The gracious black cat immediately came up to me. And he would not leave me alone.

No, he did not want to…

In Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens and friends of witches. In Sweden, as in most of Europe, a black cat is considered a symbol of bad luck, especially if one crosses paths with a person, which is believed to be an omen of misfortune and death.

But the folklore surrounding black cats varies from culture to culture. According to Wikipedia, The Scots believe that a strange black cat’s arrival to the home signifies prosperity. In Celtic mythology,  a fairy known as the Cat Sìth takes the form of a black cat. Black cats are also considered good luck in the rest of Britain and Japan. A belief I would like to argue for, is that a lady who owns a black cat will have many suitors… 

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I find black cats extremely attractive to the eye…but sometimes they have a menacing look, don’t they? My students were always treated to Edgar Allan Poe’s short horror story The Black Cat. Read it if you haven’t already – it is a classic.

For more facts about folklore and superstition about black cats, click here.