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Bad luck for black cats in Italy
Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 (CDT) by Isis
 Superstition blamed for killing thousands of black cats in Italy. A leading animal rights group has estimated that 60,000 black cats are
killed every year by Italians who believe that they bring bad luck.
The Italian Association for the Protection of Animals and the
Environment claims that some are also killed as part of black magic
rituals.
While black cats are seen as being lucky in the UK, many people in
Italy believe that if a black cat crosses their path it indicates the
devil is present. The association calculated its figure from
observations of the stray cat population and from monitoring of animal
ownership registers. The group said it had evidence that thousands of
black cats vanished or were found dead each year.
Across large parts of Europe, black cats have been associated with
witchcraft since the Middle Ages and were said to be the favourite
companions for witches. Lorenzo Croce, the association's president, blamed the Church for spreading myths about the animals.
"The Catholic Church has perpetuated this idea for centuries and it is now deeply implanted in people's minds," he said. "For centuries black cats were massacred at the order of priests." Mr Croce said Italians were very superstitious and more needed to be done to educate people. "It is mostly uneducated people who would harm a black cat just because of its colour or would abandon a cat like this in the street to fall victim to other superstitious people," he said.
Mr Croce added that many of the cats disappeared around Hallowe'en. He blamed "strange rituals for worshipping evil", and said the perpetrators "need to sacrifice black cats while performing their rituals". The association wants to hold a Black Cat Day every year on November 17, because the number 17 also holds negative connotations for Italians, who consider it to be as unlucky as the number 13.
It has been suggested that the superstition is related to the Roman numerals for the number 17, XVII, and an anagram of them, VIXI, which in Latin is the past tense of the verb to live.
Mr Croce said: "Our appeal for help to organise Black Cat Day has received a tremendously enthusiastic response from people who love the black cats just as much as all the others. "We are planning to organise conferences and exhibitions in all major Italian cities, including Rome and Milan. "The peak of it will be a big public concert in Rome that will celebrate these great, but tragically victimised, felines."
Copyright: The Telegraph
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Re: Bad luck for black cats in Italy
by Dexter on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 (CDT)
(User Info | Send a Message) | Those damn italians! When are they gonna notice that black cats ain't evil but just ordinary cats like any other.
Can't help myself, but at least I know I don't want to visit Italy anymore. If I would see somebody killing a black cat, I think I would do the same to that person.
Black cats just are my favorite ones.
By the way: I never knew black cats were used as sacrifices in satanic or black magic rituals. In folklore they were the compagnons of witches, who were said to be the devils whores. So where's the logic in that? |
Re: Bad luck for black cats in Italy (Score: 1)
by on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 (CDT)
(User Info | Send a Message) | Bravo and well said Dexter!
Even where I live, on Halloween I worry about the feral black cat that I feed almost every day, and breathe a sigh of relief when I see him again. This Halloween will be the third one I'll be sweating out.
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