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(#9) A Chinese Cat God Protected Crops
Li Shou protected crops from being eaten by mice and rats, not unlike his cat counterparts who were so revered in Egypt. There's even a fun Chinese myth about how Li Shou was originally given responsibility for world affairs but just wanted to nap, so the task was turned over to humans instead.
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(#7) Mafdet Was A Feline-Like Egyptian Goddess
Mafdet was a protector and was nearly always depicted as a woman with a cat's head, or occasionally as a cat with a woman's head. She is the earliest known feline-like goddess. -
(#11) The Egyptian Goddess Bastet Could Transform Into A Cat
As Mafdet's popularity declined, Egyptians began worshipping a new goddess: Bastet. They believed that she watched the world and guarded Egypt against invasion. Since she could transform into a cat and had many similarities to cats, they believed that cats were her physical manifestation. Bastet protected Egypt; cats, on a smaller scale, protected the home. -
(#4) There Was An Annual Cat Festival In Ancient Egypt
This festival centered around the temple of Bast in the city of Bubastis, reportedly one of the most magnificent temples ever erected in ancient Egypt. People traveled from all over Egypt for the festival, which was a joyous celebration of Bast. They gathered to worship, sing, dance, and drink together. -
(#17) Egyptians Thought Cats Brought Good Luck
Since they were an extension of the goddess Bast, cats in the home were thought to bring good luck, protection, and even fertility.
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(#12) Cats Were Mummified In Egypt
Since cats were sacred to the goddess Bastet, they were either given as an offering to the feline goddess (by being buried on temple grounds) or mummified and buried alongside their humans, exactly as a valued member of the family would be. Cats would be given provisions for the afterlife just like humans. Cats were typically given a bowl of milk and some mummified mice to accompany them on their journey across the river Styx.
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In ancient civilizations, the history of cat worship in ancient Egypt is the most noticeable. In Egyptian mythology, the sun god was once incarnate as a cat, so people regard cats as the incarnation of the gods. The Sphinx is the best proof. With the popularity of domestic cats in Egypt, the image of cats has gradually changed from the god of war to the patron saint, and the cat still has the symbolic meaning of the defender of the pharaoh.
Numerous historical sites and documents have recorded the fact that the ancient Egyptian people worshiped cats. The random tool displays 20 historical relics that reflect some odd things about cat worship.
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