Hating Medieval Cats #1: The Rope Cat November 2, 2015
Author: Beach Combing | in : Medieval , trackback
The black cat has been visited before on this blog: particularly the question of luck and cats. In three special posts we want to visit the question of why black cats came to be so hated in many parts of Europe. Here is one of the most interesting early texts, which comes from Walter Map, writing in England, c. 1180. He begins by describing a heretical sect, which is that of the Cathars (Cathars and cats, this is going to be good…). Be patient, paws appears in the second part.
There is another old heresy, that has been newly propagated that was founded by those who abandoned our Lord when he spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood saying: ‘These are hard words’. So they went away and came to be known as Publicani or Paterini. They have hidden since the day of the Passion of our Lord and are hidden among the Christians. In the early days they had single houses in the villages where they lived and each one, from wherever he or she came, was able to recognize one of their houses by the smoke [in fumo?!], or so it is said. They do not accept the Gospel of John. They make fun of the body and blood of Christ and the consecrated wafer. Men and women live together but they do not have sons or daughters.
Est eciam alia uetus heresis de nouo supra modum propagata, ducens originem ex his qui Dominum loquentem de carne sua comedenda et sanguine bibendo dereliquerunt, dicentes, ‘Durus hic sermo; et abuentes retro, dicti sunt Publicani uel Paterini. Latuerunt autem a diebus dominice passionis inter Christianos passim, ferantque. Primo quidem unicas habebant in uillis quas inhabitabant domos, et undecunque uenissent singuli domos suas in fumo noscebant ut aiunt. Euangelium Johannis non accipiunt; de corpore Christi et sanguine, pane benedicto, nos derident. Uiri et femine cohabitant, nec apparent inde filii uel filie.
Many of those who have repented and returned to the true faith, tell how, at the first watch of the night, with their doors, entrances and windows closed, the families sit in silence, each in their ‘synagogue’ [in singulis sinagogis] and wait. And in the middle of them comes, hanging by a rope, a black cat of great size. As soon as they see this cat, the lights are turned out. They do not sing or recite hymns in a distinct way, but they mutter them with their teeth closed and they feel in the dark towards where they saw their lord [i.e. the cat?], and when they find it, they kiss it, the more humbly depending on their folly, some on the paws, some under the tail, some on the genitals. And as if they have, in this way, received a license for passion, each one takes the nearest man or woman and they join themselves with the other for as long as they choose to draw out their game.
Resipuerunt autem multi, reuersique ad fidem enarrant quod circa primam noctis uigiliam, clausis eorum ianuis, hostiis, et fenestris, expectantes in singulis sinagogis suis singule sedeant in silencio familie, descenditque per funem appensum in medio mire magnitudinis murelegus niger, quem cum uiderint luminibus extinctis ymnos non decantant, non distincte dicunt, sed ruminant assertis dentibus, acceduntque ubi dominum suum viderint palpantes, inuentumque deosculantur quisque secundum quod ampliore feruet insania humilius, quidam pedes, plurimi sub cauda, plerique pudenda, et quasi a loco fetoris accepta licencia pruriginis, quisque sibi proximum aut proximam arripit, commiscenturque quantum quisque ludibrium extendere preualet.
Note that the reference to kissing the cat’s genitals or anus recall later important texts on the witch’s sabbat, where witches kiss the devil’s behind, often in making a contract with him. For those who are new to writing on heresy this scene was often described by antique writers about dodgy sects, though without the cat: it is a bit like reading that ‘immigrants don’t wash’ or some creaky saw like that. Interestingly the first time it was ever described, it was used for a little known cult called Christianity. Note that the black cat comes down hung by a rope (per funem appensum). This must means that one of the elders hangs it down from a roof? Was perhaps part of the ‘fun’ the idea that the cat would be enraged and that it had to be calmed before it could be kissed? Perhaps it makes no sense to reason out the fantasy of an inquisitor?
Now just to finish this passage that appears in Walter Map, De nugis curialium, 1, 30 we have a short consideration from the author. Note the reference to this heresy being particularly popular in Aquitaine and Burgundy. There is no question that this is Catharism.
Their teachers tell each other and teach to their apprentices that the most perfect charity consists in doing or suffering that what a brother or sister desires, in living out shared passions, and they are called suffering Paterini [paciendo Paterini]. In England there were not more than sixteen who were burnt and beaten with rods on the orders of Henry II and so disappeared. In Normandy and Britain [i.e. Brittany] they do not appears, but there are many in Anjou and in Aquitaine and in Burgundy there are many, many.
Dicunt eciam magistri docentque nouicios caritatem esse perfectam agere uel pati quod desiderauerit et pecierit frater aut soror, extinguere scilicet inuicem ardentes, et a paciendo Paterini dicuntur. In Anglia nondum uenerunt nisi sedecim, qui precepto regis Henrici secundi adusti et uirgis cesi disparuerunt. In Normannia non apparent nec in Britannia; in Andegauia multi sunt, sed in Aquitania et Burgundia superhabundant iam ad omnem infinitatem.
Any other thoughts on this passage: drbeachcombing AT yahoo DOT com. Note that if you want to hold back then two other texts will appear in the next days.
