Ancient Egyptians respected and worshiped each animal for different reasons. For example, dogs were valued for their guarding and hunting abilities. However, we can see from the paintings and sculptures that cats were in a different position from all animals.
Special tombs were built for them, they were adorned with precious stones, they were fed the best food… What privileges did these lucky cats have that distinguish them from other animals?
They had a goddess who turned into a cat: Bastet
According to Egyptian mythology, gods and goddesses had the ability to transform themselves into different animals. Only a goddess (Bastet) had the power to become a cat. A beautiful temple was built in the city of Per-Bast and people came from all over to enjoy its splendor. Bastet was one of the most special deities.
The cats lived a life of luxury at the level of the royal family.
ancient Egyptians; They believed that cats were magical creatures capable of bringing good luck to the people who lived with them. Rich families even wore jewels to honor them and fed them with the royal family’s food.
When cats died, they mummified and shaved their eyebrows as a sign of mourning. The mourning process would continue until his eyebrows were restored. They had such a special place for them that; whoever killed a cat was sentenced to death.
Moreover, the Ancient Egyptians created the world’s first known pet cemetery. This cemetery was about 2,000 years old, largely featuring cats wearing remarkable iron and beaded collars.
The traits possessed by cats resembled those of gods and rulers.
Much of that reverence stems from the ancient Egyptians’ belief that their gods and rulers had cat-like qualities, according to a 2018 exhibition on the importance of cats in ancient Egypt at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC. Because cats; While they can be protective, loyal and nurturing, they can also be combative, independent and fierce.
In addition to this belief, the ability of cats to catch dangerous animals cannot be underestimated.
Imagine living in a time and place where every house is full of small, dangerous animals. A new threat lurks around every corner: wasps hiding in clay jars, rats spoiling stored grain, poisonous scorpions crawling under cradles. In this time and place, there was a creature that could protect the world from these little monsters: the cat.
Cats, who now live as family members in our homes, were life-saving companions of the ancient Egyptian people. Their gratitude to them was so high that they named their children after felines, including the name “Mitt” (cat) for girls.
The Egyptians’ fondness for cats also had its downsides.
However, many studies have suggested that this obsession is not always well-intentioned, and there is evidence that the ancient Egyptians’ fascination with cats had a more sinister aspect.
Probably ca. Between 700 BC there was an entire industry dedicated to raising millions of kittens that would be killed and mummified so that humans could be buried side by side.
It is claimed that they raised cats to be buried together and killed them.
In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, scientists performed an X-ray micro-CT scan of mummified animals. The researchers’ results showed that the animal was much smaller than they had anticipated, and they said:
“When we saw it on screen, we knew he was young when he died. He was killed with a deliberate neck fracture and was less than 5 months old when he was killed.”
Moreover, the practice of sacrificing cats was not uncommon. There were cats bred for this purpose, and it was industrial. Unfortunately, it’s not entirely clear why buying cats to be buried together is so important, but they seem to have crossed a fine line between respect and infatuation.
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