He are some examples of how the cat, throughout history, was used and abused in an unthinking way at the convenience of people. Centuries ago the attitude towards cats was probably less enlightened resulting in callous, officially sanctioned abuse. There are more examples than the few listed here.
Turkey
The first example comes from Turkey, an important country in the world of cats. Sarah Hartwell found this picture of Turkish policeman stuffing a cat into a large sack that already contains a woman had been deemed to have committed adultery. The judgment of adultery and the woman’s punishment was no doubt decided by men. The punishment was to be drowned in a sack. The cat’s role was to scratch the woman as the cat tried to escape before drowning with the woman.
It is a bit of Turkish cat and human history. I am not sure of the date – probably late 18th century as a wild guess. From an animal welfare point of view the punishment is using the cat as a robot, a non-sentient being. That attitude is still present today in some places.
Holland
This Dutch example (from Finn Frode) shows a similar underlying attitude towards the domestic cat. People do like to place cats into bags and containers of some sort. On this occasion, it is a barrel and a carnival that led to cat abuse and cat cruelty, in the past. Thankfully, a cat is no longer utilized (see picture).
It concerns a Shrovetide carnival (‘Fastelavn’). The big fun event on Fastelavn Monday was to partake in “striking the cat out of the barrel” (‘slå katten af tønden’ in Danish).
This is what Finn writes:
…in the old days until 1830 or so, a live black cat would have been placed in the barrel. After some beating the bottom went out and the terrified cat escaped, only to be mercilessly beaten to death by the festive crowd. It was clearly an animal sacrifice and supposed to kill evil symbolised by the black cat. As described elsewhere, this kind of cruel superstition was not uncommon in Europe, often in connection with witch-hunts.
On one day during a religious festival, over many decades and even centuries, annually, black cats across the country where terrorised and mercilessly beaten to death in the name of religion.
England
Cats were used as pig substitutes in a con trick by farmers in the late Middle Ages (14th and 15th centuries). Once again, this form of cat abuse indicates the lack of value placed on a cat. I feel that that attitude subsists today in some quarters of society even amongst cat owners. Incidentally, dogs were also used as pig substitutes. One reason to value cats so poorly was because they were in plentiful supply at the time. It appears that England in the Middle Ages had a feral cat problem akin to the American feral cat problem of 2013.
This bit of “cat in a bag” history is the origin of two idioms:
- “don’t let the cat out of the bag” or “who let the cat out of the bag?” – meaning don’t disclose a secret and
- “never buy a pig in a poke” – a poke was a bag.
Farmers in the 15th century sold piglets in bags. To con the buyer some would put a cat in the bag rather than a piglet. Clearly the contents of the bag needed to be inspected. Equally clearly it was not sometimes.
If the cat did escape the cat was “let out of the bag” and the farmer’s attempted con exposed.
It is a little strange to me that the cat is placed in a receptacle in each of these historical, cat-orientated events. Perhaps the idea of placing a cat in a receptacle was presented to people because cats like to hide inside enclosed areas.
Sadly the beating of a cat or kittens out of a pot or bag seems to have once been widespread in western Europe. I remember IFAW appeals in the 1990s because it was still happening in Spain. In Denmark, the tradition is called “hit the cat out of the barrel”, though the wooden barrel now contains sweets (a bit like the tradition of pinatas).
From Shakespeare: “Hang me in a bottle like a cat.” (Much Ado about Nothing, i. 1.) It appears that a live cat might be enclosed in a bag or leather bottle, and hung to the branch of a tree, as a mark for bowmen to shoot at. A similar “sport” was to put the cat in a soot bag, and hang it on a line; the players first had to beat out the bottom of the bag without getting sooty, and the person who succeeded was allowed to hunt the cat afterwards.
A continental European equivalent of a pig in a poke/cat out of the bag is “buying a cat in the sack”. A couple more, probably from the Middle Ages are “fight like two cats in a sack” (bets were taken on which one would survive); “as mad as a bag (full) of cats” and “as mad as a cat in a sack”.
Thanks Michael,
No, don’t trust anyone, always ask for evidence. Always.
It seems the article will stay unchanged. Nobody is going to read the comments, so many readers will be persuaded by your article:”I told you that Turks are barbarians, they hate women AND cats”.
I don’t have that book but when it will be available I will check it out. As I know it is a mix of fiction and history, I doubt author cares about providing the sources. And why should he… this is not a serious historical book. It follows we should be careful what sources we choose to believe.
Kind Regards
I don’t believe people ignore the comments on this site because they are damn good comments and an important of the page. Also I don’t think this one picture is going to change people’s ideas about Turkish people and their cats. Don’t forget this is a very old image. Life has moved on. It possibly has historical value but does not reflect the attitude of people today.
Agree with you Harvey Harrison.
There is incredibly a lot of prejudice and propaganda against Turkish people. It’s widespread in foreigner literature. When you try to find sources for most of these ”facts” , many of them turn out blatant lies. I don’t aim to make Turks look good, that’s not a point. Here like everywhere else were and still are bad people doing bad things.
But a claim that Turks were famous for drowning women and cats in sacks is very questionable. First thing it’s unheard for Turks themselves. Second, where are historical sources? Who said that? If we can’t find anything to support this, then we should accept there is a high possibility that a story is a fiction. Fictional stories can be repeated over and over again but it doesn’t make them more real.
Well, I trust you more than an old picture in a book. So, let’s conclude that it is not a true reflection of the Turkish people’s relationship with the domestic and community cat. As usual, thanks a lot for your invaluable comments. They are always appreciated.
The fact that the drawing appears in a well-respected library does not in any way prove anything even if linked to a well respected writer. The meaning that the drawing intends to portray must be backed up by further evidence and proofs. There are innumerable drawings, accounts, learned and authoritative pronouncement from Church leaders of people possessed by the devil and cats involvement in Witchcraft, but none of it is true. Why should this drawing prove anything? It’s appearance in
Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, does not lend it any more credibility than appearing in a junk website, for lack of any corroborative evidence. Respected author indeed! Writing about Magic and mixing it with history is hardly the best of credentials.
Hi everyone,
Questions for Admin:
Where did you get this wrong information exactly? Where is the link?
Who is Sarah Hartwell(probably one British who hates Turks)?
Is Sarah Hartwell a director of this page? I see you trust her even without a source and link.
Probably you will share anything from her without your own critism.
What is the point to make an article about this unknown BS with huge unknown propaganda painting?
Can you expain us why Sarah Hartwell wanted from you to post this BS here?
If the topic is torture, abuse and cat in the world, Turkey must be at the end of the list not on the TOP!
I would like to ask the mission of the pictures-of-cats?
Related unknown examples:
“In spite of the veneration which the Egyptians had for the cat, we are told that the punishment for adultery by a woman in Egypt was to be sewn into a sack with a live cat and flung into the Nile” – Mildred Kirk
“Turkish women suspected of cheating where tied in a sack of cats and thrown into the ocean.” Where is the source of it, no where… It’s so funny even there is no ocean next to former Ottoman or modern Turkey.
That method-rumoured to-used by witch hunters in middle age. I HIGHLY doubt it has anything to do with Turkey. Even you can not prove this.
By the way, I made a search from Turkish side too, the examples written as a method which used by Mongols and Chinese. With various animals like scorpion, snake, etc. There is no point to use sweet cats in order to punish someone with torture. What kind of torture can be? Just a few scratching on the body maybe, thats all. It’s not logical. We can believe this only in fairy tales.
Let me tell you it’s just a myth, rumour or one of any random quoetes.
Please research carefully instead of copy paste and used by someones agendas. People tend to believe what they read without questioning first and since I’m a Turkish woman this made me kinda sad and very offended.
Hope you feel sorry and will remove this BS as soon as possible.
Hi Ayla. Thanks for visiting and commenting. I own this website. My name is Michael Broad.
Answer: She is an extremely knowledgeable and intelligent woman who owns and runs the Messybeast.com website. She probably knows more about cats than anyone else. I respect her.
But, I am open to criticism and comment that adds to the debate.
The mission of this site is to discuss cats, find the truth, publish great cat pictures, donate money to cat charities and more.
Don’t be so angry. You can have your say in comments and rectify mistakes if there are mistakes. But provide evidence. Don’t just rant.
Important: I always research carefully and use trusted sources. Always. Please don’t insult me by implying that I am careless.
I don’t feel sorry. I won’t remove it. But I hope you stick around and make more comments and argue your case. But never insult people when commenting. I don’t like being insulted by visitors.
I am also in no way anti-Turk (I learnt much of what I know of Islam in a mosque in Izmir). I am an impartial reporter and Where I have a personal opinion, I make it clear it is an opinion. I believe other people should be free to make up their own minds when presented with information. Of course, this means I usually get shot down by both sides of any argument on the basis of “if you’re not with us, you’re against us”. I’m not sure why there is a feeling that “everyone hates the Turks”. Though I didn’t travel widely around Izmir, I met people who were happy to tell me about their country and their beliefs and I spent time at historical sites and in mosques.
Thank you very much for all answers.
In some Indian villages unwanted cats and their kittens were tied in a sack and drowned.
In the 1950s here when I was a small child, people were still drowning unwanted litters of kittens, before the neutering of cats became almost routine. We are only talking about 60 years ago and this barbaric act was thought acceptable!
This still is one of the favorite ways to kill cats, usually kittens, anywhere in the world.
But illegal now in some countries thank goodness although I suppose it still goes on and the murderers aren’t caught 🙁