cats in ancient egypt

6- An ancient cat cemetery was discovered in an archeological excavation carried out in 1890. The Ancient Egyptians were absolutely fascinated with cats, and it is thought that most Ancient Egyptian families kept at least one as a pet. Cats were also mummified as a votive offering to the goddess Bast. Little girls were often named “Miut” (literally meaning “female cat”) displaying the Egyptians fondness for both cats and children. while their European cousins still ran wild. The goddess Bastet was usually represented with the head of a feline and a golden earing. One of the most common (and in my view the sweetest) representations found in tombs depicts the cat sitting under or beside the chair of the mistress of the house offering her protection and friendship, a connection made all the more important because of the association of cats with some of the most powerful goddesses. The Egyptians did not distinguish between a wild cat and a domesticated cat; all cats were known as “miu” (or “miut”) often translated as “he or she who mews”. Without reading through the article, this may set things up for the rest of the content. The ancient Egyptians even hunted with their cats, a seemingly amazing feat of co-operation with an animal renowned for its stubborn individualism. The Ancient Egyptians held cats in the highest esteem, the penalties for injuring or killing a cat were severe. Painting from the tomb of Nebamun showing a cat catching birds. Begun by Amenhotep III and ended by Ramses II , dedicated to Amun-Ra, Mut ( Amun’s wife ,... Luxor Temple: History, description, architecture, pictures, Just over 98 years ago, the British Egyptologist Howard Carter was responsible for finding one of the greatest... 5 Curious artifacts discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb, Isis is one of the main deities of the Egyptian pantheon. And as such, she guarded against evil forces and illness, and was the most popular deity in Egyptian mythology. Egyptians religion was complicated but some of the most known things are their gods and goddesses, their cats, and their mummies.The Egyptians had a religion that if you put a dead body in a coffin or a sarcophagus, they could go to the afterlife and have everything they need with them. https://thechateau.org/blog/article/the-role-of-cats-in-ancient-egypt After the pyramids and the kohl painted eyes, almost nothing evokes more awe and mystery than the fascination ancient Egyptians had with cats. This god protects the Eleventh Division of the Duat in the Book of Gates (the division just before dawn) and watches over the enemies of Ra in the Book of Caverns. Ancient Egypt Religion Egyptians had a very complicated religion. A cult of this type is not surprising since several breeds of cats have their origin in those distant lands. The ancient Egyptians did not attack for fear of hurting the cats. while their European cousins still ran wild. Your email address will not be published. Despite their stereotypically aloof attitude, cats are so popular today that they have been photographed the world over, are the … Yes! 11- In Egypt we can distinguish two types: The jungle cat (Felis catus), also called reed cat or swamp cat and the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica). Egyptian Cat Breeds in The ancient Egyptian civilization The ancient Egyptian civilization revered cats to the point that one of their goddesses, Bastet or Bast, was represented in the form of this feline and considered the divinity of the home and protector of the family.. A cult of this type is not surprising since several breeds of cats have their origin in those distant lands. The latter had a calmer temperament and so was more commonly domesticated than its wilder relative. It is also possible that this deity is one and the same as “Mauti” who is depicted in the Tomb of Seti II and may also refer to Mau or Mau-Aa (the great cat) as a form of Ra. Cats were probably originally allowed into the houses of the Ancient Egyptians becasue they caught rats and chased snakes away from the home. Neith occasionally took the form of a cat and the cat was one of Mut’s sacred symbols. 7- The Egyptian word for cat was “miu” or “mieu.”. But why? This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. The Cat in Ancient Egypt. Courtesy of the British Museum. Several Ancient Egyptian deities were depicted and sculptured with cat-like heads such as Mafdet, Bastet and Sekhmet, representing justice, fertility and power. Your choices will not impact your visit. Cat fanciers who consider their pets majestic have history on their side: felines were domesticated in ancient Egypt around 2000 B.C. In fact, archaeologists found a man interred with his cat in a burial mound in Mostagedda near Asyut dated to around 6,000 years ago. The cats were mummified after death and were buried in the cemetery of the temple. Cats in ancient Egypt were represented in social and religious practices of Ancient Egypt for more than 3,000 years. We have evidence of this in the many statues and representations of these felines that date from that time. Herodotus claimed that on discovery of a house fire, the men from the house would line up outside the building to protect the cats from danger. The earliest representation of a cat or lion in Egyptian religion was the fur-midable Mafdet, a cat-like deity associated with justice and execution. Egyptian history is rich with lots of fantastic art, architecture, and culture. Their respect and veneration for this animal was so great that the year 525 BC, when the Persians besieged Pelusium, ancient Egyptians lost the city since Cambyses II, knowledgeable about their customs, had cats tied to the shields of his soldiers. Cats also had a significant impact on religion in Ancient Egypt, despite being a relatively late addition to the Pantheon (c. 2000 – 1000 BC). Cats in ancient Egypt were highly revered, partly due to their ability to combat vermin such as mice, rats (which threatened key food supplies), and snakes—especially cobras. The statuette is a symbol of fertility and the sun.
The cat in ancient Egypt was sacred
There were many cat-like goddesses such as Bastet and Sekhmet
Cats were given the “royal treatment” even to the point of being more important than humans!! These beautiful creatures thus represent a living link between the modern world and the ancient Egyptian civilization. Cats in ancient Egypt were used for the benefit of people despite being worshipped, and despite the idea that they were treated extremely well, I would argue. The festival was so famous that it made it onto a hit list of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 30:17, sixth century B.C.E.) 1- The goddess Bastet had the cat as her sacred animal and was usually depicted as a woman with cat’s head or an entire cat and defended Ra, god of the Sun. Cats appear frequently in ancient Egyptian murals and artifacts, including the cast-bronze figurine of a cat nursing four kittens and a large limestone sculpture of a seated lion featured in a recent "Divine Felines" exhibit at the Carlos Museum. Although no one can pinpoint the time exactly, we know that the cat was domesticated in Egypt, probably around 2000 B.C., and that most modern cats are descendants of the cats of ancient Egypt. I quite like cat history and trying
The cat in ancient Egypt was sacred
There were many cat-like goddesses such as Bastet and Sekhmet
Cats were given the “royal treatment” even to the point of being more important than humans!! Sometimes Egyptians would mummify pet cats. It is sometimes suggested that cats were introduced into Egypt from Persia around 2000 B.C.E or from Nubia during the New Kingdom but this is unlikely due to significant evidence that cats lived in Egypt before these dates. The Importance of Gods in Ancient Egypt Cats (Felis silvestris catus), known in Ancient Egypt as the mau, were important in ancient Egyptian society. Herodotus also recorded that the Persians used the Egyptian’s love of cats against them. Different experts believe that the cat breed the Egyptians domesticated was a spotted subspecies of the African wild cat, Felis silvestris lybica. This suited the cats perfectly as being close to human settlements not only provided them with a ready supply of food (the vermin and the food left by humans) but also helped them to avoid larger predators. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. Her best-known depiction is one in which her body is that of a human woman, but with the head of a cat. Only the pharaoh had a high enough status to own a cat. She was entrusted with no lesser duty than to protect her country. The Egyptian Mau is the most popular of all Egyptian cat breeds.They are the only domestic cat that has naturally occurring spots, giving them an exotic appearance. As the cat was domesticated, further changes in temperament and appearance became apparent. Apparently seeing a cat in your dream confirmed that you would have a good harvest. There is evidence that the majority of the world’s cats can trace their ancestry to an Egyptian cat. [1] The deity Mut was also depicted as a cat and in the company of a cat. Mummified cats inside a tomb, at an ancient necropolis near Egypt's famed pyramids in Saqqara, Giza, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. The Ancient Egyptians held cats in the highest esteem, the penalties for injuring or killing a cat were severe. Beginning as a wild, untamed species, cats were useful for limiting vermin in Egyptian crops and harvests; through exposure, cats became domesticated and learned to coexist with humans. In addition, cats in ancient Egypt kept the houses clean because when hunting rats and snakes, a carrier of serious diseases was eliminated, as the plague and the surroundings of nearby homes were safer. The cat is depicted as restraining or controlling a wild bird, and so acts as an agent of order, as well as perhaps providing divine protection for the members of the family. It was believed that one of the ways people could offend the goddess was to harm one of her cats. For example, the goddess Bast, Bastet or Ubastet represented the protection of man, as well as a cat with its young. The same graceful creatures that now sleep on our pillows were life-saving companions to the people of ancient Egypt. Dogs had already been domesticated for over a thousand years by this time. Ancient Egyptians not only worshipped cats, but also adored them as their family members. #Сult of #cats in ancient #Egypt. Robin Ngo March 06, 2014 4 Comments 4003 views Share. Not only would this make the cat’s eye glimmer in a lifelike manner, it reinforces the solar and divine nature of the cat. They had many animal gods. Most importantly, they loved and respected their cats for being playful and affectionate companions but also highly intelligent and skillful predators. As the cat was domesticated, further changes in … Malek's writing style is interesting, accessible and he does an excellent job in surveying the history of cats. People were often depicted on hunting trips with their cats. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. Several archaeological remains point towards the domestication of cats in Ancient Egypt. It’s no wonder that generations of Egyptians were drawn to worship them. Media in category "Cats in ancient Egypt" The following 121 files are in this category, out of 121 total. And it’s thanks to this that cats received special protection, meaning that it was considered treason if … Cookies that are necessary to enable my site to function. Over the centuries they gained an exalted position in royal society—revered as an incarnation of a goddess, modeled in bronze statuettes, and even mummified and buried with their owners. She is usually represented as a woman with a cat’s head, and a giant temple was built in her honor. Ancient Egypt Religion 1629 Words | 7 Pages. Archaeological digs have found that Cats were commonly celebrated in art during the Ancient Egyptian era and depictions of Cats have been found on tomb walls. Egyptians religion was complicated but some of the most known things are their gods and goddesses, their cats, and their mummies.The Egyptians had a religion that if you put a dead body in a coffin or a sarcophagus, they could go to the afterlife and have everything they need with them. Indeed, cats were literally assimilated to deities! Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. Translated, it means "one that mews." There were two main breeds of cat native to ancient Egypt. Painting from the tomb of Nebamun showing a cat catching birds. The ancient Egyptians hunted birds with a wooden object that they threw into the air. It is believed that not even Pharaoh could commute the penalty. Moreover, various DNA comparisons also suggest that many species of modern cats may have been descended from the Egypt… Cats in Ancient Egypt acquired a relevant role in the different branches of Egyptian culture, like religion and mythology. The Felis (silvestris) lybicaIt has a physique and characteristics similar to the European domestic cat, although it has a slightly shorter tail than the domestic cat. The jungle cat (Felis chaus) and the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica). The cat was the sacred and peculiar animal of Bast, who is represented with the head of a cat or a lioness and frequently accompanies the deity Ptah in monumental inscriptions. Anyone else deliberately harming a cat was in deep trouble. [1] The deity Mut was also depicted as a cat and in the company of a cat. Cats in Egypt were probably domesticated by around 4,000 BC, from wild ancestors. The main center for the worship of Bastet was in northern Egypt at the city of Bubastis. See more ideas about Cats in ancient egypt, Ancient egypt, Egypt. Aegyptisches Museum Berlin InvNr2055 20080313 Bronze-Sitzfigur einer Katze.jpg 2,592 × 3,888; 2.01 MB. Bard, Kathryn (2008) An introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Burton, Anne (1973) Diodorus Siculus, Book 1, Ikram, Salima (2003) Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt, Grajetzki, W (2003) Burial Customs in Ancient Egypt, Kemp, Barry J (1991) Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilisation, Pinch, Geraldine (2002) Handbook Egyptian Mythology, Trigger, B.G, Kemp, B.J, O’Connor. They were not only the most popular pet in the house, but their status rose to that of the sacred animals and then on to the most esteemed deities like no other creature before them. The piece charged, replacing the dog in these tasks two species eventually merged a... Goddess in ancient Egypt in Egypt were considered semi-divine, everyday people weren ’ t to! At the city of Bubastis is well documented more than 3,000 years the city Bubastis! Kidnapped felines and bring them home to Egypt Egypt religion Egyptians had a complicated! 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