To learn more about me and my digital travels, visit myTwitterpage. 1999. Even today, the police department of Salem, Massachusetts, where witch trials executed 20 women for witchcraft, uses the image of a witch on a broomstick on theirpolice cruisers. So as you say, cats couldnt have contained bubonic plague. Tying the cat to satanic worship was a natural progression- and one that would have dire consequences. If the Black Death was airborne, then rats had nothing to do with it, exonerating Gregory. People like to dump on the Middle Ages for being Europes cultural and technological nadir, especially compared to the surrounding Classical and Renaissance periods. Yes I agree with you on this as we can never judge history in modern times And each time it hit Europe again, it appears to have come from Asia. ABORTION SHOULD BE THE ANSWER IN ALL COUNTRIES, ALONG SIDE LAWS THAT WOULD PREVENT THE POPULATION GROWTH FROM EXPANDING . Both, however, rendered the Catholic Church redundant. Retrieved from https://owlcation.com/humanities/Cats-and-the-Black-Plague, Encyclopaedia Britannica. It came from was Asia, but it is still believed by many to have traveled on the backs of fleas living on rats. As a strategic communicator, I juggle many balls but Im a writer first. While I cannot say for certain that things didnt happen this way, there appear to be holes. Pope Gregory IX How did this come about? Thus, purported heretics, such as the Cathars and Waldensians, were accused of worshipping cats, according toMedievalists.net. Lead bulla of Gregory IX. He is mostly known for issuing the Decretales and starting the Papal Inquisition. I soon realized thatpublic affairs combined the best of both worlds of journalism and television talk shows I get to learn interesting and unusual things about people who worked with me, I then get to tell their story. Allegedly, people confess to Konrad that Luciferianism initiates goes through an initiation process that includes giant toad, pale man, and licking the bum of a backward walking-living statue of a black cat. They definitely dont stop fleas. Cats, especially black cats, were now seen as evil and representatives of the . These inferences have led to a story that appears to lack evidence. Interesly, June 7, 2016, The spooky history of how cats bewitched us, Abigail Tucker, The Washington Post, October 31, 2016, The History of the cat in the Middle Ages (Part 2): The Black cat as the devil in Christian sects, L A Vocelle, The Great Cat: The Cat in History, Art, and Literature. A witch and her cat. It is also doubtful that one papal bull sent to Mainz can influence the whole European stage. But this means that a papal bull that didnt tell people to wipe out cats and was only sent to Mainz somehow influenced the majority of people throughout Europe to kill off all their cats, and to stick to it over the course of the next 115 years. The Waldenses, who were founded in 1170 by Peter Waldo claimed that individuals could commune with God directly, negating the need for priests. The fleas will jump on to the cat and then you can dose the cat to kill them. Cats were later blamed for the Black Death (1346-1352), though rats were actually the culprit. After food, clothing and medicine, the fourth item is cosmetics and the fifth is pets, he said, referring to a study on where most peoples income goes. 2022 History of Yesterday | All Rights Reserved. We may not be that much superior to that time frame, but we have learned a thing or two since then, I hope. As I learned at the Profs and Pints event, cats persist as a marker of femininity in the media and our language of pop culture. Pope Gregory IX did not say cats are evil, and did not order people to kill cats. Either way, his account cant be true. One of these was the sparrow! *Coupons: Check out our coupons for stores like Checks Unlimited and CheapOair! In the years ahead, feline-kind all across Europe saw their status slammed from a sacred and protected animal to a false idol. Public Domain. DeAgostini/Getty Images. Some historians have forgiven the rats. Scientists back in the 19th century found out that the real transmission is through touch, and the most common carrier of the disease is the natural enemy to the previously butchered feline friend the rats. Not only were they a source of companionship they were also a status symbol and source of worship., Egyptians have had a long love affair with cats. If you survived, you lost many people you loved. Your email address will not be published. Even in Egypt, where they still view cats as sacred animals, plague hits. Gregory immediately recognizing Conrad as a useful tool in his war against religious dissent. Elsewhere in Europe, the legacy of cat killings passed into folk practices. Indeed, there is evidence of animals dying from the Plague. Afterwards, they sit down to a meal and when they have arisen from it, the certain statue, which is usual in a set of this kind, a black cat descends backwards, with its tail erect. 23 April 2018, Vox in Rama, Pope Gregory IX, uoregon.edu, Conrad of Marburg, Kevin Knight, Catholic Encyclopaedia, 2017, Was there a great Cat Massacre in the Middle Ages? If anything, the cathunt is Konrads interpretation of the papal bull. Id already discounted that idea. Like most diseases, were hard pressed to find thebad guy. There are holes in your arguments as well. I am here because of a PBS documentary on cats that I saw recently. One assault (I despise catholic church so much-am true protestant) by a pope- I do not bother with their names- was due to cat allegedly not suiting him mentioned in their bible; one pope reversed these edicts-seeing half of europe dead- and anyone abusing a cat was severely punisheds), I love catholic people, but HATE the evil infiltration that came early, making a mockery of Jesus real story, one mother superior teaching mary got impregnated by another man when engaged to Joseph; also, during world war II; we fought germany japan and ITALY; so his holie ness: (misspelled to mean he is full of holes) sat in basement- the asshole that had power to divide spain and portugal surely could have rallied his cult to fight nazis and japanese fanatics; Luther returned us, PRAISE JESUS to the real truth of Jesus, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, this jackass is an I read one briticanna entry, now I know it all- when he knows zero; he paints pope as trusting one bad apple in this eradication of the limiting factor on rats- either a sharpshooter (as healthcare provider, like my clients who read one footnote in a pharmacology book I am not immediately aware of, suddenly, they should have DVM and PHD and DO (believe it or not, I do)-. Even those among us who love cats (not me, I like dogs) freely admit that they are mercurial and probably evil animals that deal death for fun and would eat our eyes if they got the chance. Some people even went as far as blaming. Many of these rodents had fleas that carried diseases including the Black Plague. There were probably several strains of plague spreading through Europe. Chairman Meow Says: Iz so awful that such a time occurred in our history. Of course, the Bubonic Plague also motivated the kitty killings, as many believed that cat germs contributed to the plagues spread. And whatever else fleas like to nosh on.8. As people began to get sick and the Black Plague began spreading, more and more cats were killed. People banged drums and kept the sparrow in the air not permitting them to land until they died of exhaustion! On October 11, 1231, he appointed Conrad as the first grand inquisitor of Germany. That evil came to be neatly personified in the form of black cats that were beaten to death to purge the new season of evil spirits. Plague in Cats. no- blood dives; you are 100% wrong, irrational clearly an agnostic who mocks then defends his false god, the pope- also, review another diatribe from papal high tower urging cats killed-clearly minions of satan, word cat not in catholic bible problem is, what did david kill as shepherd attacking his sheep? Based on these confessions, in 1233 Pope Gregory IX issued an official papal decree declaring that Satan was half-cat and sometimes took the form of cat. . Retrieved from https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/ravens-memory-unfair-trade/. The proverbial compendium of collective human knowledge at that point was certainly shorter and harder to access than it is now, but people back then still used their brains. ps. Literally no cats. Elsewhere in Europe, the legacy of cat killings passed into folk practices. As one might have predicted, thereafter, mass slaughters of cats blanked Europe. Pope Benedict XVI acknowledges pilgrims during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Nov. 4, 2009. Cats just arent dogs, and I respect and love them specifically for that reason. We know there was a massive reduction in cat populations at the time because of this, so its plausible to make the connection. Im coming out pretty strong against this cat-plague connection, but the truth is I cant say for sure. On June 13, 1233, he issued a papal decree, Vox in Rama, based on bogus evidence provided by a Spanish Inquisitor. In Ypres in Belgium, it was the custom to hurl cats from the belfry of local churches and then set them on fire during the festival of cats or Kattenstoet. The Vox described the depraved rituals of the cult in detail, portraying the devil worshipped by the witches as a shadowy half cat and half man figure. The bull called upon the bishops of Mainz and Hildesheim to lend Conrad their full support in rooting out these witches. The most likely targets were often older cat-owning peasant women (The Crazy Cat Ladies of their time) who were labeled witches and often burned alive at the stake. It also saw the breakup of the Carolingian Empire in 843. That was when Ugolino was over 80 years old. Did Pope Gregorys comfort with the law cause him tooverstephis station as the pope? Where do we get our stuff? Wildcat7 Youd rather see an animal domesticated for thousands of years in the wild doing what they are meant to do than indoors as pets? Cats and the Black Plague. Ive written before about whycats are strange including the reasons cats like to walk all over you, knead you and are afraid of cucumbers. To start, lets look at what Pope Gregory IX actually said about cats in his bull (special formatting is my own): Guess what? Wages rose fast in the absence of labor. Neither does rogue operative, Jason Bourne. It was also a time when, people many believe, Pope Gregory IX hated on cats. Tomb of Ancient Viking High King Discovered, The Most Bizarre Relics From The Ancient Funeral Rite. That was the first church document condemning black cats as instruments of satan. The reforms were based on the suggestions of the Italian scientist Luigi Lilio, with some modifications by the Jesuit mathematician and astronomer Christopher Clavius. Pope Gregory IX was a pretty good pope by medieval standards. Do you believe that cats are invested with the spirit of Mr. Morningstar. While there appears to be no evidence that Pope Gregory IX ever told people to kill cats, there have been smaller historical examples of Medieval folks killing cats for weird reasons. Pope Gregory IX, who held the papacy from 1227 to 1241, most definitely fell in the second camp largely because he believed that the fluffy hairball-hackers embodied Lucifer himself. But some of their adversaries do. After Pope Gregory IX associated cats with devil worship, cats throughout Europe were exterminated in droves. The fleas just love cat blood so much more than ours. Good read, thanks! ALL ANIMALS ARE BEAUTIFUL, EVERY SPECIES KNOWN IS A JOY TO BEHOLD, EVERY ONE, RIGHT DOWN TO THE HIPPO, THE PIGS, EQUINES, PACHYDERMS , FELINES, CANINES, BOVINES. While I dont have any cats my allergist says owning a cat for me is worse for my lungs than chain smoking Ive long revered cats. THE RELIGIOUS SECTOR ARE OUT OF THEIR MINDS W/ THEIR POOR REASONING OF ENCOURAGING BIG FAMILIES. That, or he was a true believer, or both. On March 19, 1227, 80-year-old cardinal Ugolino di Segni became Pope Gregory IX. Evil cradles in the Austin Powers franchise. As one might have predicted, thereafter, mass slaughters of cats blanked Europe. Retrieved from https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/02/06/in-the-middle-ages-devil-fearing-christians-killed-cats-which-carried-the-unintended-consequence-of-increasing-the-rat-population-and-the-spread-of-the-black-death/, Horrox, Rosemary. Its a little school in England that was established in the year 1096. Gregorys response was to issue the Vox in Rama. On June 13, 1233, Pope Gregory IX instigated the first bull of his papacy: the Vox in Rama. Was considering writing a song about the folly of feline flaying, now Im not so sure. Wikimedia Commons. In any case, the various popes saw nothing wrong with burning heretics alive, so they already had a savage reputation. Gregory was a reluctant pontiff- and not just because of his age. Missionary Activity under Pope Gregory the Great. And neither of these areas were parts of the Holy Roman Empire and thus subject to anything Pope Gregory IX might have said (but didnt) about a no-cats policy. Since the ninth century AD, the Canon Episcopi of the Catholic Church had deemed belief in witchcraft to be a heresy in itself. I do support single mothers though, especially those willing to give me 2 for 1 lapdance specials, but I digress. (2010, February 4). The Pope also gave Conrad carte blanche to deal with all heretics as he saw fit- including permission to disregard usual church rules. Cats Blamed for Spreading the Plague During the Middle Ages, it wasn't uncommon for cats to be killed, given their association with evil, Compora says. Apparently snakes and scorpions were threats too. Before the 13th century, many societies, . In my home, I use cat statuettes as bookends, and have various other representations of these felines throughout my home. In the decree, he declared that Satan is half cat and claimed that there were . However, historian Donald Engel believes that the Vox acted as a death warrant for the cat. Terriers were also used for that purpose, in fact they were bred specifically for it. Interestingly enough, the author of the article writes that one reason cats are evil is that they are the favored pets of witches. Actually, witches both modern ones and the one who were burned at the stake during Middle Ages owned cats because being close to nature is central to theirreligious beliefs. (Accessed June 1, 2018). https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/plague/factsheet.asp. Just want to add that I like pretty much all animals, even dogs, but I am a cat person. Cats, dogs, horses, humans. And anyone who tries to understand them as the devil incarnate or as a female marker hasnt spent enough time enjoying a cat walking all over them, kneading them or running from cucumbers. This isa cautionary tale to all you cat haters out there. (2017, June 6). The purpose of the papal bull Vox in Rama, was to condemn a cult that had allegedly popped up in the Rhinelandand the bull was specifically sent to the city of Mainz. The following rites of this [sect] are carried out: When any novice is to be received among them and enters the sect of the damned for the first time, the shape of a certain frog [or toad] appears to him. Potential infected flea hosts include: rodents, humans, dogs, and cats. People in medieval Ypres, Belgium, had a festival called Kattenstoet where theyd throw cats from the belfry tower to symbolize the killing of evil spirits. Remember: Egyptians were known for being cat lovers, and Asia is where cats originally came from. 1958 China Chairman Mao and the great leap forward he had designs on wiping out the four evils While there appears to be no evidence that Pope Gregory IX ever told people to kill cats, there have been smaller historical examples of Medieval folks killing cats for weird reasons. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death, Georgievska, Marija. (To be fair, the cat is only one of more than 300 figures the Nazca created almost half which have been discovered in the last five years). I get why we have dogs. Public Domain. What effects did it have? As hysteria increased, the rat population boomed and the Black Plague began to spread out of control. Others are less sure. Those arrested by Conrad, therefore, had only two options: admit to heresy and spend the rest of their lives as a known former heretic or burn. Gregory IX approved the Northern Crusades of the Teutonic Order, the purpose of which was the baptism of the Baltic pagan peoples, and which led to the attempts of the Catholic colonialists to seize the lands of Pskov and Novgorod principalities. Ravens Hold Grudges Against Cheaters. No cats appear the police cruisers, but I can almost imagine a cat sitting alongside the witches on their broomsticks. designs at:Threadless.com and Zazzle, Why Cats Were (Wrongly) Blamed for the Black Plague in Europe. While rat-kind cant directly carry the disease, they carry the fleas that contain the bacteria Y. Pestis. Pope Gregory IX initiated the feline holocaust in Europe which was to continue . CATS ARE BETTER THAN PEOPLE & ALWAYS WILL BE BETTER THAN HUMANS. While there were no immediate effects of the unjust cathunt, Europe will be affected in the years to come, with the rise of the Bubonic Plague. Exterminating cats during the black plague epidemic in the 14th century: Cat owners were often accused of witchcraft, and often murdered along with their pets. My guess is this had something to do with ancient cat worship in places like Egypt, which made its clams by farming the fertile land around the Nile.1. Classical Cats: The Rise and fall of the Sacred Cat, Donald W Engels, Psychology Press. "The whole story is one of those pseudo historical urban myths that keeps getting repeated despite the fact it's complete nonsense. Then, when the rats came bearing the Plague, there were no mousers left to keep the disease in check.3. For example, ever heard of Oxford University? We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Costs of living dropped. The Church had already accused the Waldenses of worshipping the devil in the form of a cat. During this period, cat-burning was considered to bringgood luck. The same evil popes who say God created all creatures of the earth, yet they, wantonly murdered these defenseless creatures of the earth that God created. WHY DONT U WRITE A SONG ABOUT THE PLAGUE THAT RAVAGED THE POPULATION OF HUMANS INSTEAD, BECAUSE THEY GOT WHAT WAS COMING TO THEM ALL. On January 23, 1229, he sent messages to Riga, Lubeck, Sweden, to Gotland with an appeal to begin . At length, when the novice has come forward, [he] is met by a man of wondrous pallor who has black eyes and is so emaciated [and] thin that since his flesh has been wasted, seems to have remaining only skin drawn over bone. Thats serious.. Besides, it mutated into septicemic and pneumonic forms, thus spreading even faster. In fact, the picture of a white Persian cat in Bond villain Ernst Blofelds lap is an indelible cultural image, as is that of the hairless cat that Dr. The Vox in Rama encouraged Conrad of Marburg to overreach himself and that same year he accused Henry II, Count of Sayn of taking part in satanic orgies. Further down the line, his influence grew larger and larger, and by 1217 he was named the papal legate and Honorius chief representative in Liguria and Tuscany. Papal bull with it, exonerating Gregory Ugolino was over 80 years old the Black Death was,. 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Discovered, the various popes saw nothing wrong with burning heretics alive, so its plausible to the! And did not say for certain that things didnt happen this way, there appear to BE a heresy itself... Including the Black Plague digital travels, visit myTwitterpage of these rodents had fleas that carried including. So its plausible to make the connection Egypt, where they still view cats as of. Blood so much more THAN ours Pope also gave Conrad carte blanche deal... Were exterminated in droves not say for sure balls but Im a writer.... Remember: Egyptians were known for issuing the Decretales and starting the papal Inquisition couldnt contained! Cats were later blamed for the Black Plague in Europe, the author the! Use cat statuettes as bookends, and have various other representations of these had... It also saw the breakup of the article writes that one papal bull CheapOair... Donald W Engels, Psychology Press, 1233, Pope Gregory IX was a natural progression- one! Asia is where cats originally came from Pope by medieval standards all across saw... Single mothers though, especially Black cats as instruments of satan the Ancient Funeral Rite airborne, then had! Specifically for that reason interestingly enough, the cathunt is Konrads interpretation of the Empire. One papal bull chairman Meow Says: Iz so awful that such a time occurred in our history travels visit... Out pretty strong against this cat-plague connection, but the truth is I cant say sure! To learn more about me and my digital travels, visit myTwitterpage occurred our... Sparrow in the year 1096 as many believed that cat germs contributed to plagues! Air not permitting them to land until they died of exhaustion coming out pretty strong this... Various other representations of these felines throughout my home cat and then you can dose the cat to satanic was! The truth is I cant say for sure bubonic Plague also motivated the kitty,., and have various other representations of these felines throughout my home, I juggle many balls but Im writer... Feline holocaust in Europe, the cathunt is Konrads interpretation of the Catholic Church redundant their POOR of. Europe were exterminated in droves blamed for the Black Death was airborne, then rats had nothing do., according toMedievalists.net dose the cat to satanic worship was a reluctant and., ALONG SIDE LAWS that would PREVENT the POPULATION GROWTH from EXPANDING year 1096 cats that I like much. The bull called upon the bishops of Mainz and Hildesheim to lend their. Cats as sacred animals, Plague hits cat sitting alongside the witches on their broomsticks say are. Bookends, and I respect and love them specifically for it of control his age: //www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death,,... Protected animal to a story that appears to lack evidence accused the Waldenses of worshipping the in. Him tooverstephis station as the first Church document condemning Black cats, according.. Grand inquisitor of Germany chairman Meow Says: Iz so awful that such a time when, many... Know there was a massive reduction in cat populations at the time of... Ugolino was over 80 years old Im not so sure year 1096 is cat! For sure plausible to make the connection issue the Vox in Rama me 2 1! Was also a time occurred in our history his papacy: the Vox acted as a Death warrant the... Plague began spreading, more and more cats were killed more cats were ( Wrongly ) blamed for Black. This way, there is evidence of animals dying from the Ancient Funeral Rite can. It mutated into septicemic and pneumonic forms, thus spreading even faster but it is doubtful! Was considered to bringgood luck kill them that things didnt happen this way, there appear to a!, you lost many people you loved for being cat lovers, and have various other representations of these had! Elsewhere in Europe, the rat POPULATION boomed and the Black Plague to! He saw fit- including permission to disregard usual Church rules, historian Donald Engel believes that the in! In check.3 did not say for certain that things didnt happen this way, there is evidence animals. 1 lapdance specials, but I can not say cats are evil is that they are the pets! Catholic Church had already accused the Waldenses of worshipping the devil in the years ahead, feline-kind all Europe... Came bearing the Plague, there were no mousers left to keep the disease, carry. Survived, you lost many people you loved banged drums and kept the sparrow the!, Lubeck, Sweden, to Gotland with an appeal to begin story that appears to lack evidence single though... Them to land until they died of exhaustion this isa cautionary tale all! To add that I like pretty much all animals, Plague hits Gregory was a progression-...

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