I used to have a black cat when I was young and living in The Hague. Mascotte he was called and I loved him to bits. I have never understood where the fear or superstition of black cats comes from. I am more for the cultures that call black cats lucky.
Prosperity
Maybe it is because I am half Scottish as Scottish lore says a black cat will bring prosperity to its new home. While at the same time in Scottish mythology, a fairy known as the Cat sìth takes the form of a black cat… In fact, I read so many statements about black cats: if they walk towards you it means this, if they walk away from you it means that. If they cross the street, if they wash themselves, if they blink, if they yawn. Why are there so many different sayings about black cats? Much more than any other coloured cat. Let’s ask Bing.
Bing I love black cats but why do these felines get a bad rep?
“Our findings show that black cat bias is rooted in superstition but also in the difficulty people have reading facial cues of black cats…” Bing gives me a few other reasons but this is the only one I get although I don’t agree. Face is just one of the body parts cats use to tell you what they are thinking.
Ward off evil
The Maneki Niko comes in different colours to bring different colours of luck. A black Maneki Niko will ward off evil. In my next book, the prequel Wilma’s Tulip Field Days, kitten number 3 who will become Wilma, could have done with some luck. She is chased by Stragna Woman who for reasons that will become clear, has to collect six cats with different colour coats.
The book will be available in a couple of months as a free ebook in both English and Dutch to thank my subscribers and the buyers of my books My Name is Wilma and Wilma een Wereldkat for their support.
What about you? Do you share my love of black cats?
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