Everything you ever wanted to know about... History TV and radio in the UK: what’s on our screens in December 2020? Ancient Egyptians, Catanzariti says, “mummified cats to give them as a sacrifice or offerings to temples. Cat's weren't exactly worshiped in Egypt, despite what Herodotus wrote. Eventually, it emerged as the guardian of domesticated cats. Anyone who harmed a cat, deliberately or not, would be sentenced to death. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. You're now subscribed to our newsletter. Wild cats are now known to have lived among the people of Mesopotamia over 100,000 years ago and to have been domesticated there approximately 12,000 BCE at about the same time as dogs, sheep, and goats. Ancient Egyptian cats had a sacred status in because of the religious beliefs of Egyptian society. It was in Egypt that the cat was first domesticated 4,000 years ago and where they were held in the most admiration and respect. Cats were praised for killing venomous snakes and protecting the … Cats in ancient Egypt were represented in social and religious practices of ancient Egypt for more than 3,000 years. In the New Kingdom, the cat was considered an incarnation of the Sun god and the manifestation of the goddess Bastet. Protection and Significance of the divine felines, How long does it take to get a visa to Egypt. Killing one could be punishable by death. But while we love moggies for their companionship, Egyptian society fell in love with them for their skills at keeping the snake, rat, mice and scorpion populations down. Two goddesses in the Egyptian pantheon were even portrayed as cat-like- Bast and Sekhmet and were worshiped as long ago as 3000 b.c.e. According to several historians, the cat cult in Egypt started 5000 years ago, during the First and Second Dynasty. Although it has been commonly accepted that cats were first domesticated in Egypt 4000 years ago, their history among human beings goes back much further. They revered dogs for their ability to hunt and protect them, while cats for bringing good luck to people who kept them. The domesticated cat was a symbol of grace and poise because of the way it hunts its prey. In the New Kingdom, the cat was considered an incarnation of the Sun god and the manifestation of the goddess Bastet. Cats were seen as symbols for “blessing, fertility and balance of nature”. Within Egypt, cats were originally the perfect solution to the overgrowth of rats and snakes in Egypt. There were two main breeds of cat native to Ancient Egypt. Cats were called Mau in Ancient Egypt, and initially the animals attained an important place as the protectors of the country’s grain, as they killed rodents and snakes. Killing one could be punishable by death. Cats were drawn on walls, on ceilings, carved out of stones, sculpted on amulets and painted on clothes. Cats--or 'Mao' in Ancient Egyptian Language--were considered 'holy' creatures and symbols for the gods of Egypt. Thank you for subscribing to HistoryExtra, you now have unlimited access. The deity Mut was also depicted as a cat and in the company of a cat. Owing to this, cats came to be regarded as protectors of evil by the ancient Egyptians, and were domesticated by them. Cats, however, occupied a special space in Ancient Egypt. Due to this endearment of cats, there were several laws to protect the creature. Cats were considered important and possessed a status equivalent to that of Gods. By the time of the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-c. 2613 BCE) cattle were the most important animal and were regarded as objects of substantial wealth as made clear through the Egyptian Cattle Count which was a for… In this time and place — Ancient Egypt — one creature existed that could make the world safe from these little monsters: the cat,” the website read. Scarab Beetle . Animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, asses, and different kinds of birds were domesticated in the Pre-Dynastic Period (c.6000 - c. 3150 BCE) as evidenced by grave goods and overuse of the land for grazing. Provides expediting services for travel visas to Egypt, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Through this behaviour, cats were perceived to have a protective nature which, combined with their ability to have lots of kittens, made them a symbol of the home, women, and fertility. Several pagan rituals were banned by the Romans in the following centuries, thus cat worshipping and religion grew apart. They were magical. The cat was embalmed and mummified and usually buried along with their masters. The ancient Egyptians did not worship cats, but they did believe that cats had magical powers.