What is the legend about the Egyptian cat? The Egyptian cat always seems to give people a mysterious color, not only because of its origin, but also because of its legend. This is the first time that the editor has heard about this Egyptian cat legend. Say it!

In Egyptian mythology, cats were originally related to Isis. Isis is the most famous goddess in Egypt. She is the sister of Osiris, the god of the underworld, and is also his wife. Her status is equivalent to that of the earth. The mother is the queen of the gods and the god of life and health, and the pharaoh is also considered to be her son. In ancient Egyptian sacrifices, Isis was the highest priest and an all-powerful magician. She often appeared wearing a sun hat. The crossbell (a percussion instrument, similar to a rattle) she held was carved in the shape of a cat, representing the moon. .

There was a goddess named "Bast" (Bast, Bastet or Pasht, Oubasted, The Tea) in ancient Egypt. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra, and she was also the wife of Ra and the sun goddess. She is also the god of fire and the goddess who protects the home and pregnant women. Around the Second Dynasty (probably 2890-2686 BC), Best appeared in the form of a wild cat or lion. Around 1000 BC, at the beginning of the Eleventh Dynasty, Best appeared in the form of a domestic cat. There were dotted patterns on the face like Egyptian cats. There are two theories about its origin: one is because Egypt is rich in cereal crops, so There are many barns. In order to prevent small animals such as mice from eating the stored food, the Egyptians like to keep cats to protect the food, and they also respect the contribution of cats. Therefore, they do not forget to thank the cats when offering sacrifices to the gods, and make statues of cats to deify them. Second, because the sacred animal of Ra’s enemy, the dark demon Apep, is a snake, cats that can fight against snakes are regarded as Ra’s sacred animals. At dawn, Best will transform into a cat and kill Apep, who transforms into a snake. Some versions say that the god Ra transformed into a cat and killed the snake.

Initially, Best was the sun goddess. Later, under the influence of the Greeks (through war and trade), because the cat’s pupils changed with the light, like the waxing and waning of the moon, Best evolved into something similar to Artemis in Greek mythology. moon goddess.

In the ancient Egyptian period, the cat's name was "mall", which is the Chinese sound of "meow", which may come from the sound of cat; on the other hand, mau also means "see" in Egypt. Therefore, Best will also appear on amulets as the image of a sacred eye, which represents mental and physical health. It is called utchat, which is the eye of Horus (son of Horus, g[10siris and Isis)) and is the health of mankind. And the source of Shaanxi music. In addition, utehat is also called the eye of the sun god or EnglishThe male eye.

The Egyptians made many cat amulets for home decoration, temple offerings, or accessories. Many cat amulets were engraved with the Eye of Horus. Sometimes the Eye of Horus was carved into a big eye. , and the white part of the eyes is engraved with many kittens. Many cat statues made of bronze or other metals have pendants engraved with the Eye of Horus on their necks, because both cats and the Eye of Horus are believed to have special abilities that can be created when they are combined. Incredible power against disease and evil.

In ancient Egypt, it was also popular for newlyweds to own an amulet of a female cat and kittens. The number of kittens on the amulet was exactly the number of children they wished to have. This kind of cat family amulet was usually made into a neck Pendants, made of blue or green glazed pottery, also include large bronze cat family amulets, placed on shelves or hung on the walls of homes or temples. .

Dead Egyptians were often buried wearing a small ivory cat head carving, because cats were said to protect their souls as they reached the underworld. The Egyptians believed that a cat with good eyesight not only had the ability to discern the truth, but could also see the afterlife. Therefore, Beste is also the "Daughter of Truth" deity. After death, during the mummy ceremony, Beste will also appear to ensure the afterlife of the deceased.

Starting from the Old Dynasty (about 2613-2160 BC), the main worship center of Best was concentrated in the Delta City of Bubastis, and her worship reached its peak in 950 BC. Herodotus, a Greek historian and traveler in the 4th century BC, once wrote in his travel notes that there was a festival in Egypt (April and May, which were also the most fertile months in Egypt) that was used to worship Best. . Significant discoveries were also made during the excavations at Tell-Basta (the ancient Buba.tis), including a tomb containing many cat mummies. Legend has it that Bast can transform into a cat. The ancient Egyptians made many cat statues to show their respect for Bast. From 661 to 332 BC, cat mummies were buried in several specific cemeteries as a sign of piety to Bast. kind of dedication.

Almost every household in Egypt raises cats. If a cat dies due to illness or old age, the family members will cry loudly and beat their chests. The owner will do the best for the cat. First, the cat will be rubbed with precious of sesame oil, and then wrapped in multiple layers of linen. The cat ears will be carefully wrapped in a natural upward position. Even cats from poor families will be treated with the same respect as cats from rich families. After wrapping the cat's body, wrap the outer layer. The simplest method is to use a narrow and long cloth as a bandage. More sophisticated ones will use cloth dyed in two different colors to wrap it in a criss-cross pattern. In addition, some people use colored straw to wrap them. richSome people will spend money to make a beautiful coffin inlaid with gold and jewelry, accompanied by a plate of milk and

For mouse mummies, the lids are often decorated with large cats and kittens. Some cat coffins are in the shape of a small box, some are in the shape of a cat, and some use paper mache models to reshape the cat's body, and carefully make the cat's head and ears, and the eyes are meticulously painted with linen. Upper round shape. After the embalming and sealing process is completed, the family members cry and mourn while sending the cat to the cat mummy cemetery on the banks of the Nile or to the temple of the goddess Baste. The family members will shave their eyebrows to show their condolences to the cat. , and a funeral ceremony was held.

Most of Best's statues stand upright, with smart eyes, seeming to be looking around. She holds three symbols in her hands, one is a tuning fork, one is the shield of aegis (the shield given to the goddess Athena by Zeus in Greek mythology), and the other is a basket hanging on her left elbow. There is usually a toe at her feet. Several kittens. Cat-loving writer Xin Dai once praised the Best statue as the most classic cat appearance, which fully brings out the cat’s true nature: “Cats are natural models, and any gesture can become an aesthetic element of the lens or even an element of the artist’s creation. The most classic cat image is the goddess Beste believed by the Egyptians in 3000 BC. She has a cat head and a woman's body. She represents harvest, joy and beauty. She also symbolizes the sun, moon, light and happiness. This It was the first time that cats appeared in the literature of human history. After cats entered human life as patron saints, the human body of the statue of goddess Best also transformed into a complete cat body, and cats became a god worshiped by people. This The Cat God is now collected in the British Museum and is still admired and appreciated by people. This Cat God is based on the slender and tall Egyptian cat. It looks like the Siamese cat we are familiar with today. Her sitting posture brings out the cat's charm. True character - being self-centered, watching with cold eyes, motionless as a mountain."

Since cats occupy such an important position in Egyptian mythology, they are also obviously favored in folk tales. There is a story that a female cat and a female eagle are close neighbors. They both need to go out to find food, but they are also afraid that their children will be eaten by the other. So they went to the god Ra together and swore an oath not to invade each other from now on. But one time the mother cat saw the little eagle going out with food in its mouth and snatched it. The little eagle was defeated and died of its injuries. In anger, the female vulture attacked the cat's nest. The female cat complained to the god Ra, and the god Ra set fire to the vulture's nest as punishment. It is actually not fair for the God of Ra to do this, because it was the female cat who broke her promise first. It may be that she did not know about the killing of the little eagle, or it may be that the female eagle did not ask the God of Ra first for instructions, and then took it upon herself to retaliate in kind. God was angry. In short, it can be seen from this story that Egyptian cats have a better relationship with gods than other animals.

Despite Egyptian laws prohibiting the transport of cats out of the country, Phoenician sailors still secretly smuggled cats out of the country. According to the description of ancient paintings, cats were regarded as treasures and were brought to the Mediterranean area from the Middle East. In the 1950s, Egyptian cats were introduced to Italy. In 1956, the then Princess Troubetakoy doted on an Egyptian cat imported from Cairo. In addition to mating it with an Italian cat, she also brought it to the United States to register and exhibit it in 1957. Since then, The lineage of this cat was officially confirmed, and it was officially called the Egyptian Mau. Egyptian cats became very popular after landing in the United States and were once given as popular gifts. After World War II, the number of Egyptian cats was very small. Fortunately, they were preserved through the efforts of several European breeders.

It is said that the Egyptian cat is the incarnation of the goddess Best and has magical powers. It appeared in the 2004 Warner Bros. movie "Catwoman" in a mysterious and transcendent image. The character "Catwoman" comes from the Batman series mocked by COMICS, a well-known American comic company. The movie is based on the story of Patience Phillips in the comics, and is played by the Oscar-winning black actress Halle Berry. He was a weak and timid boy who was killed after accidentally discovering his boss's secret evil plan. He was rescued by a magical Egyptian cat. After his resurrection, he transformed into a brave and super-powerful "Cat Woman" and began to investigate the murderer. Reveal your true identity and launch an act of revenge, using cats' unique skills, senses and sensitivities to defeat your enemies. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as the best goddess who protects women and defeats evil forces. In this film, Egyptian cats take on the sacred task of saving and giving women new life, and they are indeed responsible for it!