your cat may have descended from, your kitty certainly deserves your respect, adoration, and warm cuddles. However, black cats werent always associated with bad luck in Europe, but seems to have transitioned from being symbols of good luck to bad luck. So if your cat seems high and mighty, it could just be the spark of divinity that still lives within them from their cat-god ancestors. In Egyptian art, many cat gods are also shown to have sun disks above their heads. The Smithsonian Institution describes linen wrappings in the shape of a kitten that holds no actual remains. In Indonesia, he is seen wearing a necklace made of tigers teeth. With an abundance of these furballs all over the place, something has got to give, right? Just as cats have an affiliation with the sun, they also have an affiliation with the finer things in life. The Indian parable about the covenant between cat and a woman bears considering. I love reading about all sorts of gods and deities from all cultures in my free time.. Evidence of cat gods being worshipped can be found in many of the cultures prominent in North America during ancient times, showing that worshipping cats was a worldwide phenomenon. 1/5 Bastet -- The Egyptian Goddess (Picture Credit: Panteleimon/Getty Images) Bastet is an Egyptian goddess with the head of a cat. Theyre also very loyal, the same way Bastet is to Ra. In addition, in Norse lore, the ketta are cat spirits that appear as females half-woman-half-cat. Weve got to debunk the age-old belief that ancient Egyptians worshipped cats. Mut is a part of the Theban Triad, joined with her husband, Amun-Ra, and their son, the lunar god Khonsu. But to understand how important they were to your average Egyptian, lets meet their cat gods. That may seem like a dumb question, as I know that there are some, but I was hoping to also learn about new deities. Hod, a god of nobility, schooling, war, and obstacles. This reflects the ancient belief in the Lady of Beasts, a prehistoric concept of primitive woman as ruling the animal kingdom. The Greeks saw the Egyptian cat goddess Bast alive in their Greek goddess of the forest Artemis. And, they can hide their true forms, transforming into regular house cats to live among humans. Though before cats became adored pets, they were viewed as the kin of Bastet, the ultimate Egyptian cat goddess. So I talk to her Hey, stop running. The Different Types of Pagan Deities. She hails from ancient Egypt and was depicted as a black cat or as a woman with the head of a cat. A plethora of mummified cats has been found in tombs throughout Egypt, both royal and otherwise. Manjushri is a Buddhist deity whose name and qualities vary depending on the region. Bombay cats are a more aggressive breed, which makes them a good match for Nergal. Once established by Ptolemy Soter I, the Ptolemaic dynasty was prosperous. Asmoday is amazing By the way today I was changing channels when I came across a cartoon showing a man with spider legs Huge and attacking someone I smiled and saidOk Asmodues I know I need to connect and devote. Your experinces are far scarier than mine. My lust for Asmodeus is very very strong. I consider myself to be interested in many different paths, so I have no yet decided a path just yet. 6 Cat Gods & Cat Goddesses From Ancient Cultures - Catster Of the ancient male cat gods, he was the smallest in stature a dwarf god in nature. As very active cats, an Abyssinian might enjoy the music (and definitely the food) offered at one of the shrines made for them. Royalty, particularly pharaohs and their families, kept cats as pets. They caught rodents and other pests that could pose a significant threat to early farming societies like those in ancient Egypt. You may want to look into Arachnid Lilith. 1. Cats were often linked with the otherworld in Celtic lore. Get tips and exclusive deals. Far from a good time in the Land of Reeds, the traitors would get beheaded by the goddess. The arts and sciences flourished; the Library of Alexandria was built. They can even be trained to walk on leashes which isnt quite the same as riding into battle, but getting a leash on your cat might count as a battle. Ancient Egypt Timeline: Predynastic Period Until the Persian Conquest. ANY & ALL opinions, advice, or information would be great. Cats were significant both socially and religiously. Thats right: theres no house cat here. Sekhmet preceded Bast in ancient Egypt and is believed to be Basts ancient lioness form. He was said to have evolved from one of the ancient cat gods and to be able to assume the form of a tomcat. She is the mother of cats and babies. One wouldnt have to search hard to find an archaic wall painting that depicts a house cat snuggled up to its favorite person. It's easy to see why they scare so many people. Dawon, or Gdon, is the sacred tiger that was given to the goddess Parvati as a gift from the other gods, representing her power. Dawon serves as Parvatis steed in battle, and it attacks enemies with its claws and fangs. norse deities associated with spiders - unbox.tw Cultural depictions of spiders - Wikipedia There are three different ways you can cite this article. Interestingly, she was also associated with healing and medicine. In this hall of mirrors, who can tell? 3. Was it Asmodeus, Lucifer, Belial or Lilith?? How old is the United States of America? Deities associated with spiders? : r/pagan - Reddit In October last year, the form of an enormous cat, dated to between 200 BC and 100 BC, emerged. the Egyptian goddess Bastet]. He was not the only ancient writer to write that Artemis and Bastet were the same goddess. I cant think or say his name without getting lustful. It isnow believed that it was the rat populations that carried the plague bacteria within their fleas where the bacteria could multiply. I love cats and have always felt a connection with felines. The Cauldron's server is expensive and requires monthly payments. The Egyptian deities particularly enjoyed a romp in the hay and purification rituals, so the cat seems like a justifiable choice for this pantheon. The History of Cats Cats in the Ancient World, 7 Ways Black Cats Bring Good Luck Around the World, Special-Needs Rescue Kitten Loves His Bunny Friends, Catster Magazine Subscription Maintenance, Thank you Top 5 Cat Behaviors Explained. More than that, Bastet kept harmony in the home. Patricia MonaghanThe Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore. Bastets modern cousin would be the Serengeti cat Serengetis. The kasha revealed their true forms during funerals when theyd leap down from their perches to snatch corpses from coffins; its believed that a person whose body had been stolen would not be able to enter the afterlife. The Mayans had several jaguar figures and deities in their myths. With so many battle-hardened felines in Ras entourage, Apep needs to look out! Earlier we mentioned how cute cats were. (Picture Credit: DeAgostini/Getty Images). Archived post. Are there any deities commonly associated with cats? : r/pagan - Reddit Realms: war, devouring captives, storms, the suns heat, blades, Fun Fact: Maahes epithets include Lord of Slaughter, The Scarlet Lord, and The Lord of the Massacre. Does anyone think one of that cat gods or goddesses would be the ones I should try to work with? What demon is associated with spiders? - Become A Living God Cats were connected with feminine deities. littlewillownymph said: not a god, but related to spiders: deitiesdaily.tumblr.com. Read more about ancient cat goddesses and gods here. I didnt ask for it But thats the justice that Asmodeus dispensed for continually hurting me and giving me pain and harassment. []. Ive never physically seen or heard Asmodeus, just through my dreams. Libations were regularly given in Sekhmets honor, and a golden aegis was one of many objects attributed to her cult. The mummy would have been from between 332 BCE and 30 BCE. It can also be argued that if Sekhmet were his mother, Maahes also got her attitude. More often than not, feline goddesses are the daughters of the sun god, Ra, and are called the Eye of the Sun. I dont understand the dream I had about the spider web. "The Blind God". Felids will respect and be then respected. It is interesting to note that by the 3rd century BCE, Egypt no longer was a sprawling empire. 7 Cat Gods From Around the World | History Cooperative Wild cats were trained to guard crops and grain storage against unwanted visitors. In his jaguar-form, Tezcatlipoca becomes the deityTepeyollotl and rules over the dark, animals, caves, and earthquakes. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. It doesn't have to be a deity either by the way, anything works. The spider god is not the only ancient animal artwork to have appeared in Peru over recent months. Brew it as a tea and drink it in Freyas honor. All theyre missing to complete the picture are some horns and scales. Though a cat has claws for a reason: dont underestimate them. The cult center of Bastet was Bubastis in the Nile Delta. For me personally spiders have always been a sign of Asmodeus around I see spiders dailycrawling in my garden, wallshere and there. Fierce felines were a staple of many ancient civilizations. The ancients believed animals were closer to nature than humans and would perform rituals and make offerings to their spirits in attempts to communicate with them. They are partners or they are not. Heck, theres even proof that modern cats can fight off bears. Though, that isnt Muts norm. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! The kasha also sometimes served as messengers of the underworld, collecting the corpses of evil people. Spiders are cunning and carnivorous arachnids who are commonly seen figures in haunted houses and Halloween decorations. She was also known as Qadesh, depending on time and region, and is sometimes depicted standing on the back of a lion. You know, calling her Mistress of Dread makes much more sense now.