What is the cat sith?
The cat sith is a cat fairy of the Scottish Highlands and Ireland. Its name means “fairy cat” in Gaelic; it is a black cat as big as a dog, with a white spot on its chest. Some stories say it speaks human language and walks on two legs.
Folklore and features
The cat sith was feared for stealing the souls of the dead before burial. So before funerals, the body was watched day and night, and games and riddles were used to distract cats and keep them away from the body, it is said. It was also said that houses that left a dish of milk out on the night of the Celtic festival of Samhain would be blessed by the cat sith, while the cows of houses that left nothing would stop giving milk. Another tradition says it is a witch who transformed into a cat for the ninth time and could no longer return to human form.
What is the cat sith really?
Scotland has the “Kellas cat,” a large black cat said to be a hybrid of wildcats and domestic cats, and one theory says it was the origin of the legend. Today the cat sith is a popular fairy that also appears in games and anime.
