Cats have seven lives?
Myth dates back to ancient Egyptian times
Created: 08/10/2022, 08:30
By: Jasmine Farah
Almost everyone knows the myth that cats are said to have seven lives.
But where does this saying come from?
A look into the past reveals it.
Cats: You either like them or you don't.
After all, they are stubborn, stubborn, but also more resilient than you think.
For this reason, many know the saying that cats should have seven or nine lives.
Are they immortal?
Not that, but it's truly amazing what they can endure.
Cats have seven lives?
Myth dates back to ancient Egyptian times
For example, when cats fall from a great height and still land softly on all four paws.
A so-called “rotating reflex” helps them with this.
As the name suggests, the house tiger has the ability to turn around at lightning speed in order to be able to absorb an impact better.
Velvet paws already had a god-like status in ancient Egypt.
They were celebrated as beings sent by the gods.
When a cat falls from a tree, it turns around in a flash and usually lands on all four paws.
© agefotostock/Imago
The Egyptian story of creation goes back to nine deities who are said to have created the earth.
The number nine was therefore sacred to the Egyptians and a symbol of new life.
It was also present everywhere in everyday life, so a pharaoh's meal is said to have always consisted of nine dishes.
These should give him new life energy through the gods of creation.
Cats are aerialists and survivors
For a long time, the legend that cats are said to have nine lives was also held in Europe.
However, as Christianity spread and the Catholic Church was officially declared the state church of the Roman Empire in AD 380, they lost two as a result.
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The number nine was no longer seen as something positive, since according to the biblical accounts, Jesus is said to have died on the cross at the 9th hour of the day.
In addition, this tradition was seen as an outdated relic of bygone times and was therefore abolished.
In addition, the number seven plays an important role in Christian symbolism.
It occurs again and again, for example with the seven deadly sins, but also the seven days of creation, sacrileges and just as many archangels.
The seven is therefore considered a holy number, since then the house tiger in the proverb has only seven lives.
However, there are still more than dogs and other animals are given credit for.
Ultimately, the velvet paws owe this to their enormous dexterity and adaptability, thanks to which they can also master dangerous situations unscathed.
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