Dear All
Douglas Gray has written a fascinating article "Notes on Some Medieval
Mystical, Magical and Moral Cates". This forms pp. 185-202 in Helen
Phillips (ed) Langland, The Mystics and the Medieval English Religious
Tradition: Essays in Honour of S. S. Hussey", D. S. Brewer, 1990. ISBN 0
85991 301 5.
Gray points out that the link between cats and witchcraft has deep medieval
roots, refering inter alia to the notorious case of Alice Kyteler in C14
Ireland. Alice allegedly had an incubus who sometimes appeared in the form
of a cat and also (fellow dog lovers please note) in canine form: "in
specie cati, quandoque in specie canis nigri et pilosi".
Cameron Barnes
******************************************************************
Cameron Barnes
Teaching and Learning Centre
University of New England
Armidale NSW 2351
Australia
Tel: 61 2 6773 2249
Fax: 61 2 6773 3269
******************************************************************
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|