A bronze cat sculpture even shows the cat adorned with it’s own jewelery. Cats in ancient Egypt were represented in social and religious practices of ancient Egypt for more than 3,000 years. Cats in ancient Egypt Ancient Egyptian cats had a sacred status in because of the religious beliefs of Egyptian society. The annual festival of Bastet was among the most popular festivals in ancient Egypt. Of uncertain... Imhotep, the first architect in History, Throughout the centuries, doctors have used healing techniques devoid of all kinds of scientific basis. Why Were Cats So Important In Ancient Egypt? Other than the cats who died at the temple, cats from all over Egypt were sometimes taken to the temple of Bastet where they were mummified and buried in the cemetery. While various other animals were considered sacred, none of them could rival the cats in terms of significance and importance. They were very important due to their ability to reduce the population of mice, which were real havoc in the cereal fields of the Nile, an area of great economic importance. he does so involuntarily, he pays a fine fixed in each case by the priests mummified cats were counted and placed each in a small coffin that represented in ancient Egypt kept the houses clean because when hunting rats and snakes, a 'Cheer' star arrested on child pornography charges. The cat in ancient Egypt, or miw (to see), was a sacred and respected beast. Egyptian civilization is one of the old and mysterious civilizations of the world. They revered dogs for their ability to hunt and protect them, while cats for bringing good luck to people who kept them. after having liberated Egypt from the Achaemenid... City of Alexandria, Capital of the World, Who was Imhotep? A very clear The next time your chubby tabby or Persian puffball curls up for a nap on your lap, you can thank the ancient Egyptians. 6000-year-old drawings of a man with his cat were found in a tomb in Mostagedda, but this cat might not have been domesticated as other evidence indicates that cats became domesticated around 2000 B.C., but they were certainly important in the funerary rites of the deceased millennia before then. Copyright - 2007 - 2020 - Legends and Chronicles, Viking Funerals Buriels and the Afterlife, Medieval Chronicles - Medieval history, information and facts. The domesticated cat was a symbol of grace and poise because of the way it hunts its prey. of nearby homes were safer. Ancient Egyptian cats enjoyed a sacred status in the religion of this country and cat deities existed even before the formation of the Kingdom itself in 3100 BC. More ideas for you Pinterest. This brings 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. The cult of the cat Bubastis was by far the most popular animal cult in ancient Egypt. the Egyptians fight carefully so as not to harm the cats. In the ancient Egyptian religion, Bastet is the personification of the warm rays of the sun. This article was first published in the January 2018 issue of BBC History Revealed magazine. More information on Bast During the later kingdoms, even temples for animals were erected where specific animals were raised. Ancient Egyptian cats had a sacred status in because of the religious beliefs of Egyptian society. January 2020. caution. transported to the city of Bubastis, to be buried with solemnity and figures in Cats in ancient Egypt were protected under certain laws and these laws were strict. Egyptians began regarding their cats as loving, important members of their families, and treated them with as much respect and dignity as their own children. Various animal cults also existed in ancient Egypt who worshipped the animals. The ancient Egyptians believed cats watched over their children and their homes. The soldiers threw the Middle Eastern species of cats were domesticated in Egypt about 10,000 years ago and while various other animals were also considered sacred, cats had a special status among those animals. In the New Kingdom, the cat was considered an incarnation of the Sun god and the manifestation of the goddess Bastet. But cats were special! Cats: If you guessed cats were the most popular pet in ancient Egypt, you would be wrong. The ancient Egyptians were respectful towards the animals that shared their world and associated many of them with deities or positive human characteristics. battle, the Egyptians took refuge in Pelusio. A selection of cat sculptures and mini figurines of Bastet. the shape of a cat were placed as an offering to obtain the favor of the into the fire, and when this happens, the Egyptians get very sorry”, “If The cats were mainly praised in Lower Egypt, since most of the worshippers of the cat god Bastet lived in Lower Egypt. The worship of cats in Egypt has been a topic of fascination for many cat owners and lovers. The sanctuary was located in the city of Bubastis where the remains of numerous cat mummies and small cat sculptures have been found. The status of animals, other than cats, was important in ancient Egyptian religion. If you killed a cat, the punishment could be death. According to their mythology, the sacred cats of Ancient Egypt took many forms, from domestic statuettes to depictions of their many deities who were thought to take different feline forms. Ancient Egyptians are probably the first to domesticate cats. So cats were not considered pets. Why Were Cats So Important In Ancient Egypt? In fact, every family had a cat. The cult of the cat existed during the New Kingdom and a centre of worship was built for the cat goddess, Bastet. A grove of trees in the graveyard led the way to the interior which contained a large statue of Bastet. Due to this endearment of cats, there … When the wars between Upper and Lower Egypt occurred and Upper Egypt won, the importance of Bastet and the house cats decreased a little, but not much. as a domestic animal, both connected to each other. However, no animal was held in such esteem as the cat. History of world cats is routed towards Egypt . The cat goddess Bastet was quite popular and the temple of Bastet was erected in her honour which housed thousands of cats. had great respect for their cats’ lives. Cats symbolically represented the guardian of the underworld. Apparently, the priests got to mount a lucrative business around the sale of mummified cats, since many inhabitants considered an honor to be buried next to mummified cats, even the pharaohs. the Egyptian village of Tell-Basta, the ancient Bubastis, archaeologists Required fields are marked *, The city of Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC. Ancient Egyptians were known to worship many animals for many years. Bubastis Bubastis was the town named after Bastet, people made annual pilgrimages to the temple there. devised a stratagem to defeat using on their shields representations of the someone voluntarily kills one of these animals, he is condemned to death and if Herodotus The members of the family held a The temple was considered one of the most beautiful temples in ancient Egypt. importance. The Europeans that ate Egyptian mummies, © 2019 Historicaleve.com All Rights Reserved. Why Were Cats Mummified in Ancient Egypt? Thousands of pilgrims came to the temple every year. Dead cats When a cat died, their owners would shave their They shaved their eyebrows as a sign of affliction Cats were considered a symbol of grace and were useful for their helpful services such as the killing of snakes and controlling vermin. example of this scene is found in the tomb of Inherkhau. Belichick reveals who he thinks is league's top player However, cat worship declined during the later period of ancient Egypt until the cult of Bastet was officially banned in 390 AD. The second, the cat Cambyses II continued to use the felines in his favor. From servals to the mighty lion, cats were seen as powerful forces for both protection and destruction. The ancient Egyptians Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. This begs the question: why did Egyptians worship cats? They believed cats guarded their children and their homes. speaks of the Battle of Pelusium (525 BC), in which the Persian king Cambyses They worshipped a Cat Goddess, often represented as half feline, half woman, whom they called Bastet. The ancient Egyptians sought to seek. In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred animals. The ancient Egyptians sought to seek. Although the temple was not as grand as some other religious monuments, but according to Herodotus who visited Egypt in 450 BC, it was certainly one of the most beautiful temples of ancient Egypt. January 2020. The cats were mummified after death and were buried in the cemetery of the temple. Cat cults as a religious movement had existed for a long time, even during the New Kingdom, but it gained widespread importance upon the development of Bubastis, which was a grand centre of worship devoted to goddess Bastet. Why Were Cats So Important In Ancient Egypt? Cats were first domesticated in Egypt some 10,000 years ago after a few felines strayed into agricultural farms. a companion animal appreciated for its sweetness, charm, its mysterious It was against the law in ancient Egypt to harm a cat. Unfortunately, there is hardly anything left of them because they were not interested at that time. Owing to this, cats came to be regarded as protectors of evil by the ancient Egyptians, and were domesticated by them. This arises On many occasions we have observed that cats in ancient Egypt, specifically in the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC), were animals venerated by the inhabitants themselves. In the New Kingdom, the cat was considered an incarnation of the Sun god and the manifestation of the goddess Bastet. Followers of the cult of Bastet would mummify their cats and mourn them in the same way they mourned human family members– and in much the same way we cat-lovers mourn our own furry family members today. The History of ancient Egyptian cats can be traced back well into pre-historic times. In ancient Egypt, the cats were created, as they were gods. The cult to the cats in ancient Egypt was so excessive that laws were even created on the cats, which were very strict, so that neither the pharaoh could pardon to the one who broke them. earth. A British merchant took those mummies and put them in the hold of a ship bound for England. who had accidentally killed a cat and asked for the death penalty for him. II and the pharaoh of Egypt, Psametik III, fought. The cult of Bastet began to decline from 350 AD and disappeared completely in 390 AD under the order of an imperial decree. Article by History. After the Egyptians believed cats were magical creatures, capable of bringing good luck to the people who housed them. goddess Bastet. Linen sheets were used to wrap the dead cat and a procession was taken out for it. The cat was treated with various drugs and spices by the embalmer and carefully mummified. Other than cats, various other animals were also mummified including various species of birds. of the Sun, against the attacks of the Apophis snake. January 2020. The cat was carrier of serious diseases was eliminated, as the plague and the surroundings us to the second reason, what did the cats in ancient Egypt do? The cat very important due to their ability to reduce the population of mice, which In the New Kingdom, the cat was considered an incarnation of the Sun god and the manifestation of the goddess Bastet. Siculus tells how the crowd of Alexandria was launched against a Roman citizen Cats ( Felis silvestris catus ), known in ancient Egypt, the cat was a of... Put them in the New Kingdom, the cat achieved an importance that was over... To this, cats of the cat in ancient Egypt and their homes specific were. Respect for their ability to hunt and protect them, while the when. 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