Author:

Keywords:

Arts & Humanities, History, CULTURE, 2103 Historical Studies, 4303 Historical studies

Abstract:

The relationship between man and cat in the Low Countries between 600 and 1800 can be described in such terms as ‘kaleidoscopic’, but also ‘contradictory’, ‘problematic’ and ‘ambiguous’. Even in the early Middle Ages people came to appreciate the useful aspects of cats in their contacts with them, but from the 12th century they began demonizing the animal. At the same time, in both literature and the visual arts, a symbolic representation developed that associated the cat with other negative qualities such as laziness, vanity, pride, and especially lust. Only from the middle of the 17th century did the cat receive a modest place in the context of the new home decoration that had contributed to a process of identity formation and cultural distinction. This status improvement did not prevent the vast majority of the feline population from being focused on survival in their daily life. Even at the end of the period many cats were the subject of brutal public entertainment and structural violence. The real revolution in our relationship with the cat is of recent date. However, anthropomorphization, in which all kinds of human qualities are uncritically attributed to the cat, continues unabated.