For millennia, cats have held a special fascination for mankind. There are many cultures in which even cats are part of the deities. Precisely, cats in Egypt played an important role from a cultural point of view. In fact, in ancient Egypt cats were considered sacred.
In this post we have prepared some curiosities about cats in Egypt: read on and find out more about their role in one of the oldest cultures on earth.
Cats in Egypt
Bastet was one of the most important goddesses in Egyptian culture. She was considered the goddess of the home, of fertility and also of cats. The representations of this goddess were often as a woman with the head of a cat. In addition, cats were considered sacred animals and were closely associated with this goddess.
Another aspect within the Egyptian culture regarding cats is that they were considered both as protectors and protectors as good luck charms. The Egyptians believed that cats had protective powers that helped keep evil spirits and poisonous snakes at bay.
The ancient Egyptians are known for their extensive knowledge of mummification. mummification. They developed techniques to preserve the bodies of their dead and had unique rituals. But did you know that they also mummified their cats? Sometimes, they mummified the kittens and buried them next to their owners. They were also offered to the gods. Archaeologists have found cat tombs in archaeological sites. There have also been finds of tombs with many mummified cats.
Privileged lifestyle
Certainly, cats were revered by the ancient Egyptians. That is why the rituals reached up to the moment of their death. But in life they were also treated with great respect and care. They were provided with food and secure housing and were often pampered by their owners.
In addition, the killing of a cat, even if it occurred accidentally, could have serious legal consequences. It was forbidden to mistreat any cat and offenders were subject to penalties that could even result in death. The penalties were proportional to the importance of each cat. This is because the temples of different deities had cats with very specific functions.
Domestication
Another curiosity is that the first domestication of cats occurred precisely in ancient Egypt. They became essential to Egyptian society for their role in protecting households and granaries from pests. Later this relationship evolved into a kind of admiration for his feline nature. Researchers assure that the Egyptians admired the gracefulness of cats, along with their hunting abilities.
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