In many accounts of how, when, and where cats began sharing their lives with humans, the ancient Egyptians are credited as the main influencers.
The Egyptian civilization, which emerged around 5,000 years ago, is one of the oldest in the world, with some of the earliest forms of writing, including descriptions of cats. Egyptians regarded cats as an integral part of society, even burying them in pyramids and creating huge statues to honor them.
Much of this reverence is because the ancient Egyptians believed that their gods and rulers had feline qualities, according to a 2018 exhibition on the importance of cats in ancient Egypt held at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC.
In general, the Egyptians had such a strong bond with their feline companions that they grieved the loss of their pets intensely. Both the owners and their family members expressed their mourning publicly by shaving their eyebrows.
Some historians believe the mourning period lasted until a new set of eyebrows grew back, which could take up to three or four months. However, it’s important to note that the ancient Egyptians didn’t venerate cats in and of themselves. “What they did was observe their behavior,” explained Antonietta Catanzariti, curator of Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt, to NPR.
Nevertheless, many associated cats with gods with whom they shared certain traits, such as Bastet, the ancient Egyptian goddess with the head of a cat, who was the protector of home, fertility, and protection, used to attract good luck and ward off evil spirits. Therefore, having a cat as a pet was imbued with the same qualities.
With this in mind, and considering the cultural norms of the time, shaving one’s eyebrows after the death of a revered domestic cat was an appropriate expression of respect necessary to ensure continued protection from Bastet.
Photo and video: Pixabay. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
