Black cats, a prominent symbol of Halloween, have long been associated with evil superstitions.
We’ve all heard the biggest folktale: It’s a bad omen to have a black cat cross your path. But where does this negativity towards black felines stem from?
The horror dates all the way back to the Middle Ages, a time in European history when witchcraft was greatly feared. During this time period, those (mostly women) believed to be witches were tortured and even burned alive. Many people of this time also believed that these witches used small animals to cast their spells.
According to the History Channel, “The idea of the witch as the embodiment of evil was so powerful that even animals associated with witches took on demonic reputations … the black cats we decorate [for] Halloween with today came from a belief that the cat — nocturnal by nature — was a witch’s spirit but in animal form.”
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