Black Cats: The Body Of Witchcrafts, A Wrong Interpretation In Yoruba Society

By Adeyinka Olaiya /Brazil

Cats , wild by nature , but also domestic . The Black cats are attractive, they have always accompanied humans for millennia , they also mark presence with their elegance and sharp instincts . Black cats have been part of human history and mythology in every corner of the world , they are simply attracted to humans in all instances

This seems different in some part of Nígeria . The Yorubas , a predominant ethnic group in Nígeria have since associated Cats with witchcraft , and bad luck , they have seen cats as carriers of negativities . In Nígeria, Cats are treated as agents of nightbirds , supporters of the midnight predators , abodes of our ladies at night , errands of Eleye , synonyms of Ajoguns.

In some beliefs , Cats in their homes , represents fortune , Cats also attracts good luck , black cats demonstrates love to those who breeds , and to those who lives with them . Cats ,to some , are seers of prosperity. The sharp views of Cats spiritually scares evil doers in some beliefs . Cats sanitizes the society , makes the home free of unclean spirits .

In Nígeria, these positivities are no longer the same , the Yoruba society since the late 1970s and early 80s and 90s when the father of Nígerian theater , Late Hubert Ogunde launched his bestseller film titled “ AIYE “ the film further damaged the spiritual and physical presence of Cats in our society , AIYE described Cats , the black Ologbo as Abodes of Witchcraft.

In the Yoruba Tradition of IFA , and according to Orunmila , baba Agbonmiregun , Ologbos are highly spiritual, they protect and support than evil doing . In most cases , homes are checked before Cats are introduced . Ologbo is Awo . Orunmila advised that IFA be consulted before Cats are introduced to some homes .

The history of humans and cats has been around for almost 10,000 years. Unlike dogs, they were not purposely domesticated by us, they just started to coexist with us, in a kind of partnership that developed naturally through the mutual benefits that the species observed. For cats, food stocks were a reliable source of game, and humans were able to effectively control pests.

Another civilization that made the Cats particularly popular was the Egyptian , the Ancient Egyptians had positive conclusions about the Cats , the North Africans till date observes the necessary norms it entails to breed Cats . Though associated with the goddesses Isis and Bastet, cats were sacred , killing them was absolutely forbidden, and when a family’s cat died, it was taken to the holy city of Bubastits to be embalmed and buried in a special sarcophagus.

In Norse mythology, cats were often associated with the goddess Freya . The goddess was having two gray cats that fought at her side and pulled her chariot. To gain the protection of her and the cats, farmers often left bowls of milk for the felines. In Japan, the Maneki Neko is a figure that brings luck to its owner. It is a white kitten with its right paw raised. More modern versions of the amulet contemplate movement on this paw, often inviting customers into stores. To this day, cats are seen as beings loaded with spirituality. They are believed to be able to clear negative energies from an environment and even ward off evil spirits. From deities to wicked creatures

However, just as there were people who loved and idolized cats, there were also those who repudiated cats. In Europe, during the witch-hunting season, these animals were associated with witches and some people even believed they were demons. Black cats were the most persecuted, the attacks against these animals began in Ancient Greece., Cats served as spiritual functions in Greece, they were seen as abodes , the dwellings of spiritism .

According to Greek mythology, Hera turned her servant into a black cat because she got in the way of the goddess’s plans to prevent the birth of Hercules, the bastard son of Zeus. This servant then became an assistant to Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. During the colonization of the United States, pilgrims believed that witches were able to transform into cats. This way, they would be able to sneak into people’s homes, cast their spells, and leave without anyone noticing. From there, the belief became popular that crossing the path with a black cat is synonymous with bad luck.

However, all these negative attributes to Cats are still not unanimous. In Asia and the UK they are a sign of good luck. In Japan black cats are a sign of luck in love . In England, receiving a black cat as a wedding gift is a sign of luck in the union of two. In France, meeting a black cat is waiting for magical things to happen . The French sees Cats as signs of miracles , they prefer to see Cats in most times . The absence of Cats in some homes in France represents a place of low spirit

Still in the UK, sailors believed that black cats brought luck and safety in navigation. Kittens were only bad luck if they abandoned ship. As a guarantee, many sailors’ wives kept cats at home for their husbands to return safely. Unfortunately, the idea that these pets bring bad luck is so strong that to this day they are the least adopted in animal shelters. Some of these shelters even avoid donating black kittens around Halloween, as some people use them in sacrificial rituals. The truth is that having one or more cats at home is living with an animal still very attached to its wild roots.

In Nígeria, it is no doubt that most Yoruba movies , just like Hubert Ogunde’s AIYE , have also contributed to the damages caused to these animals , the movies like Ologbo meje , Ologbo Iya ijebu, Ologbo dudu , Ologbo Alake and many more have also affected possible adoptions of these animals in most homes . The cats were practically getting into extinction in the Yoruba environment, a lot of Cats were killed in Yoruba land for the fear of turning to witches . This perception was adopted because of wrong interpretation of what these animals actually represent.

Cats are not witches, they are not associated to bad luck , this wrong perception could lead to the extinction of these animals in the Yoruba society . It is obvious that all animals represents one thing or the other in the Yoruba spirituality . The dogs , cats , Rats , birds and several other animals are significant to the Yoruba mythology, they render to every society what is demanded of them .

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