|
Gerald's Web Site
|
Profile:The Mythology of Cats
ISBN 0-312-18633-9 $21.95/$29.99 Can.
A treasure trove of previously unpublished lore, The Mythology of Cats traces the healing roles of cats from their earliest presence in human caves some twelve thousand years ago.
Here are scores of stories, myths, legends, anecdotes, and fun tidbits about all feline types. Covering more than twenty-five breeds-from the American Bobtail to the White Persian-this wonderful volume is the first of its kind to reveal the archetypal cat, the cat from all four continents, who came aboard the Ark and traveled upon the Titanic. Indestructible, inviolable, mystical, the cat is shown as goddess, priestess, mid-wife, doctor, lawyer, journalist, politician, and, most of all, our feline friend.
The Mythology of Cats takes us on a literary and historical survey of catdom. It is the second book in a series by award-winning folklorist Gerald Hausman and his wife, Loretta, authors of The Mythology of Dogs. Together, the Hausmans have been collecting cat creation stories for over two decades. Here are more than fifty unusual tales intriguing, hilarious, heartbreaking, and all about the quirky tendencies of each major breed. The book includes such ancient legends as the cat who actually named the country of Scotland, the cat who was snorted in to being by a lion aboard the Ark, and the cats who, after being driven out of Ireland by Saint Patrick, returned to their Egyptian homeland. The Mythology of Cats also includes the more modern tales such as the story of the saintly cat who kept Jack Kerouac safe and sound and the cats who wrote their own tableau of feline history, according to Sylvia Townsend Warner.
Literary figures from Rainer Maria Rilke to Colette, from Tennessee William to Lewis Carroll, abound. Historical references show the cat?Äôs role in the prayers of Muhammad and the death of Buddha, as well as the role of the cat as a benign witch, a saint of the harvest festival, and a necromancer in medieval and modern times. Each chapter closes with a special section called ?ÄúThe Lore of the Cat,?Äù which explains the physical and behavioral characteristics of the breed discussed. The Mythology of Cats is a marvelous bedside, fireside, outside, and anywhere companion for all cat owners and cat lovers alike.
GERALD and LORETTA HAUSMAN have been researching and writing about cat mythology for more than two decades. They live in Bokeelia, Florida.
Jacket design by Michael Storrings Photograph of Tabby Cat by Steven W. Jones/FPG International; Illustration of Egyptian cat provided by the British Museum; Illustration of the Kazan Kat provided by Corbis-Bettman; Illustration of caricature of the taking of Arras provided by Bibliotheque Nationale de France
ST. MARTIN’S PRESS 175 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10010
|
