#FolkloreSunday #Catlore: Maelduin and his men came to an island, wherein was a fort surrounded by a white, high rampart, that looked as if it were a chalk rock or were built of burnt lime. Great was its height from the sea; it all but touched the clouds. The fort was wide open, and round the outer rampart were great snow-white houses. They entered the largest of these and saw no one there, save a small cat, which played in the midst thereof on four stone pillars, leaping from one to the other. It glanced at the men, but never ceased its play. The wall of the house, which reached from one doorpost to the other, was furnished with three rows. The first was of gold and silver brooches fastened to the wall by their pins; the second of gold and silver necklaces, each as large as a vat hoop; and the third of gold and silver hilted swords. About the rooms lay white quilts and garments of shining hue. There were, moreover, a roasted ox, a flitch, and vessels full of sweet, heady ale. "Hath this been left for us? " asked Maelduin of the cat. The creature looked at him suddenly, and then resumed its play. So Maelduin knew that the food was for them. And they ate and drank and slept. What was left of the food they stored up to take with them. When they were about to depart Maelduin's foster-brother said:
"Shall I not take with me one of the necklaces? "
"Nay," said Maelduin, "the house is well guarded."
Howbeit, the foster-brother took the necklace, and carried it as far as the middle of the enclosure. But thither the cat followed them, leaped through the thief like a fiery arrow, and burned him to ashes, after which it returned to its pillar. And Maelduin soothed it with fair words, and put the necklace back in its place, and cleansed the floor of the ashes, which he cast forth on the shore of the sea.` #Celtic
From Wikisource The Book of Wonder Voyages by Joseph Jacobs
Looks like a Cath-Sìth, Kerry's Portrait, public domain

#FolkloreSunday #Catlore #31DaysofHaunting: `The contemporary fear of black cats, like their association with witches and Hallowe’en, may be #Celtic in origin, although some have traced the connection to the Greek goddess of witchcraft, Hecate, who was also associated with cats.`
Source: P. Monaghan `Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore`

#FolkloreSunday #Catlore #31DaysofHaunting: `The #Scots cat-sìth or #Irish cat sí is a #fairy creature from #Celtic #mythology, said to resemble a black cat with a white spot on its chest. It is described as being as large as a dog and chooses to display itself with its back arched and bristles erect.
Legend has it that the spectral cat haunts the Scottish Highlands.` #Celtic
Source: Cat-sìth - Wikipedia
youtu.be/HQlB8oTCau8

#FolkloreSunday #Catlore #31DaysofHaunting: „In the British folk tale "The King of the Cats", a man comes home to tell his wife and cat, Old Tom, that he saw nine black cats with white spots on their chests carrying a coffin with a crown on it and one of the cats tells the man to "Tell Tom Tildrum that Tim Toldrum is dead." Old Tom then exclaims, "What?! Old Tim dead! Then I'm the King o' the Cats!" The cat then climbs up the chimney and is never seen again.“
Source: Cat-sìth, Wikipedia #Celtic

#FolkloreSunday #Catlore #31DaysofHaunting: „Once, the cat was much admired for its independence, stealth and hunting prowess. In medieval times, this love of cats, particularly black cats, was considered a sign of witchcraft, and the cats were burned alive, along with the women who owned them, or were thought to own them.“ #Celtic
Source: Ali Isaac | Substack

#FolkloreSunday #Catlore #31DaysofHaunting: `In #Scotland black cats were believed to be shape-shifting witches, a belief that may explain some common American Hallowe’en decorations.`
Source: P. Monaghan `Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore`

#FairyTaleTuesday #31DaysofHaunting #Catlore: `On Samhain, it was believed that a cat-sìth would bless any house that left a saucer of milk out for it to drink and those houses that did not put out a saucer of milk would be cursed into having all of their cows' udders go dry.` #Celtic
Source: Cat-sìth - Wikipedia