Episode 213: Dark Tails (ad-free) (Patreon)

One source of common—and dramatic—folklore is living right inside many of our homes. It’s a feature of civilization that dates back thousands of years, and the superstitions it has attracted make for a powerful—and problematic—history.

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Further Reading

1. “300-Year-Old Secret 'Lucky' Shoe Found in Cambridge University Wall,” LiveScience, August 2016, https://www.livescience.com/55812-lucky-shoe-found-in-university-wall.html.
2. “7 Superstitions About Cats From Around the World” Mental Floss. October 27, 2017. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/90949/7-superstitions-about-cats-around-world.
3. “10 Furry Facts About Norwegian Forest Cats.” Mental Floss. Feb 5, 2017. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/69586/10-furry-facts-about-norwegian-forest-cats.
4. “14 Legends About Cats From Around the World.” Mental Floss. October 3, 2017. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/83422/14-legends-about-cats-around-world.
5. “17 January 1569 – Leicestershire Woman Gives Birth to a Cat?” The Tudor Society. January 15, 2016. https://www.tudorsociety.com/17-january-1569-leicestershire-woman-gives-birth-to-a-cat.
6. “As the Crow Flies: Corvids in Lore and Legend” Folklore Thursday. August 27, 2020. https://folklorethursday.com/folklife/as-the-crow-flies-corvids-in-lore-and-legend.
7. Ashley, Leonard R.N. The Complete Book of Superstition, Prophecy and Luck. (Barricade Books, 1984). Page 33.
8. “Black Cats, Witchcraft, Goddesses & Bad Luck.” Patheos. October 12, 2017. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/matauryn/2017/10/12/black-cats-witchcraft-goddesses-bad-luck.
9. “Cat Allergies. WebMD. June 26, 2020. https://www.webmd.com/allergies/cat-allergies.
10. "Cat Gods." History Cooperative. May 5, 2020, https://historycooperative.org/cat-gods-feline-deities.
11. “Cat Magic, Legends, and Folklore.” Learn Religions. May 31, 2018. https://www.learnreligions.com/cat-magic-legends-and-folklore-2562509.
12. “Cats, Bastet and the Worship of Feline Gods.” American Research Center in Egypt. Accessed March 26, 2022. https://www.arce.org/resource/cats-bastet-and-worship-feline-gods.
13. “Cats In Folklore: Not Just A Witch’s Familiar.” Icy Sedgwick. September 28, 2019. https://www.icysedgwick.com/cats-in-folklore.
14. “Cats in the Ancient World.” World History Encyclopedia. November 7, 2012. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/466/cats-in-the-ancient-world.
15. “Cats Suck Babies’ Breath.” Snopes. January 11, 2010. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/murderous-moggies.
16. Clar, Mimi. “Cats "Sucking Baby's Breath.” Western Folklore.
17. Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct., 1960): p. 282 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1497362.
18. Clar, Mimi. “Gift of Black Cat.” Western Folklore. Vol. 19, No. 2 (Apr., 1960): p. 135. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1496939.
19. “Curious Case of Agnes Bowker’s Cat.” Historic Mysteries. Accessed March 26, 2022. https://www.historicmysteries.com/agnes-bowkers-cat.
20. “Demon Cat.” The White House Historical Association. Accessed March 30th. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/demon-cat.
21. “Deities in Ancient Egypt – Bastet.” Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. Accessed March 26, 2022. https://egyptianmuseum.org/deities-Bastet#:~:text=Bastet%20was%20the%20goddess%20of,most%20commonly%20in%20Lower%20Egypt.
22. “How Cats Became Divine Symbols in Ancient Egypt.” History. Accessed March 25, 2022. https://www.history.com/news/cats-ancient-egypt.
23. Hurston, Zora Neale. Mules and Men. (Amistad, 1935) p. 221
24. “Inside Ancient Egyptian Cat Mummy, Archaeologists Find the Remains of 3 Cats.” Live Science. November 5, 2019. https://www.livescience.com/ancient-cat-mummy-multiple-cats.html.
25. “Kasha.” Yokai.com. Accessed March 26, 2022. https://yokai.com/kasha.
26. Leach, Maria. Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legends. (Funk & Wagnalls Publishing, 1972, 1950, 1949): p. 197.
27. “Surprise! What 3D Scan Revealed Inside Egyptian Cat Mummy.” Live Science. April 11, 2017. https://www.livescience.com/58629-3d-scans-reveal-inside-egyptian-cat-mummy.html.
28. “The ‘feline spook of the Capitol’: How a Demon Cat became Washington’s best ghost story.” Washington Post. October 31, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2018/10/31/feline-spook-capitol-how-demon-cat-became-washingtons-best-ghost-story.
29. “The spooky history of how cats bewitched us.” October 31, 2016. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/10/31/the-spooky-history-of-how-cats-bewitched-us.
30. “The Trick Bone of a Black Cat.” The Journal of American Folklore. Vol. 12, No. 46 (Jul. - Sep., 1899): p. 228. https://www.jstor.org/stable/534186.
31. “The Vatican Really, Really Hates Cats.” All That’s Interesting. February 11, 2018. https://allthatsinteresting.com/pope-massacred-cats.
32. Thomas, N.W. “Animal Superstitions.” Folklore. Vol. 12, No. 2 (Jun., 1901): p. 193. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1254054.
33. “Toxoplasmosis.” Mayo Clinic. Accessed March 26, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxoplasmosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20356249#:~:text=Toxoplasmosis%20(tok%2Dso%2Dplaz,to%2Dchild%20transmission%20during%20pregnancy.
34. Vigne, J.D. “Early Taming of the Cat in Cyprus.” Science. Vol. 304, No. 5668 (Apr. 9, 2004): p. 259. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3836765.
35. “Why Are Black Cats Considered Bad Luck?” History of Yesterday. August 5, 2020. https://historyofyesterday.com/black-cats-bad-luck-fd53ae1517fa.
36. “Why the U.S. Capitol’s ‘Demon Cat’ Legend Is So Persistent.” Atlas Obscura. March 13, 2018. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/is-there-a-demon-cat-in-the-us-capitol.