Running head: THE EFFECT OF CATS ON EGYPTIAN CULTURE

The Effects of Cat Domestication in the Egyptian Culture Daniela M. Medina Hoyos Valencia College

Author Note This paper was prepared for ARH 2050, Summer B, taught by Professor McGrath

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Abstract This paper focuses on the way that cats became domesticated into the Egyptian culture and the way in which their behaviors and attitudes affected the overall culture. The paper also discusses the importance of religion as one of the main factors for the raised status of the cat and its association with the goddess Bastet. It then discusses the way in which the life of the cat was equally or even more cherished than the life of human beings. A belief that was reinforced by the mummification of their bodies and the elaborate embellishment created for them.

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The relationship between cats and humans can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians in their artwork and mummification process. The Egyptians culture allowed the cat to become a significant figure in the supernatural and the present world. The transition of importance of the cat in regards to religion can be traced back to Gods, Re and Bastet. The cats role in religion as familiars to the gods led to the mummification of hundreds of them and depictions of their physical appearance in different murals paintings. However, it was their mystique and behaviors among the humans themselves impacted the culture in such a way that they were thought to be part of the family. They were held to such a high level of importance that many of them met death as a form of sacrifices or votive offerings. The meaning of the cat in a symbolic, spiritual, and physical realm elevated them to a level of divinity and deep love towards them. The original cat species to be in contact with humans were the felis libyca, felis chaus, and felis margarit. These cats of the wild did not initially share their habitat with humans. Felis chaus was a jungle cat and felis margarita was the sand cat of the desert. However, the cat who was soon to be domesticated was the felis libyca, who often had to scavenge for food due to the scarcity of prey on the desert (Baldwin ,1975). As communities of hunter gathers began to settle down and grow crops, the relationship between the cat and human began to grow. The crops attracted small critters, such as rodents and snakes, which would eat the food and grains produced by the humans. The cats saw the critters as prey and began to get rid of them. The help

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the cats during this agricultural development allowed them to enter a semi-domestic stage where they would reside in areas near agricultural zones (Kuroshima, 2012; Baldwin, 1975). Their agility to capture their prey while helping preserve the crops made them more desirable and allowed them to coexist with humans along the Nile and become the lions of the poor (McDonnell, 2001; Films Media Group, 2005). As the felis libyca began to be part of the everyday life of the Egyptians, they started to be depicted in murals and admiration for the animal grew. The particular species of f. libyca was distinguished as an African wildcat, a large amber colored tabby (Deerkoski, 2009). It is in the 1st Millennium that we see their first appearance, with their large cat ears, angled of muzzle, and elongated nose features that would be replaced by softer placid, essentially inoffensive domestic feline (Zuffi, 2007). It is during the 3rd millennium BC that they actually enter into a fully symbiotic relationship with the Egyptians (Broodbank, 1993). However, they were still being revered and respected for their ferocity and rapacity regardless of the soft connotations that the domestication process may have placed on them (Scott, 1958). The Egyptians wanted to see through the eye of the cat, so they began to use body art in the form of eyeliner and create cat eyes. They believed that cats saw the world from a wider perspective. The Egyptian word for cat strengthened this belief since miu is translated to see (Long, 2005). The impact and appreciation of the domesticated cat went to the extent of loosing a war to Persia, who deviated a plan to place cats in the

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battlefield knowing of the respect the Egyptians had for the life of these animals. However, its important to remember that this close bond did not develop overnight, but rather a long four-step process that progressed and gained strength as cats entered the world of the supernatural. It was through religion and association with deities that the cat gained so much importance throughout Egypt (Baldwin, 1975). The figure of the cat became a synonym for Re and his daughter, Bastet. The God of the sun, Re, began his association with male cats during the New kingdom. Once he was associated with them though, he was often called the supreme tomcat (McDonnell, 2001). Bastet was associated from an earlier point in time, while her sister Sekhmet was associated with the Lion. Her sister was the goddess of war and destructive aspects of the heat of the sun. Bastet represented the opposite, which is why her depiction with a cathead instead of a lion head was widely accepted (Baldwin, 1975). After all, the cat already had positive connotations with the laity who was among the first group of individuals to worship the goddess. Bastets name itself even hints towards her humble roots since it means she of Bast (Scott, 1958). She was the representation of love, dancing, fertility, as well as the dispenser of abundance and happiness (Long, 2005; Zuffi, 2007). She became such a prominent figure that she had her own cult and town named in her honor, Bubastis, literally translated as home of Bastet (Scott, 1958). Sculptures began emerge were both herself and the image of a cat were shown. A confusing

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representation since the cat was thought to be the earthly invocation of the goddess. However, portraying them at the same time would indicate a duplication of divinity leaving to question the true nature of the cat as a divinity herself, or as a familiar (Langton, 1938; Films Media Group, 2005). Nevertheless, Bastet was usually portrayed in art as wearing a striped dress that was inspired by the natural markings in the coat of the felis libyca (Scott, 1958). Her continuous display in iconic figures and the popularity of cats caught the attention of the royals who enforced totemism so that the whole land would worship the same animals and deity (Films Media Group, 2005). With the support of the wealthy classes, Bubastis gained popularity and power. The city became a center of worship and the location from which the wide spread of the domestication of the cat began (Baldwin, 1975). At this point, cats were not only being domesticated but also being mummified for a variety of reasons. Cats had already been mummified and buried along with humans previously as a symbol of the creature being a constant companion that would be kept at ones side for all eternity (Zuffi, 2007). However, this time the cats were buried by themselves primarily mummified as sacrifices and pets. Animal mummification was a long-standing tradition in Egypt, reaching its zenith during the Late Period at the same time as domestication reached its peak (Ikram, 2005). The cats of wealthy individuals and families were taken to Bubastis and were buried around the temple of Bastet (McDonnell, 2001). One of the excavations actually

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reported finding of about 300,000 mummified cats (Long, 2005). However, some of the cats appear to have been very young, including cat fetus that would not have died of a natural death. It is possible that the temple officials bred and slaughtered the cats and then offered them to pilgrims to use as offerings to the goddess (Films Media Group, 2005; Schorsch, 1997-1998). When they were buried as pets, their appearance was completely different. The families of the rich and poor went through great lengths in order to afford a proper burial for the cat. Regardless of their status, all of the individuals in the family showed their mourning by shaving their eyebrows (Deerkoski, 1995). The cats were carefully mummified through a process of desiccation and anointment. The body was desiccated with Egyptian salt and then heated in oils and resins and then wrapped in linens (Kuroshima, 2012). The linens were dyed in different brown tones and woven in geometric patterns in order to resemble the coat of the felis libyca. The limbs were usually positioned close to the body in a compact bundle. Nevertheless, there is evidence that some were mummified in lifelike poses. A mask [out of bronze] was [usually] prepared to cover their face as embellishment as a replacement for the bejeweled and gold collars these upper class cats wore in their life time or as a way for the poor to honor their pet (Deerkoski, 2009; Schorsch, 1997-1998). The bodies of the cats from the lower classes were placed in rectangular bronze boxes surmounted with a crouching or a sitting cat. In comparison, the bodies of the cats of the wealthy were actually placed inside hollow cast bronze in the shape

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of a seated cat. In order to make the cat as accurate as possible on the outside, the tail, the front paws, the ears and the tip of the nose, were created separately and then added onto the wax model to then be cast in bronze. Sometimes the poor felt such a need to honor their cat that they also paid to have their cat inside a sitting cat coffin that was made in wood instead of bronze (Kuroshima, 2012). In regards to the cats as sacrifices, many times the priests of the temple wouldnt even include the body of an actual cat and simply gave an empty sarcophagi to the pilgrims (Schorsch, 1997-1998). Once the sarcophagi were closed, it was not appropriate to reopen it since it would be as if they were disturbing the afterlife of the cat. The individuals did their best to ensure a happy afterlife by including a mummified mouse and saucers of milk (Deerkoski, 2009). The love of the Egyptians for these sacred animals can be seen in wall paintings, poetry, and other writings praising the power of the feline. The Egyptian priests encouraged children to play with the cats claiming that the cats would protect them in return. The cats would always find a space on a prayer rug or under a table to rest on (Hall 2006). According to the Greek historian Hodotus, the cats were so important that the first thing the Egyptians did if a fire occurred was to form a wall to prevent cats from entering, while one of the members of the family went back to rescue the cats inside the house. It was only after the cats were saved that

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they attempted to put out the fire (Schorsch, 1997-1998). A cats life was so dear and special that to kill one was a capital offense (Deerkoski, 2009). The impact that the felis libyca had on the Egyptian society did not only alter its spiritual and supernatural world, but the way in which their daily life progressed. It was through a mutual benefit of conservation of crops and ability to hunt prey that allowed humans to coexist with this new species and vise versa. However, it was through religion that the cat gained so much popularity and led them to be come a divine being themselves. They were not only a familiar, or a representation, but were believed to have been the original form of Bastet. The depiction of the goddess with a cathead, and the sculptures and paintings of the cats only fueled this new love and respect for the felines. These newly found feelings led to the mummification of thousands of cats and to the creation of elaborate caskets and gifts for these beloved animals. The figure of the cat symbolizes the transformation of the Egyptian culture itself and the great amount of faith they had towards their religion and the respect for life and afterlife.

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Photographs The following compilation of images was taken from a variety of books, textbooks, and databases with the aim of being used as evidence for the information that was described throughout the paper.

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