Cats in Slavic mythology. » Gods of the Slavs

Slavic legends about cats

Our ancestors considered the cat to be the animal of Veles, the god of cattle, agriculture and poetry. That's why we all know Kot-Bayun - a huge monster that sits on an iron pole and lulls heroes to sleep with its tales, and then eats them. However, Bayun could be caught and tamed, then his tales became therapeutic for the owner.

In addition, cats in Slavic mythology have always been associated with the brownie and the ovinnik; both guardians could turn into cats or communicate with him. Both also loved milk, which cats willingly shared with them, preferring mice.

In Bazhov's tales, which preserved the Ural factory legends for us, the Earthen Cat is often mentioned. In the Urals it was believed that this beast lived underground, and only its red, fiery ears stuck out above the ground. Wherever such ears appear, the treasure is buried there. And this belief appeared, apparently, thanks to the sulfurous lights escaping from the mountain voids.

Cat and cat among the Slavs

— 4549

Once upon a time, a Man decided to kick the Cat out of the house. “Wait a little,” the Cat asked and invited Leo to visit, as if he were a distant relative. The Lion came with great reluctance and suddenly saw the Man. - What is he doing here? - Leo was scared. “This is my servant,” said the Cat, “he walks on his hind legs and gets me food.” “Wow,” thought Lev, “what a servant she has!” “Wow,” thought the Man, “what a relative she has!” “Wow,” thought the Cat, and to this day she lives in the Man’s house.”

Lev Gavrilov. Fairy tale "Man and Cat"

One of the most mythical animals accompanying sorcerers and witches is the cat. And at the same time, the cat is sometimes endowed with supernatural abilities. Cat Bayun from ancient fairy tales, a remarkable Otherworldly spirit, appearing in the form of a cat walking up and down an iron pole, beating all the people, inducing an irresistible sleep and telling fairy tales (Afanasyev II, No. 215, 284).

The cat lives far away in the thirtieth kingdom or in a lifeless dead forest, where there are no birds or animals. In Pushkin’s fairy tale, Bayun walks along the chain from right to left, telling tales, singing, humming songs, enchanting, deluding, with his songs he could both enchant to death and cure diseases. His voice can be heard 7 miles away, it is like thunder. Whoever is not strong enough to resist his magic and succumbs to Bayun’s charms will perish irrevocably, but the daredevil who resists his songs will be healed—Bayun’s tales are healing—and given power over Bayun for a specified period. The appearance of a cat is used by both good and evil forces.

In the mythology of the Eastern Slavs, there are tales where either snakes or snake fighters turn into cats. The cat (Kot Kotovich, Kot Kotofeich) can be both an embodiment or an assistant of the snake and a snake fighter. Both of these functions are combined in the tale of Volya Volovich, who, after each battle with the snake, encounters “Kotishch, open your eyes,” threatening to eat him. Vol Volovich kills the Cat, puts on his skin and, under the guise of the Cat, enters Baba Yaga. In a Belarusian legend, the hero of a folk tale, Ivan Popyalov, who fought with a monster in the form of a snake, turns into a cat.

There was a legend that there is a Golden Cat and a Black Cat. The golden cat, the offspring of the Fire God, endowed its owner with wealth and harmony in the family, while the black one was the personification of Nedolya and brought nothing but troubles to a person.

At the same time, it was believed that a black cat at home could protect against evil forces and also bring good luck.

As popular belief says, a black cat can bring you an irredeemable ruble. To get it, you need to find a cat that does not have a single white spot, bring it on a moonless night to the crossroads of four different roads, one of which should lead to a cemetery, and then pinch the cat so that it meows. When a stranger approaches you and wants to buy your cat, ask for one ruble for the animal, which will be irredeemable. No matter how much you spend this ruble, it will always come back to you.

During the period of Christianization, black cats began to be credited with a connection with evil spirits, which was reflected in the beliefs of the people.

In Lithuania, there are legends that evil spirits can transform into a black cat with red eyes. In the Latvian tradition, a black devil with cow legs, when faced with thunder and lightning, turns into a black cat, trying to hide near a person.

Along with the magic cat, the Slavs had legends about cats. So in the Urals there is a legend about an underground cat, the Earthen Cat with fiery ears, which guards treasures and scares away wolves. This legend is especially famous among Ural gold miners. “In those places from Galyan to the Dumskaya Mountain itself, an earthen cat walks. She’s not harmful to our brother, but the wolves are afraid of her if she shows her ears” (Ural), “Then she remembered the earthen cat that the Sysert man had talked about. Dunyakha had heard before that in the sands, where copper is flecked with gold, there lives a cat with fiery ears. People have seen ears many times, but never seen a cat. She walks underground” (Ural). According to the legends of Russian gold miners, the Earthen Cat is one of the guardians of enchanted treasures. “...suddenly two blue lights flashed. Neither give nor take - cat ears. Wider at the bottom, gone to nothing at the top. She ran up - exactly, two fires were burning, and between them there was a small hill, like a cat’s head. Dunyakha marvels at how they burn, since no firewood is visible. She laughed, extended her hand, but didn’t feel the heat. Dunyakha brought her hand even closer. I throw the fire to the side, like a cat shaking its ear, and again it burns evenly. So I ran to the Chusovaya River, and my ears were already burning on the other bank” (P. P. Bazhov)

Also, among the ancient Slavs, a cat was a symbolic analogue of a bear, and a dog - a wolf. In East Slavic fairy tales, in Russian and Lusatian tales, an evil spirit, frightened by a bear (devil, kikimora, water bear, etc.), calls it “cat”. Russian peasants have a known way of summoning a forest spirit with the help of a cat - a “boletus”, which has a bearish appearance.

In the guise of a black Cat, evil spirits are often represented. A devil may appear in the form of a Cat. The souls of the dead appear in cat form, especially those who atone for their sins after death or did not die a natural death. A cat, jumping over a dead man, will certainly turn him into a vampire. The black cat was also seen as the embodiment of diseases: cholera and “cow death”. Death is shown to young children in the form of a cat. It was believed that werewolf witches could take the form of a cat; The werewolf-cat was called a catcat. According to Bulgarian beliefs, the cat rejoices at the death of its owner, and the dog cries; The cat adds to the owner's torment in hell by fanning the flames under his cauldron, and the dog carries water and pours on the fire. It was believed that black cats and dogs protect the house from lightning, but their presence in the house during a thunderstorm is dangerous. This is explained by the belief that during a thunderstorm, God tries to strike the devil with lightning, and the devil hides from God, turning into a cat or dog. They say: “The cat’s fur is dirty, but its snout is clean; The dog’s snout is dirty, but its fur is clean.”

Killing a cat is prohibited, otherwise there will be no luck in anything. Whoever kills a cat will incur seven years of troubles and misfortunes. It was believed that if a person slept with a cat, his mind would become clouded. It is dangerous to carry a cat with horses, because it makes the horse dry out. It is a bad omen if a cat (any cat, not just black) crosses the road or meets you on the way. For a hunter and fisherman, a meeting with a cat promised failure in fishing. In this regard, they tried not to mention the Cat during the hunt or called it something else (for example, casserole).

At the same time, a cat is able to see evil spirits that are invisible to humans. The cat has the characteristics of a domestic patron. Its presence in the house has a beneficial effect on the household and livestock. They believed that a stolen cat brings happiness to the house. And there are no cats in an unhappy house. When moving to a new house, owners often let the Cat into it first, and only then move in themselves. Entering after her, the owner goes to the corner that the brownie should choose for himself. A cat brought into a new house is placed on the stove next to the chimney, i.e. where, according to popular beliefs, the brownie lives. You can often hear a story about a brownie who turns into a cat.

In the old days they believed that a black cat or tom had a miraculous bone. If obtained, it can make a person invisible or give him the ability to know everything. Anyone who at midnight at a crossroads pricks his finger with such a bone and signs his name in blood will receive into his service a devil-brownie (the spirit of an enricher), who will bring stolen money, grain, and milk from other people’s cows into the house. In some Russian provinces, in order to prevent the beginning of the death of livestock, it was considered necessary to bury the dead cattle in the barn along with a live cat. To protect themselves from cholera, they made a furrow around the village with a small plow, into which they harnessed a cat, a dog and a rooster, all of them black. The swollen udder of a cow was treated by scratching it with the claws of a domestic cat. A child with consumption was bathed in a font with a black cat so that the disease would pass on to the cat. Before placing the baby in the cradle for the first time, a cat is placed there so that the baby sleeps soundly. . According to popular belief, a cat can have a beneficial effect on sleep. Therefore, the image of a cat, like a hare, is often found in lullabies.

It was also believed that cats and cats are tricksters, guides to the other world, which a person can penetrate only with the support of this beast. Therefore, sorcerers and witches often had purring translators as negotiators with the Otherworldly force, giving them a vision of another world.

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Scandinavian legends about cats

According to the Scandinavian Eddas, cats are the companions of the goddess Freya, the second oldest and most beautiful goddess of Asgard. The beautiful Freya, leader of the Valkyries, patroness of fairies and elves, loved to ride around the sky in a chariot drawn by two cats. These cats looked like lynxes - large, furry and with tufts on their ears. Apparently, their descendants became the Norwegian forest cats - the national treasure of Norway.

In Iceland in the 19th century, a special legend about the terrible Yule cat appeared. This is a huge cat who lives with a cannibal who kidnaps lazy children. The Yule cat operates during Christmas time (Yule), eating anyone who has not managed to acquire a woolen new thing by this time. The legend was invented by parents so that their children would help them more actively in working with sheep and their wool - the main source of income for Icelanders.

Celtic legends about cats

The Shea Cat, found in Scottish and Irish legends, is a large black animal with a white spot on its chest. Apparently, myths about him appeared thanks to the Kellas cats - semi-mythical hybrids of local forest cats and domestic cats brought to the world by Roman legionnaires. Shi cat is neither evil nor good. He can steal the souls of the dead before they are buried, or he can bless the house where he was fed milk on Samhain. According to another version, Shi Cat is a werewolf witch; she can only take off the form of an animal 8 times. If he turns into a cat in the 9th, he will take on this image forever. This is probably why we believe that a cat has 9 lives.

Another mythical Irish cat is Irusan, the king of cats. Irusan once attempted to kill a famous minstrel, but Saint Ciaran threw a red-hot rod at the cat, killed him and saved the poet.

The Welsh triads preserved stories about Shapalu or Kota Paluga - a terrible beast who, with its enormous claws, terrified settlements and devastated crops. This cat was given birth to the pig Henwen, who, fearing his evil, threw her offspring into the sea. But Palug survived because the peasants he had eaten when he grew up came out and picked him up. Only Sir Kay, one of the knights of the Round Table, was able to defeat the terrible cat.

The goddess Caridwen, the goddess of rebirth, transformation and inspiration, also lived in Wales. White cats served Caridwen - they transmitted her orders to the ground.

The British, among whom there were so many sailors and fishermen, had a legend about a sea cat. She definitely had to throw in some of the catch so she wouldn't get angry and cause a storm. The sea cat is a witch who once went on a boat with her fisherman fiancé. One of the sailors suggested throwing her overboard, since being a woman on the ship was not good. The witch got angry, summoned a storm that scattered all the ships and killed all the fishermen, and then nevertheless jumped into the sea, but this time herself and in the form of a cat.

Patron Saint of Pets

Good afternoon, dear visitors of the Orthodox website “Family and Faith”!
almost every apartment house there lives a furry friend - a cat or a dog who loves their owners and is also loved by them!

Why do we love our furry animals? Yes, probably because we get a lot of positive and good emotions from our pets!

But what if our furry animal suddenly gets sick – what should we do?

First of all, you need to pray for him!

But to whom? Which saint? Do they have their own special patron before the Lord?

Eat!

The patron saint of domestic animals is Saint Blaise. People pray to him if a horse suddenly gets sick or a calf gets lost. If the dog was poisoned by something or the cat had an unfortunate fall.

Why do people turn to him for help?

Here's why.

In the 4th century, when Emperor Licinius persecuted Christians, the inhabitants of Sebastia begged their bishop, Saint Blaise, to leave the city in order to hide from persecution and torment. The saint obeyed the people who loved him and settled on Mount Argeos, surrounded by forests in which there were many animals.

Wild animals came to the saint’s cave every day and meekly waited until he, having finished his prayer, came out and blessed them. The elder came out of the cave and blessed the animals, and they began to joyfully run, crawl, jump, licked the saint’s hands and caressed him. Many sick animals received miraculous healings from him through the laying on of holy hands.

One day, the emperor’s warriors were hunting near Mount Argeos and saw many animals playing, and the lions did not harm the deer, and the bears did not touch the roe deer. Saint Blaise noticed the hunters from afar. He blessed the animals and quietly said to them:

- Run away quickly, otherwise the hunters will kill you!

When the hunters came closer, they saw that there was no trace of the animals, and a gray-haired old man stood in front of them.

- You are a sorcerer! - said the hunters. - How did you charm the animals so that they listen to you?

“I’m not a sorcerer, I’ve been a Christian from a young age.” The enemies of the faith drove me out of the city. I would rather live with wild animals than with evil people, the enemies of Christ...

The soldiers grabbed Saint Blaise and took him to the emperor, and along the way he healed people and animals. When he was already approaching Sebastia, a poor widow threw herself at his feet and, crying, complained that the wolf had stolen her piglet, her only asset. The saint consoled the woman and asked God in his heart, and then the wolf came running from the forest and returned the piglet unharmed to the widow.

In Sebastia the saint was severely beaten and taken to prison before execution. Then that widow, amazed at the courage with which Saint Blaise endured suffering for Christ, slaughtered her piglet and brought the best parts to him. The saint, seeing the woman’s sincerity, blessed her and said:

- In this way, commit my memory every year, then nothing you need in your house will become scarce. If someone else is like you and remembers me, then he too will receive the gifts of God in abundance and the blessing of the Lord will remain on him throughout his life.

Well , dear readers, this is the life story of the patron saint of animals. If any trouble happens to our pets, first of all we will need to offer a prayer to the Hieromartyr Blasius, who will ask the Lord for health for our four-legged friends.

Prayer

Blessed and ever-memorable Hieromartyr Blasius, wondrous sufferer and warm representative of ours, after your departure into eternal life, assist those who call on your holy name and promise to be heard in all petitions! Behold, now to you, the saint of God, as to the true intercessor of salvation, we come and humbly pray: come to our aid, bound by the bonds of sins, move to your all-powerful prayers to God and pray for us sinners: we dare to call you, unworthy, to intercede , and we wish to receive liberation from all our sins through you. Oh, Holy Blaise of God! In the contrition and humility of our hearts, we fall before you and pray: shine upon us, darkened by the slander of the enemy, with the light of grace from above, so that walking in it, we will not stumble our feet on a stone. You, as a vessel chosen in honor and filled with the grace of God, we pray: grant us sinners the desired acceptance from your fulfillment, and heal our mental and physical ulcers, and ask the Lord for forgiveness of our sins and for our mental and physical health, salvation that is beneficial, so that we may always glorify Father and Son and Holy Spirit, and your merciful intercession for our souls and bodies, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Through the prayers of the Holy Hieromartyr Blasius, may the Lord grant us living joy to our animals!

And the healing of the cat by Saint Matronushka!

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Legends about Basque cats

In northern Spain and southern France, the Basques and neighboring peoples believe in the wonderful cat Matagot. Matagot is an evil creature that appears in the guise of a black cat. Actually, it eats Christians, but if you catch it, you can ensure a comfortable existence for yourself. You should lure the matagot with a fish or chicken, grab it and run home without turning around. And then you need to give him the first bite of every dish and the first sip of every drink and receive for this a gold coin a day. Just remember to release the matagot when you become rich enough, otherwise you will die long and painfully until you give the creature freedom.

By the way, it was probably the matagot that was the prototype of the famous Puss in Boots.

Greek legends about cats

The supreme Greek god Zeus loved women very much and did not miss a single skirt. One of his chosen ones was Queen Alcmene, who bore the god a son, Hercules. However, Hercules was born for seven whole days, because Hera forced the midwife goddess Lucina to delay the birth of Alcmene. The jealous wife of Zeus wanted Hercules' cousin to be born first in the Perseus dynasty, so that the throne would not go to the divine bastard. But one of Alcmene’s maids, the red-haired Galanthida, told Lucina that the son of Zeus had already been born, despite all her efforts to prevent this. The goddess fell for it and allowed Alcmene to be relieved of her burden for real. In revenge, the angry Hera turned Galanfida into a cat and exiled her to the underworld to live alone. But cats are cute, and Hecate, the patroness of witches, healers and crossroads, took pity on the former servant, and so the cat became involved in witchcraft. uh

The Greeks also had another cat goddess - Ailuros (Eiluros), as they called the Egyptian Bast, but they identified her with the Moon, and, therefore, considered her the nocturnal incarnation of Artemis. In one myth, Artemis even turns into a cat to escape from the Titan Typhon. The name of the goddess Eiluros gave the name to the fear of cats - eilurophobia.

Egyptian legends about cats

Today it is known for certain that cats were not domesticated in Egypt, but a little to the east - in the Fertile Crescent (from Mesopotamia to Anatolia). But only in the land of pyramids did these cute animals gain such impressive popularity. Of course, the main cat deity in Egypt was Bast, the patroness of women and the hearth. In addition, Bast was responsible for fertility and obstetrics, since cats have always been famous for their fertility and developed maternal instinct.

Also, the god Ra had a cat who helped him in the fight against the serpent Apep, so the cat in Egypt was associated with the sun, and its eyes, adjusting to the light, often served as a sundial.

Bast Egyptian Goddess Patroness of Cats Cat Cults

The world is shrouded in incomprehensible mysteries, extraordinary legends and stories that amaze the imagination. Today we will travel back into the depths of the history of Egyptian mythology and talk about one of the most venerable and mysterious figures of Ancient Egypt - the Goddess Bastet.

Her character was distinguished by its uniqueness, beauty, grace, and the power of magical power. Surprisingly subtle, rebellious, endowed with enormous power and influence, the Divine Essence.

The heyday of the cult of Bast occurred in the 10th-8th centuries BC.

Goddess Bast, with the body of a woman and the head of a cat, had amazing intuition, reading the inner world of people and the ability to see the future.

Natural intelligence, combined with cunning, and multifaceted experience gained in the environment of the Divine Pantheon, made her one of the brightest and strongest Ancient Deities.

The patroness of women and children, Bast always came to the rescue and protection, protecting them from evil forces, endowing them with beauty and health.

Every woman probably has a facet of the Essence of the Goddess Bast, revealing her world of Inner Strength and mysterious incomprehensibility. The ancient Egyptians believed in the healing Power given to them by Heaven, the Goddess Bast.

The healers of Egypt depicted a black cat at the patient’s bedside or on the door of his home, which attracted the attention of the Ancient Deity, and she granted healing. By performing special exercises and focusing their attention on the image of Bastet, women asked the Goddess for the grace to endow them with beauty and health. Bast energy was embodied in them, enhancing natural attractiveness and rejuvenating the body, activating hidden reserves.

The goddess Bastet had a light disposition, loving fun, feasts, songs and dances, bright and fiery celebrations, an abundance of wine and other intoxicating drinks. Celebrations in her honor were colorful and noisy feasts.

Bastet was the Daughter of the Sun God Ra and the Ancient Goddess of Moonlight - Hathor; according to other sources, she was the wife of God Ra, and his faithful guardian. The ancient Goddess took care of farmers, giving the earth fertility and prosperity.

The patroness of cats, Bastet was initially considered the Guardian of the home, helped women find the happiness of motherhood, gave strength, patience, endowing mothers with affection and tenderness.

In honor of the Goddess Bast, the Egyptians built the largest Temple in the ancient city of Busbatis, now a small settlement located near the Nile and called Tell Basta. At that time, cats that had a direct connection with the Goddess Bastet were especially revered.

Ancient statues discovered in temples, a necropolis with a large number of mummified cats, testify to this. The famous film “Catwoman” became an illustration of the mystical secret, the combination of the power of a woman and a cat, lessons and tests of fate sent for internal awakening and transformation. Powerful statues of black cats, with large ears, the severity of the lines, which embodied in them the ancient mystical guards, were located in ancient monasteries, protecting and preserving, carrying within themselves the presence of a hidden secret.

It’s as if the Magical Essences of Guardian Cats, frozen in time and embodied in statues, are ready, having felt the moment of mystery, to come to life and gain their true strength and power. Touch the secret of the Goddess Bast and reveal your unique Power, charm and beauty, grace and inner nobility. Every woman has an Unknown Power that can make her invincible, confident, resistant to life's challenges, filled with wisdom and Spiritual insight.

September 23, 2020 Mysteries of the Universe #supernatural

Legends about Persian cats

In Persia (Iran) there are two legends about the origin of cats. The first is related to the saying “A lion sneezed and a cat was born.” One of the Persian historians wrote that the Creator, when creating the earth, forgot about cats, but did not forget about mice. The problem of lack of balance was clearly manifested in Noah's ark: mice multiplied during the journey and began to threaten the supplies designed for everyone. Then Noah asked the lion to sneeze, he obeyed and sneezed the cat. Stocks were saved.

Another Persian myth about cats is more ancient. One day, the hero Rustam, the hero of the Shahnameh epic, saved a magician from bandits. The magician, in gratitude, invited the hero to his tent and asked what to give him. Rustam was modest and said that he already had everything: the warmth of the fire, the pleasant smell of smoke and the starry sky above his head. Then the magician mixed smoke, fire and stars and handed Rustam a warm, smoky kitten, whose eyes shone like stars. This was probably the ancestor of the famous Persian breed.

Slavic myths

In Slavic religion, the central deity was Veles - the god of poetry, livestock and agriculture. Veles' constant companion was the cat Bayun - a furry monster with a magical voice that could be heard seven miles away. He sits on an iron pillar and lures the heroes with tales, after which he eats them. However, the one who managed to catch a cat and tame it found salvation from all illnesses and ailments, since Bayun’s fairy tales became healing for its owner.

Very often, cats in Slavic mythology are mentioned in close connection with the ovinnik and the brownie, who reincarnated into cats or communicated with them. Cats, for example, willingly shared their meals with their keepers, for example, milk, which they were not averse to enjoying.

And in the Ural factory legends that Bazhov wrote, a certain Green Cat is often mentioned. Residents of the Urals believed that this fantastic creature lives deep underground, and only its fiery red ears stick out on the surface. If a person saw these ears, it means he was lucky enough to find a magical treasure. Apparently, these legends appeared because of the lights glowing in the mountain voids.

Chinese legends about cats

China had its own wild cats, and it seems they were domesticated there almost earlier than in Ancient Egypt. Therefore, the Chinese separated the domestic cat Mao and the forest cat Li.

The word "mao" consists of three characters that mean field, grass and monster, which is fair, because the cat protected the rice fields from mice and was a real monster for them. And “mao” is consonant with the Chinese word for “eighty,” which is why cats are often featured on greeting cards. According to one legend, Mao was bought by the sorcerer Miau-Kuau, who could resurrect the dead and heal people, so the cat became his companion. Also, the Chinese, like the Egyptians, determined time by cat's eyes.

Li was associated with the goddess Li Shou. When the gods created the earth, Li Shou volunteered to look after their creation. However, she wanted more to sleep under the cherry tree or play with flower petals than to watch what was happening. Then Li Shou refused both the position and the ability to speak, and proposed appointing a person in charge. However, man did not understand the gods, so Li Shou became the liaison between him and the creators.

There was also a cat goddess in China, Yifang Zhen, the leader of a legion of cats. However, besides this data, all that is known about her is that she and her legion fought for one of the ancient Chinese dynasties.

“The Tale of How God Rod Created a Cat.”

from the book “Games Played by the Gods” by O. Boyanova.

Summer evenings in the north are long. It’s late, but it’s light outside, sparrows are scurrying around, and cats are carefully watching over them, sitting comfortably on a plank fence. Our group has already gathered to have tea around the hissing and splashing samovar.

The mugs were filled with fragrant tea, all that remained was to decide how to drink it - as a snack or as a snack. Suddenly Slava, glancing briefly at the cats, wondered out loud:

-Whose is this? We don’t have one like this in our village!

- Do you know all the cats? - Grandfather Matvey grinned.

- Yes, everyone. “And cats and dogs,” Slavka answered firmly. - This one is alien!

- So, the presenter has appeared.

- Grandfather, come on, explain! “What else are you suggesting?” the inquisitive grandfather’s favorite rose up.

“And this, Slavka, is an ancient word that came to us from our great-grandfathers, and it means a scout and a messenger of the gods.”

- Grandfather, you are doing something wrong... The cat is a messenger of the gods! — Slavka doubted.

“You know a lot,” the grandfather was offended.

- So tell me!

And it was unclear who was more interested - to listen to Slava, or to tell grandfather. And we unanimously supported the boy. Grandfather allowed himself to be persuaded, but finally the magic words sounded:

- And it was like this: When God Rod, the Progenitor of All That Is, gave birth to the Gods and equipped the Earth with the help of his eldest son, Svarog, He decided to step aside to rest. God Rod gathered his children and grandchildren together, announced his decision and appointed Svarog as his deputy.

So God Svarog began to be called the Heavenly Father, and his wife Goddess Lada - the Heavenly Mother. There were other orders. The Progenitor gave advice on how to maintain order and how to continue to develop the Earth, take care of people and help them in everything.

“Well,” thought God Rod, “it seems like he said everything, explained everything, announced all the Rules and Commandments (Kon). Children must live independently! The Progenitor had already risen, preparing to retire to his Heavenly Mansions, where he intended to indulge in contemplation, but he remembered that he had forgotten to say about one more Rule - to find out what those whom they concern thought about the Rules. True, God Rod didn’t really believe that he would hear anything useful, but just in case, he returned to his throne and asked:

— Maybe there will be some wishes, maybe something is not clear, it’s not clear?

Everyone was silent, looked at each other, but nothing came to anyone’s mind. The Progenitor of All That Is, already anticipating a blissful rest, was very happy about this silence and turned to the door with a light Soul. At this time, Makosh, the Goddess of Wisdom and Witchcraft, quietly asked:

- This is what I don’t understand. You said that we must maintain order and help people.

“Yes, he said,” God Rod answered Her, reproaching himself in his Soul for breaking another Rule - not to return, otherwise there will be no way. - What's the matter?

- How will we find out where and what is happening, convey news to each other, find out what is happening with people? - Goddess Makosh was not embarrassed. “We can’t always convey news to each other, the images we get are cloudy, and we often understand them differently. Just now, I warned Lada, the Heavenly Mother, to look after her daughter. I don’t want to say how Lada understood this...[1]

Goddess Lada laughed cheerfully:

- Yes, Makosh, you’re right. And I understood it wrong, and did it wrong, but what happened, it was better to remain silent.

Makosh also laughed and continued:

- God Svarog, after this incident, began to send the bird Alkonost with an order, and for now it will fly around everyone...

The gods thought. They heard something about the events connected with the daughter of Lada and Svarog, the matter was delicate, they did not talk much about it. However, Goddess Makosh is right: everything happened because of a misunderstood warning. God Rod remembered this event, but at that time something else distracted his attention. And now, apparently, the time has come to do this. The idea of clearly conveying messages immediately captivated the Progenitor. He, no longer thinking about rest, went to his work table, collected some pieces and crumbs left over from past creations, concentrated, began to crush them with his fingers, twist them this way and that, and figure them out.

“Yes,” advised Svarog, the Blacksmith God, a jack of all trades. - We need a tool. Or a product. For communication. I sent it and received a response.

- What else can they do? - Veles became interested - God with numerous responsibilities in all three worlds, Master of the entire wild world.

“It would be good if he himself could move between worlds, be not only a messenger, but also a scout.” He himself would find out where, what was happening, what they were talking about, and convey it to his owner.

“Then each God must have his own instrument!” - suggested the tight-fisted Dyi - the God of Wealth, who did not like to share his goods with others.

“Then we need to do a lot of them,” God Svarog thought.

“Let him be able to create his own kind,” Lada, the Heavenly Mother, well understood how important this process was.

- And let it be fruitful! - Yarila, the God of Fertility, became concerned. The gods began to smile: the fertility of Yarila himself was already becoming a legend.

- And what! - Yarila jumped up. - This is very important!

“Who would argue,” God Veles reassured his son.

“If it could see through worlds and time, then it could be used in magical rituals,” suggested Chernobog, the ruler of Navi, under whose command there were magicians and sorcerers.

- And see the invisible, hear the unknown, change destinies! - Goddess Makosh added dreamily, and Her assistants - Goddesses Dolya and Nedolya agreed and nodded at once.

God Rod, listening to these wishes, continued to sculpt something, throw something away, pick up something else from the table and attach it here and there. Turning what happened in his hands, he thought and asked:

- What about the size? Do something big?

- Why big? You can’t feed me,” God Dy objected.

“And it could feed itself, hunt,” added Devana, the Goddess of the Hunt.

- And fluffy, so that for children it’s like a living toy. Children, while playing, will learn to love living beings - Goddess Lada, as always, was full of concern for raising children.

- Wow! Toy! - Goddess Dewana objected. - This will be a hunter, with claws and teeth, and sharper ones! And it must move silently!

God Rod turned to his son Svarog:

- My son, Svarog. How to reconcile women? And so that he was affectionate, and so that he played with children, and his claws with sharp teeth were always at the ready?

“You can’t figure it out right away,” God Svarog hesitated in answering.

- What if you hide your claws in your paws? - only the cunning God Veles knew how to find a solution that suited everyone. - Then, while they caress him, the claws will be hidden, they will begin to offend him - the teeth and claws will come into play. Children will quickly wean themselves from cruelty when they receive resistance.

“Yes,” agreed Lada, “this suits everyone.” What do you think, Devana?

The wayward Devan had nothing to object to here, and she nodded in agreement. God Rod stuck something else on, smoothed the resulting product and gave a sign requiring attention:

- Well, look. This is what we got!

It turned out to be a prelagatai - a messenger of the Gods, a scout of the unknown, a spy of the invisible. This is the length,” God Rod spread his hands a little. “This height,” the hands raised slightly above the table.

“These are the dinners,” God Rod’s hands parted slightly. - The body is flexible, the skin is fluffy, soft, the step is inaudible, the hearing is sharp, hears the inaudible, the look is mysterious, full of enchantment and magic, sees Gods and creatures from other worlds well, loves magicians, sorcerers and the darkness, Yarilin’s hops and fertility flow in his blood, likes to come from nowhere and go to nowhere.

With the help of this creature, the Gods can communicate with each other and share news. But even God, the Master, should not order him, he can only ask him to do something, since the creature has his own independent mind, and has the right to do as he sees fit. It obeys only the will of the Creator of All That Is, that is, me. And everything that the scout learns immediately becomes known to me and God Svarog, my deputy, regardless of who the owner of this creature is. Any secrets from me and God Svarog are over.

God Rod looked keenly at the children and grandchildren:

— Anything else you can suggest?

- Yes, it would be nice to call it something. And that creature and everything is somehow unclear,” suggested Dazhdbog, the God of Light. He loved order in everything and did not like darkness.

“That’s right,” supported Horse, the Sun God. He always supported Dazhdbog.

- What should we call it? - this is Stribog - the God of Wind and Space, penetrating into all the cracks, he loved to ask questions.

The Progenitor Rod thought and suggested:

- Let's name it in honor of the Goddess Mokosha, who first came up with this.

“Yes,” said God Veles thoughtfully. - Who did you, Father Rod, create? This is the assistant of the Gods, and the magician, and the messenger - all in one beast [2] united, as in Fate, which is also called KOSH and contains a lot - both Rock and Lessons and Destination. This means that this beast can be called that way - Kosh, in honor of Kosh’s Mother - Mokosh. But since the beast will be closely connected with God Rod and His son - Svarog, we will add the rune “Union, Unity” - “Ka”. We get Kosh Ka. And every God - Master will choose the name he wants for his cat. Everyone liked the name of the new beast.

“Cat, cat, cat...” the Gods savored the new word with different intonations.

It contained everything - both the purpose of creation and everything that the beast is capable of. The word flowed, slipping and disappearing. But, at the same time, the flexibility of the beast and the silkiness of its skin were visibly felt in the word. There was a secret behind it. God Rod was pleased. He loved creativity. The creation of such an animal as a cat surpassed everything previously created - the volume is small, but so much is included!

Rod-Progenitor concentrated again, and a small animal with a gray striped, shiny skin appeared on the desktop. God Rod stroked the animal, blue sparks crackled and scattered under his palm.

- Here's a cat for you! - He declared cheerfully. - Creature one. Any comments? - asked the Progenitor, still affectionately stroking the cat.

She suddenly stretched predatorily, her green eyes with vertical pupils sparkled, with an elusive movement the cat curled up into a ball and suddenly purred - loudly, measuredly, surprisingly soothingly. Everyone was delighted. God Rod picked up the cat, stroked it tenderly again and handed it over to the Goddess Mokosh.

- Receive, Mother Kosha, your instrument! At your request, it was created and you will be the Patron Goddess of cats. All Rocks, Lessons and Fates are in your hands, let’s also add cat fates.

Goddess Makosh carefully accepted the cat, it settled comfortably on her lap and purred contentedly. God Rod returned to his desk again. This time a cat with black smooth skin appeared under his hands. She opened her eyes of amazing amber color, looked around and jumped straight from the table, as if she had flown over, so swift was this jump, right into the hands of God Veles.

- Wow! - God Rod admired, - this one chose the owner herself!

And creation began!

Under the hands of the Progenitor, new cats appeared: black, striped, red. The gods sorted them out like pancakes on the holiday of Komoeditsa. Morena, the Goddess of Winter and Death, became capricious:

- I want a white and fluffy one, with blue eyes!

Everyone was surprised.

- Black would suit you better, like mine! — a huge black cat lay down on Chernobog’s lap.

“I’ll breed these for all of Navi.” I order all magicians and sorcerers to perform magical rituals with the participation of black cats. It will be very impressive!

- No! — Morena became stubborn. “I want a white one to match the color of my winter coat!” And the eyes are blue, like Heaven on a clear frosty day! Father Rod, please!

When the Goddess Morena used a pleading smile, no one, not even the Progenitor Family, could resist her.

“So be it,” Heavenly Father responded good-naturedly. And now Goddess Morena caresses the snow-white fluffy beauty with blue eyes.

God Yarila, who for many reasons did not like the Goddess Morena, muttered quietly, stroking his red, huge cat that matched the color of his hair:

- Let's see, let's see what kind of kittens your little white will get!

- No, they’re not red! It's better to have black ones! - Goddess Morena retorted.

Everyone mockingly observed this eternal dispute between the spring Sun and the passing Winter. But then God Chur, the Guardian of the human race in the world of Revealing, modestly asked:

- What will it be like in the Explicit World, among people? Will they have cats too?

“Of course,” responded God Rod, “What is the world of reality without cats?” We need to know what is going on there, in this Reality? Here, choose a couple, a male cat, and then they will quickly multiply.

God Chur hesitated a little, was silent, and then unexpectedly asked everyone:

- Can you add something else to the cat? So that, for example, cats also protect people.

Here is the fire in the hearth,” God Chur turned to the God of Fire – Semargl. - Don’t be offended, Semargl, but your son, Agunya, is not always obedient. No, no, and it will break free. And people are sleeping. So, so that the cats could receive a signal that God intends to play pranks and get people out of the hut. Or, it happens, the fierce Serpent under the Earth begins to twist, and on Earth - trouble will overwhelm: huts collapse, rivers overflow. The cats would be the first to feel his movements and would warn people. But you never know what happens...

God Rod mentally thought: “Yes, he’s talking a lot!” There are still some things that need to be completed.”

And he said out loud:

- That's right, Chur. I will make special cats especially for Yavi - guardians of the hearth.

Everything about them will be the same as that of the cats of the worlds Navi, Slavi and Prav, but they will also have other important qualities - to preserve and love the home in which they will settle, to predict the weather, to warn about guests, to disperse all evil spirits, and to be friends with brownies, both are the same They will do the job - protect the goodness in the home. God Rod again began to sculpt, add, smooth something.

- Well, here he is, bungled it! The second creature, improved! These are special cats for the world of Yavi.

A gorgeous gray cat sat on the table, carefully licking its skin.

- Wow! - someone admired. - What a handsome man!

- And here’s a smart girlfriend for him.

A movement of the hands - and a cat appeared with an interesting coloring - tricolor.

“The rich tricolor cat will bring happiness and wealth to the house, and will protect you from fire, and will ward off evil people,” explained the Progenitor Rod. - Take the gift, Chur.

He picked up the cats and somehow disappeared unnoticed. God Rod smiled after him:

- Look, you're in a hurry, human defender. Well done. All Gods need to think about people, and not just God Churu. If there are no people, there will be no need for Gods.

- Like this? - Stribog, the God of Wind and Space, butted in again.

- Think about it in your spare time. Or ask the Father, he knows.

The Progenitor Family did not like being interrupted, especially so frivolously, just to ask. Everyone fell silent, continuing to stroke the animals, comfortably nestled on their laps. The room was filled with the quiet purring of cats, and imperceptibly all the Gods felt a feeling of complete unity and agreement. The gods Rod and Svarog looked at each other. God Veles intercepted this exchange of glances.

- Yes, the “tool” is what you need! - he confirmed. - Well done, Father Rod!

He smiled contentedly:

- That's it, my children! It's time for me to retire! - and left without looking back.

This is how, by the Will of the Progenitor Family, at the request of Mokosha - the Goddess of Fate, cats were created - scouts, messengers, spies of the Gods, magical and mysterious animals, but, at the same time, guardians of the hearth and home in which they decided to settle. And it was then, thanks to cats, that the proverb arose: “God sees everything, hears everything, knows everything.”

Grandfather Matvey fell silent meaningfully, waiting for a response. But we were silent, and three cats were still sitting on the fence and, without looking up, carefully watched the people. A strange cat turned away indifferently, yawned, showing sharp teeth, and suddenly disappeared.

“It was just there and now it’s gone!” I'm off to report! - Slavka admired.

“Exactly,” the grandfather confirmed and began to sip his fragrant honey tea.

[1] The editors of the Rodobozhie site ask respected readers to forgive this, and further in the text - similar, to put it mildly, not common-sense statements of the author, since you are not reading the Vedas, but a fairy tale, presented in images understandable to a wide range of modern readers. Note ed.

[2] Beast: Z - Zelo (Very, Extremely) Believe. Animals believe in the Patron Gods so much that they are not afraid to live in the wild, completely trusting them with their lives. Animals know that their lives will be interrupted only when their Main Living (Divine Essence) gets the opportunity to move to a higher stage of evolution into the body of a more highly developed animal. Therefore, some of them humbly, others happily accept their death in the wild, as a transition to a new stage of development. Note ed.

Legends about cats Japanese

The Japanese endowed many animals with magical abilities, and the cat did not escape this fate - it became a bakeneko werewolf. Any cat can become a bakeneko if it fulfills one of the following conditions: it weighs 1 kan (3.75 kg), has a long tail, or lives to be 13 years old. Moreover, long-tailed cats had a tail that forked, and they turned into “forked cats” - nekomata, a special separate type of bakeneko. According to legends, werecats could eat their owner and take his form or revive the dead by jumping over him. The bakeneko were also capable of creating ghostly fireballs and walking on two legs. Most often, cats are possessed by the spirits of dead women who want to take revenge on their husbands. This is probably why Japanese bobtails appeared in the land of the rising sun - cats of an elegant build, with short tails, almost incapable of becoming a bakeneko.

But there is also a lucky cat in Japan - maneki-neko. The traditional maneki-neko is a figurine of a white cat with or without red and black spots, which holds one or two paws raised in a gesture of invitation (calling for money, clients, luck). Sometimes in the lowered paw of the talisman lies a gold coin worth 10 million ryo; even more often it is decorated with a breastplate similar to the breastplate of Buddha-Jizo, the patron saint of children and travelers. There are three versions of the appearance of maneki-neko. In the first, the cat began to invite guests to an abandoned monastery, and thanks to her, the monastery flourished again; in the second, a cat saved a highly qualified prostitute from a snake; in the third, she appeared in a dream to a poor housewife, who kicked her out, and advised her to sculpt cats out of clay, which ensured the old woman a comfortable old age. And Maneki-neko took the coin from the legend about a cat who stole two gold coins from his rich owner for his sick poor neighbor who fed the cat fish.

Another Japanese belief says that a white cat with a spot on its back is the transmigrated soul of a person, because such spots look like a kimono.

Which saint to pray for animal cats

Saint Gertrude was the patroness of cats and travelers. There are legends that the soul spends the first night of a three-day journey to another world under the careful supervision of Gertrude. This applies to both cats and travelers.

Interesting selection of material. It turns out that in the distant past, animals were valued, respected and loved. I especially liked the one about Martin.