I grew up with cats as beloved members of my family, ones that generously allowed us to tend to their every need. Each cat we had had a personality every bit as complex as that of a human, making them endlessly intriguing, and I have always loved reading about them. Cats, large or small, appear in a variety of myths, legends and folktales from around the world and my fascination with all things fantasy makes this the perfect combination.
The Nemean lion in Greek myths is a gigantic creature with razor-sharp claws. It is not only deadly but also impervious to most weapons, only defeated after a long fight by the legendary Hercules. In African myths, the mngwa are cats as big as tigers with striped, grey fur. They live in the wild around Tanzania, each mngwa prowling about alone in search of prey. They rip animals or people apart before vanishing. The Chinese nian is a strange-looking feline creature with a single horn sprouting from its forehead. It is said to reside in the ocean, only coming ashore to snack on a human or two.
There are many folktales of ghost cats that often haunt particular places. The cat sìth from Celtic myths is said to steal people’s souls, while the American Demon Cat is meant to haunt a number of buildings, including the White House. In Japan paranormal cats are known as Kaibyō. One type are bakeneko, which are able to shapeshift into human form, sometimes killing their owners and replacing them. Others are the two-tailed nekomata that eat people.
Not all tales about legendary felines are negative, though, of course. The maneki-neko are Japan’s lucky cats, thought to bring people good fortune in a variety of ways, from helping with relationships to making money. They are based on the folklore of cats that helped people in the past. They depict a friendly cat with a beckoning paw, and figurines of these creatures are sold in large number.
America’s cactus cat is a comical creature from folklore. It is a wild feline with sharp spines all over its body that it uses to pierce cacti, so it can get drunk on the cactus juice.
You can find out about many more fantasy felines as well as many other creatures in my non-fiction bestiary, “The Writer’s Guide to Mythical Creatures (Writing Fantasy)” [US link; UK link]. It is written specifically for writers, so it includes descriptive details, plot ideas and symbolism associated with the different creatures. There are also sections suggesting roles these creatures can take on within a fantasy novel and how to use them well in your plot.
If you want to read about other fantasy creatures, I also have articles on fox spirits and the Loch Ness Monster.
