 King Tristan | As a longtime servant of domestic cats, it isn’t hard to imagine cats as divine creatures. For example, our cat Tristan likes to assume a regal pose from a high perch, often atop the refrigerator, to supervise his human attendants. I am a well-trained cat-servant, feeding my two feline princes on demand, keeping their water fresh and their litter boxes clean, and regularly providing a warm lap whenever required. I am also skilled at petting and scritching all my cats’ favorite places (but never the belly!). Thus it is with extensive personal experience and authority that I present my recent research on cat deities and mythology from around the world~ |
Bastet: Originally one of the many ferocious lion goddesses of ancient Egypt, Bastet transformed into a “gentler” cat goddess during the Middle Kingdom (~2000 to 1800 BCE).
 | Cats were domesticated in ancient Egypt around 4000 BCE, and were revered for their ability to kill mice and rats, who threatened the grain supply and spread disease, “as well as snakes—especially cobras.” Wealthy Egyptians often treated their cats like royalty, “dressed in golden jewelry and allowed to eat from the plates of their owners. . . . The death of a cat might leave a family in great mourning, and those who could afford the expense would have the cat embalmed or buried in pet cemeteries . . . More than 300,000 mummified cats were discovered [in] Bastet's temple . . . ” “As a sign of mourning, the cat owners shaved off their eyebrows, and continued to mourn until their eyebrows grew back. . . . Cats were so special that those who killed them, even by accident, were sentenced to death.” |
Cats “were also thought to be the physical form of the goddess Bastet . . . the goddess of protection, pleasure, and the bringer of good health.”
 | Bastet was considered a daughter of the sun god Ra. “At night, when Ra was resting, Bastet would morph into her cat form and protect her father from his enemy, Apep the serpent. . . . As a cat, Bastet had excellent night vision. This allowed Bastet to search for Apep and slay him with the greatest of ease. The death of Apep ensured the sun would continue to shine and crops would continue to grow.” “Because domestic cats tend to be tender and protective of their offspring, Bastet was also regarded as a good mother and sometimes was depicted with numerous kittens.” |
Her cult city was Bubastis or Per-Bastet, the “House of Bastet,” along the Nile River in Lower Egypt.
 | “Each year on the day of her festival, the town was said to have attracted some 700,000 visitors, both men and women . . .” “The festival was celebrated with feasts, music, a lot of dancing, and unrestrained wine drinking. During the festival, sacred rattles [sistrums] were used as a sign of jubilation to Bastet.” Bastet was a highly popular deity: “thousands of bronze statuettes of the goddess were deposited as votive offerings. Small figures of cats were also worn as amulets; this too was probably related to the cult of Bastet.” |
The goddess Bastet is thus both tender mother and fierce protector,
to be celebrated with joy and jubilation.
to be celebrated with joy and jubilation.
Sekhmet: The Egyptian lion-goddess Sekhmet “acted as the vengeful manifestation of [the sun god] Ra's power, the Eye of Ra. Sekhmet is said to breathe fire, and the hot winds of the desert were likened to her breath. She is also believed to cause plagues (which were described as being her servants or messengers).”
Sekhmet also healed her faithful of plagues and her priests were considered expert physicians.
Sekhmet also healed her faithful of plagues and her priests were considered expert physicians.
 | She embodied “the searing heat of the mid-day sun” and her name “is derived from the Egyptian word Sekhem (which means “power” or “might”) and is often translated as the ‘Powerful One’ or ‘She who is Powerful’. ” “Adopted by the pharaohs as a symbol of their own unvanquishable heroism in battle, she breathes fire against the king’s enemies. [In] the battle of Kadesh, she [was ridden by] Ramesses II, her flames scorching the bodies of enemy soldiers. In a middle kingdom treatise, the wrath of the pharaoh toward rebels is compared to the rage of Sekhmet.” |
In one of her most famous myths, Ra became angry with humankind and sent Sekhmet to punish them. She became enraged and rampaged the land:
 | “The fields ran with human blood. However, Ra was not a cruel deity, and the sight of the carnage caused him to repent. He ordered her to stop, but she was in a bloodlust and would not listen. So Ra poured 7,000 jugs of beer and pomegranate juice (which stained the beer blood red) in her path. She gorged on the ‘blood’ and became so drunk she slept for three days. When she awoke, her blood lust had dissipated, and humanity was saved. The saving of mankind was commemorated every year . . . Everyone drank beer stained with pomegranate juice . . .” |
Historical records indicate tens of thousands attended this annual festival.
 | "From the abundant number of amulets and sculptures of Sekhmet discovered at various archaeological sites, it is evident that the goddess was popular and highly important. . . . Archaeologists have discovered approximately 700 larger-than-life granite statues of Sekhmet dated to the reign of Amenhotep III (18th Dynasty).” |
Sekhmet was one of many lion-like goddesses of Egypt. Others include:
- Shesmetet, whose name means “she of the Shesmet-girdle,” a sash “decorated with beads, which appears on depictions of Old Kingdom rulers . . . ”
- Menhit, originally a Nubian lion goddess who led “Egyptian armies and cut down their enemies with fiery arrows, similar to other war deities.” Her name is variously translated as “‘the one who sacrifices’ but she was also known as ‘the slaughterer’" or “'She abides and streams with light upon the head of Ra',” or “‘She who massacres’ . . . Legends tell of her pouncing on enemies with the swiftness and agility of a lioness, her roars resonating with thunderous power.”
- The lioness Tefnut whose name means “‘She of moisture’ and its root can be found in the Egyptian words for ‘moist’ and ‘spit’.” Once Tefnut left for Nubia in a jealous rage, “her absence [created] droughts, heat waves, and bad harvests. [When Tefnut returned from Nubia], the skies broke, and rain began to fall upon the farmlands and the Nile for the first time in many years.”
- Pakhet, was known as “‘She who scratches’ [and] whose eyes are keen and whose claws are sharp, the lioness who sees and catches by night.” She protected against vermin and venomous snakes, who “wandered the desert alone at night looking for prey,” often in the form of a caracal or desert lynx. “Pakhet’s claw amulets were worn by royal women to provide protection and fertility and happy motherhood.”
- Mafdet was a divine “serval [a small cheetah-like wild cat who] defended Ra from threats during his daily voyage” such as the “bite of snakes and scorpions . . .” Her name means “(she who) runs swiftly.” She was “known as ‘the runner’ representing swift death. As the ‘Avenger of the King,’ Mafdet was believed to rip out the hearts of evildoers and lay the hearts at the Pharaoh’s feet in the same manner a cat delivers her catch to her owners.”
Don't defy the lion-goddesses of Egypt!
Gabija Fire Cat:
 | The Lithuanian goddess Gabija “could take [form] of a cat [or] could appear as a woman clothed in red. Gabija was greatly respected and cared for like a living creature. People would feed Gabija by offering bread and salt. Fire had to be laid to bed – women would cover the charcoal with ashes every evening so that fire would not wander around. . . . If angered, Gabija would "go for a walk" burning the house. Much folklore describes the ill fate of those who offended Gabija by stomping, spitting, or urinating on her.” |
“Before Christianity, Gabija, primordial fire goddess, was venerated in the form of sacred fires in grove-sanctuaries on hilltops or riverbanks, served by priestesses called Vaidilutes. Working in pairs; relieved from other duties, these priestesses’ sole responsibility was tending Gabija. . . . Following eradication of the groves, veneration of Gabija moved into the home. . . . She accepts sacrifices on behalf of other deities (burned offerings). She is an intermediary between people and oracular spirits (fire divination). . . . Gabija is not limited to one fire or a single hearth: her essence pervades all fire.
Light a match and Gabija is present.”
Light a match and Gabija is present.”
The wise treat the fiery cat-goddess Gabiji with respect and reverence.
Maya Jaguar Goddess IxChel:
 | “An entwined serpent serves as Ixchel's headdress, crossed bones may adorn her skirt, and instead of human hands and feet, she sometimes has claws. . . . Being a jaguar goddess, the Classic Ixchel (or 'Chak Chel') could equally be imagined as a fearsome female warrior equipped with shield and spear . . .” As the goddess of the old moon, she’s a formidable warrior . . . Portrayed as an aged woman with jaguar ears . . .” |
“The Maya word for Jaguar is Bahlam or B’alam. The ancient Maya thought that at night the sun, as it slips into the underworld, would transform into a jaguar. A powerful predator, the animal was also associated with warriors and hunters, and became a symbol of the might and authority of the rulers.”
Aztec Jaguar God Tepeyollotl:
 | The Aztrec god Tepeyollotl was “Heart of the Mountain, the Jaguar of the Night, lord of the animals, darkened caves, echoes and earthquakes.” His name “is derived as a compound of the Nahuatl words tepētl (‘mountain’), and yōllōtl (‘heart’ or ‘interior’). Tepeyollotl is usually depicted as cross-eyed holding [a] white staff with green feathers [and] depicted as a jaguar leaping towards the Sun.” |
Tepeyollotl was also one of nine Lords of the Night . . . who each ruled over every ninth night forming a calendrical cycle [in the] Mesoamerican ritual calendar of 260-days and nights which includes exactly 29 groups of 9 nights . . .”
Aztec Jaguar God Tezcatlipoca:
 | Another jaguar god, Tezcatlipoca was “[one] of the major deities of the Aztec pantheon . . . Tezcatlipoca’s nagual, or animal disguise, was the jaguar, the spotted skin of which was compared to the starry sky.” “(Tez-ca-tlee-POH-ka), whose name means ‘Smoking Mirror’, was the Aztec god of night and sorcery, as well as the patron deity of Aztec kings and young warriors. . . . Jaguars were the epitome of hunting, warfare, and sacrifice to the Aztec people, and Tezcatlipoca was the familiar feline spirit of Aztec shamans, priests, and kings.” |
 | “As with other Aztec religious rites an important part of the ceremony was the impersonation of the god, most often by a prisoner of war, typically the best looking and most courageous one. For one year before, in fact, the captive was tutored by priests, treated as a noble and [attended by four women who] impersonated four goddesses.” “The final sacrifice took place at Toxcatl's May celebrations [and] as he walked up the stairs of the temple [the young man] played music with four flutes that represented the world's directions; he would destroy the four flutes on his way up the stairs.” |
Divine jaguar of protection, jaguar of the night, jaguar of courageous sacrifice~
Puma (or Mountain Lion):
 | Inca Puma Spirit: “Sacred animals played a significant role in Inca cosmology, intertwining the physical world with the spiritual realm. These creatures weren’t just animals; they were symbols of power, wisdom, and the sacred forces that governed their universe. . . . Representing Kay Pacha, the present world, the puma embodied the power and vitality of life on Earth. This creature was associated with strength, courage, and sovereignty, often viewed as the guardian of the physical realm. . . . The puma was not just a predator of the highlands; it was a reminder that balance in life required strength, bravery, and the ability to stand firm against adversity.” Cusco, the holy capital of the Inca Empire, is “in the shape of a puma. . . . The puma's head was the temple of Saqsaywaman. Two rivers outlined the body. The main plaza, Hawkaypata, was in the belly. . . . High-ranking persons lived within the outline of the puma. All others lived outside it.” |
Hopi Toho Kachina: Mountain Lion is also the Hopi kachina Toho. “Thought to be the most powerful hunter, the Toho is the guardian of the northern direction. . . . Toho can be represented by a naked man wearing a mask, whiskers, and yellow feathers upon either side of his head to look like the lion's ears . . . Toho is there to remind individuals to persevere, clarify goals, and move forward to achieving dreams. He steadies the hunter and protects his territory.”
 | He is thought to be the most powerful hunter and appears in both hunting and healing directional sets of fetishes. In Zuni culture a fetish represents the animal spirit thought to reside in the stone. The Mountain Lion . . . is carried by travelers to protect them on their journey and also carried by hunters to help ensure a successful hunt.” |
Call on mountain lion for strength, fierce protectiveness, clarity, and loyalty.
Underwater Panther: Mishipeshu is “one of the most important of several mythical water beings among many Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands and Great Lakes region, particularly among the Anishinaabe. . . . Mishipeshu translates as ‘the Great Lynx’. It has the head and paws of a giant cat but is covered in [copper] scales and has dagger-like spikes running along its back and tail. [Other names include] Gichi-anami'e-bizhiw, which translates as ‘the fabulous night panther’. However, it is also commonly referred to as the ‘Great underground wildcat’ or ‘Great under-water wildcat’. ”
 | “Native inhabitants of the Great Lakes region, stretching back to about 7,500 BC, discovered copper that was 99% pure in Lake Superior, in veins or just lying around in nugget form. . . . There was only one problem. Lake Superior was not a gentle lake to those extracting the copper, in fact it was quite fierce. The fierceness was attributed to a creature which seemed obviously to be guarding the copper. Hence the existence of Mishipizheu.” |
“Some traditions believed the underwater panthers could be helpful, protective creatures, for example, it was believed to shelter and feed those who fell through the winter ice. The water manito (water panther and serpent) endowed medicinal power to those shamans who accepted its guardianship.”
 | “All lakes can be inhabited by one of these beings, but some are known to change their appearance abruptly (eg, sudden strong wind or fog), to contain deep depressions, or to have a particular coloration; these are all signs of the Great Lynx's presence.” |
Marsheila Rockwell’s Rhysling-nominated poem, “The Fabulous Underwater Panther,” presents Mishipeshu as the guardian of Indigenous heritage and divine sentry against copper thieves.
Underwater Panther the protective storm and divine guardian against greed.
White Tiger of the West:
 | “In Chinese mythology, the White Tiger of the West, known as Bai Hu, is one of the Four Symbols representing the cardinal directions. . . . It is believed to mete out punishment to wrongdoers, reflecting the Confucian value of upholding moral integrity. . . . As the seasonal animal for autumn, the White Tiger is associated with the harvest and the waning of life, a reminder of the cyclical nature of existence. The metal element connects it to qualities like resilience, clarity, and the cutting edge of decisiveness.” |
Called Byakko in Japan, the White Tiger “spans seven of the twenty-eight Chinese constellations, taking up one quarter of the entire sky. . . . He represents the virtue of righteousness [and] controls the wind.”
Tiger Deity:
 | The Tiger Deity (Hu Ye), also known as Golden Tiger General, is a popular god in traditional Chinese mythology. “Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Chinese practice of nature worship, particularly the reverence for tigers. . . . The Tiger Deity is closely associated with various [other] deities, often serving as their attendant, mount, or messenger [and] is believed to inherit their divine powers . . . For example, when the Tiger Deity accompanies Zhao Gongming, the Martial God of Wealth, it is believed to bring prosperity. When it serves alongside Baosheng Dadi (the Great Emperor Who Protects Life), it gains the ability to heal, becoming a protector deity for children who fall ill.” |
In Taiwan, “Tiger God's many duties include exorcising evil spirits and guarding the property of its believers, acting as the guide for main deities, providing security for temples, and ensuring the protection of fishermen at sea and their safe return to their families.”
Embrace the Tiger Gods of Asia when you seek prosperity, healing, and resilience~
Tiger-Leopard of India: The divine Tiger-Leopard, Waghoba “is an ancient tiger/leopard deity worshipped by a number of tribes in India for centuries. Depending on the region of India, the deity is either described exclusively as a tiger or a leopard or as a deity that can take both forms.”
 | Among the indigenous communities who worship Waghoba, “reverence for tigers isn’t a mere mythological superstition or belief, but it comes from the innate co-dependence between the two species. The tribal folks depend on the forests for their livelihood—the natural habitat is life to these communities who cannot see themselves apart from the jungles. . . . [They] wear certain jewelry to profess their belief—Garos wear necklaces made with tiger claws entrenched in gold or silver for protection, and the Gonds keep the shoulder bone of the tiger with them believing it to bring strength. . . . |
. . . [Among farmers], the tigers protect their crops by keeping the herbivorous animals at bay. The dairy farmers in the forest vicinities also believe that tigers help in keeping milk thieves from intruding into their area. . . . They believe that [when] tigers are appeased with their adoration and they do not enter their villages to harm them. Even if a tiger attacks a villager, the devotees do not turn hostile toward their deity. In fact, the villagers build a temple close to the conflict point to possibly pacify the tiger.”
 | Said one devotee: “We know that once the night falls, we must stay indoors and not venture out alone. It is time for the leopards to roam around. Sometimes, they do prey on our livestock. So, whenever a leopard roars near us, we break a coconut shell praying to the Waghoba to spare our livestock but continue to protect our forest and our lives like he has done for millennia." |
Tiger-Leopard, spirit of the jungle, protector of wilderness~
Lucky Cat: “Maneki-neko, translated as beckoning cat but also known as lucky cat or welcome cat, is recognizable internationally, often found behind cash registers of restaurants and retail outlets . . .”
 | "There are a variety of tales in the folklore of Japan concerning the origin of maneki-neko. Several Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines … are claimed to be the birthplace of the maneki-neko. [Myths] about the maneki-neko include it being able to beckon . . . customers into shops and bring good fortune and prosperity into households, and it being an embodiment of fertile, life-enhancing feline energies." The reason for their prevalence seems to be linked to their real-life analogs. In 1602, an imperial decree set free all cats in Japan, intending to capitalize on the felines’ natural ability for pest control, especially in the sericulture [silk] community. After the decline of the silk trade, cats by extension remained as talismans for a business’s prosperity. " |
A Japanese proverb, neko wo koroseba nanadai tataru (If you kill a cat, it will haunt your family for seven generations) is based on a folk belief that cats are revengeful and have longevity beyond human lives.
There is a deep-rooted belief in the power of cats: Look after them, and they’ll look after you.”
There is a deep-rooted belief in the power of cats: Look after them, and they’ll look after you.”
Black Cats became associated with Halloween likely due to Puritan superstitions: “The Puritan Pilgrims distrusted anything associated with witches and sorcery, including black cats. They actively persecuted black cats . . . [thus the cats became] thoroughly cemented in popular legend right alongside witches.”
 | This Puritan superstition was a holdover from European prejudices: “Witches honored the natural world, having deep respect for plants and animals. Affection between human and animal therefore began to be seen as 'diabolical', or devilish, and the old lady with her cats became seen as suspect. [Early Christians] saw them both as threats. Cats, like the women accused of witchcraft, tend to exhibit a healthy disrespect of authority . . . In the church, neither independent women, nor independent animals, were to be tolerated.” |
But black cats are considered lucky in some cultures. “In Scotland, it’s lucky for a strange black cat to arrive at your doorstep. In Japan, black cats are thought to help single women find suitors.”
 Banshee | Other countries also claim black cats bring good luck: “In Latvia, black cats on farms mean prosperity and a good harvest. In Italy black cats mean upcoming good luck. In Germany, a black cat walking left to right is good luck. In Thailand, black cats are considered auspicious and bring prosperity to their owners.” |
🐈⬛ If you happen upon a black cat this All Hallows Eve—consider it good luck!🐈⬛
You may also enjoy: Animal Emotions, Warrior Goddesses, and Lion-Dragon Mush-kush-shu
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