Black cat

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Many cultures have superstitions about black cats, often ascribing either "good luck" or "bad luck" to them.

The character Behemoth in "The Master and Margarita", an enormous black cat (said to be as large as a hog), capable of standing on two legs and talking, and has a penchant for chess, vodka and pistols.

A black cat is a feline whose fur is uniformly all black, or almost all black. It is not a particular breed of cat and may be mixed or of a specific breed. The all-black pigmentation is equally prevalent in both male and female cats.

In Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens, specifically being suspected of being the familiars of witches; in other cultures they are considered to be good omens.

Black cats have been found to have lower odds of adoption in American shelters compared to other colours (except brown).^[1]

[edit] Historical associations

[edit] Anarcho-Syndicalism

Ralph Chaplin created the image of a black cat in a fighting stance, the IWW's symbol of sabotage.

Since the 1880s, the colour black has been associated with anarchism. The black cat, in an alert, fighting stance was later adopted as an anarchist symbol.

More specifically, the black cat—often called the "sab cat" or "sabo-tabby"^[2]—is associated with anarcho-syndicalism, a branch of anarchism that focuses on workers' rights. See wildcat strike.

In testimony before the court in a 1918 trial of Industrial Workers of the World leaders, Ralph Chaplin, who is generally credited with creating the IWW's black cat symbol, stated that the black cat "was commonly used by the boys as representing the idea of sabotage. The idea being to frighten the employer by the mention of the name sabotage, or by putting a black cat somewhere around. You know if you saw a black cat go across your path you would think, if you were superstitious, you are going to have a little bad luck. The idea of sabotage is to use a little black cat on the boss."^[3]

[edit] Black cats in culture

[edit] Bohemian culture

Théophile Steinlen's advertisement for the tour of the Chat Noir cabaret

Le Chat Noir (French for "The Black Cat") was a 19th-century cabaret in the Montmartre district of Paris. It was opened on 18 November 1881 at 84 Boulevard Rouchechouart by the artist Rodolphe Salis, and closed in 1897.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Literature

• The Black Cat is an 1843 short story by American author Edgar Allan Poe.
• In the 2002 children's novel Coraline by Neil Gaiman, one of the characters is a black cat who acts as a wise yet snide guide to the protagonist.

[edit] Comics

• Black Cat is a manga series by Kentaro Yabuki.
• Black Cat is a superheroine and occasional supervillainness featured in Marvel Comics.
• Black Cat, a Harvey Comics character.
• El Gato Negro (Spanish for "The Black Cat") is an independent American comic.

[edit] Mascot　and　Characters

靴下にゃんこ (Kutsushita　Nyanko,　Japanese　for　"Socks　Cat") is a traveling　black cat that wears white　socks; usually　missing　the　other　pair. Created　by San-X.

[edit] Confectionery

Black Cats are a type of jelly confectionery. Allens make them - it has been suggested that this is a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat".

[edit] References

This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (February 2009)

• Micklewright, F. H. Amphlett, A Note on the Witch-Familiar in Seventeenth Century England, Folklore, Vol. 58, No. 2 (Jun, 1947) pp. 285–287
• Wedeck, Harry E. A Treasury of Witchcraft: A Sourcebook of the Magic Arts. Avenel, New Jersey: Gramercy Books. 1961.

[edit] See also

• Bombay (cat)
• Gobbolino, the Witch's Cat
• White cat

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