Many mythologies and religions have paid homage to dogs and cats. While it may not have been like owning a pet in today’s world, there are many myths that speak of not just pets, but of gods that take the shape of dogs and cats.
Ancient Greece
Cerberus:
This enormous dog guards the entrance to Hades. Many have faced Cerberus, but very few lived to tell the tale. Hercules, one of the most famous Greek heroes, was sent to the Underworld to retrieve Cerberus as one of his twelve labors. Harry Potter fans will recognize Cerberus’s distinctive profile of three heads from the first book in the series, The Philosophers’ Stone.
Artemis:
The Ancient Greeks viewed Bast as a version of their lunar goddess Artemis, sister of Apollo and daughter of Zeus and Leto. Also known as Diana, Artemis is also the goddess of the Moon and the patron goddess of young maidens. Artemis is one of the most widely venerated goddess among those in the Greek pantheon.
Sphinx:
Although usually associated with Ancient Egypt, not least because of the statue at Giza, is actually shared with Ancient Greek ad Persian mythologies. This beautiful creature has the body of a lion and the head of a human. The main difference between the Greek and Egyptian portrayals is that the Greek Sphinx had a female head while Egyptian Sphinx has a male head. Legend has it that the Sphinx stood guard and told a riddle to any potential passers-through. If they gave the wrong answer, the Sphinx would eat them.
Ancient Egypt
Bast:
Also known as Bastet, this Egyptian beauty is the goddess of cats, and the Egyptians regarded cats as sacred. The first recorded appearances of Bast described her as having the head of a lioness, whereas later, she is agreed to have the face of a cat.
Mau
“Mau”, Egyptian for “cat”, represents the sacredness of cats in ancient Egyptian society. Based on recent DNA comparisons of living species, it has been estimated that cats were first domesticated about 10,000 years ago in Egypt.
Anubis
Anubis, the jackal-headed god of the Underworld and the deity most prominently of death, is also associated with dogs. Anubis’s role was an usher into the Underworld, and he also watches over the weighing of the heart, an Egyptian form of judgement between good and bad. On one side of the scales, Anubis would place the feather of Ma’at, or truth, on one scale, and the deceased’s heart on the other. Hearts heavier than the feather would be devoured by Ammit (the Soul Eater with a crocodile’s mouth) and souls lighter than the feather would ascend to a heavenly existence.
China
Zodiac
Shengxiao, meaning literally “birth likeness”, is known in English as the Chinese Zodiac. The dog is one of the 12 animals honored in Chinese astrology, and the second day of the Chinese New Year is considered to be the birthday of all dogs. Chinese people take care to be kind to dogs on that day.
Christianity
Black Cats/Familiars
We all know that black cats have been considered unlucky for centuries. When the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock, those aboard carried with them their devout faith in the Bible. And thus they considered black cats to be familiars, animal companions of witches. This wasn’t the first time this kind of superstition was observed, but only Christians seemed to believe in it.
Saints
Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, a seventh century abbess who founded the Benedictine Monastery in present-day Belgium. She is the patron saint of cats. Saint Roch (also called Saint Rocco), lived in the early 14th century in France, and is the patron saint of dogs.
Islam
The domestic cat is a revered animal in Islam, admired for its cleanliness. However, the majority of both Sunni and Shi'a Muslim jurists consider dogs to be ritually unclean. It is uncommon for practicing Muslims to have dogs as pets.
Japan
Maneki-Neko (Beaconing Cat) incorrectly known as Chinese lucky cat, while they are truly Japanese in origin.
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