Does the dwindling population of cats indirectly cause the infamous Black Death? Did Pope Gregorys comfort with the law cause him tooverstephis station as the pope? His pontificate was notable for the papacy's attempts to intervene in the quarrels between Emperor Louis the Pious and his sons. Purina, the multinational firm known for making cat chow, notes that, Egyptians have had a long love affair with cats. Great read! The mass murder of cats was not the only cause of the Black Plague, but it removed a crucial natural predator of the flea-carrying rats that spread the disease. Cats were later blamed for the Black Death (1346-1352), though rats were actually the culprit. In the decree, he declared that Satan is half cat and claimed that there were . In other words, the Europeans were murdering their best ally in the war against the pandemic. Gregory immediately recognizing Conrad as a useful tool in his war against religious dissent. (2016, May 4). Of course, the Bubonic Plague also motivated the kitty killings, as many believed that cat germs contributed to the plagues spread. Pope Innocent VIII came to power in the late 1400s, during the throes of witch crusades in Western Europe. In the meantime, accusations of witchcraft began to spread amongst the ordinary people, as a way of settling grudges or seizing property and cats began to be used as proof of satanic association. Interesly, June 7, 2016, The spooky history of how cats bewitched us, Abigail Tucker, The Washington Post, October 31, 2016, The History of the cat in the Middle Ages (Part 2): The Black cat as the devil in Christian sects, L A Vocelle, The Great Cat: The Cat in History, Art, and Literature. That evil came to be neatly personified in the form of black cats that were beaten to death to purge the new season of evil spirits. He tended to treat all those accused as guilty until proven innocent and threatened all those who would not confess with the flames. Wikimedia Commons. As it went into the fourth and fifth years ! I SAY GOOD FOR ALL THOSE SENSELESS HUMANOIDS. Pope Gregory IX, who held the papacy from 1227 to 1241, most definitely fell in the second camp largely because he believed that the fluffy hairball-hackers embodied Lucifer himself. Before the 13th century, many societies, . The Obscene Kiss, Wood engraving from the 1608 edition of the Compendium Maleficarum. Consider a quote from Rastafari leader Haile Selassie; Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph. Iz just as true during Dark Ages as iz now. One example is the idea that Catholic fear drove people, including Pope Gregory, to wipe out cats, which resulted in a population explosion among plague-infected rodents, thus leading to the Black Death. But feline-human relations deteriorated sometime in the early 1230s (CE) when Pope Gregory IX issued a papal bull called Vox in Rama. So as you say, cats couldnt have contained bubonic plague. The Black Death in Egypt and England: A Comparative Study. Cat burning became a favorite medieval pastime in France, where cats were suspended over fires in cages or doused and set alight- even chased on fire through the streets by cat chasers. NASA is launching the DNA of some of the most prolific presidents in US history, The 1985 story of a bear that ate 77 pounds of Plabo Escobar's finest cocaine. From there, its just a couple of logical leaps to the connection to the Black Death: inspired by Pope Greg IXs bull, everyone across Europe killed off all the cats. All this was about to change. Pope Gregory IX How did this come about? Then, there is the fact that cats just arent good ratters-, which is why dogs; especially terriers are employed to catch rodents. If anything, the cathunt is Konrads interpretation of the papal bull. Gregory IX approved the Northern Crusades of the Teutonic Order, the purpose of which was the baptism of the Baltic pagan peoples, and which led to the attempts of the Catholic colonialists to seize the lands of Pskov and Novgorod principalities. You can say that Im addicted to it. The flea that bit humans was specific to the black rat anyway. You know, small-town sh*t.9. Either way, his account cant be true. The cat thing is a footnote in his story. They fly in the face of the Christian idea of God putting the natural world and its creatures here for humanitys benefit. 10 Things To Know About Stephen Hawking, The World's Coolest Scientist, Mary Somerville: The Woman For Whom The Word "Scientist" Was Made, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, six really weird pets that you could actually own. Even today, the police department of Salem, Massachusetts, where witch trials executed 20 women for witchcraft, uses the image of a witch on a broomstick on theirpolice cruisers. Here are our sources? And it gets repeated because it feels right to many people - it makes our ancestors look stupid and so make. BUT HUMANS , NOT SO. His condemnation of cats may not be responsible for the spread of black death, but it's definitely connected to the decline in cat populations at the time, and the proliferation of rat populations. In Ypres in Belgium, it was the custom to hurl cats from the belfry of local churches and then set them on fire during the festival of cats or Kattenstoet. But, was it because of cats andrats? They came to us willingly because we offered so much prey and have been a benefit to mankind whether you like em or not. Home; About; Contacts; Location; FAQ In my home, I use cat statuettes as bookends, and have various other representations of these felines throughout my home. Summary. Theres one thing you havent considered. First the novice, then the master, then each one of the order who are worthy and perfect, kiss the cat on its buttocks. Some historians have forgiven the rats. I dont really agree that cats offered no protection from the plague. Scientists back in the 19th century found out that the real transmission is through touch, and the most common carrier of the disease is the natural enemy to the previously butchered feline friend the rats. Enter the ancestors of Garfield the Cat. Gregory's missionary zeal among the Franks and the Anglo-Saxons in England was the first step in a process that would culminate with Charlemagne's coronation in Rome on Christmas Day in AD 800.. At the same time Benedictine monks led by Augustine were sent to Kent to convert the pagan King Ethelbert and his people, other missionaries from . Theres a little bit about a cat in the third paragraph but what Gregory is really talking about here is a ritual carried out by a Satanic sect, as reported by an overzealous inquisitor named Conrad von Marburg. They definitely dont stop fleas. Remember: Egyptians were known for being cat lovers, and Asia is where cats originally came from. Ugolino chooses the name Gregory IX, as he assumed the office at the monastery of St. Gregory ad Septem Solia and fully embracing the papal supremacy policy following the footsteps of Gregory VII and Innocent III. It was Gregorys past as an astute lawyer that connected him to his acts of justice within the church. Home chairman meow wisdom Why Cats Were (Wrongly) Blamed for the Black Plague in Europe. So a thing about the inquisition was that they would torture people to get confessions and such because that's a good way to make people say what you want to hear. Homeless Cats Recruited to Fight Rising Tide of Rats, Erika Engelhaupt National Geographical, September 29, 2017. (Accessed June 1, 2018). Its also true that there was a pope at the time who was not a fan of cats, who banned them. ANIMALS ARE BECOMING EXTINCT BECAUSE OF THE GREAT AMOUNT OF NEEDLESS BABIES BEING BORN. For years there was a debate if the Black Death and the Bubonic Plague were the same, adding speculation to the rat spreading theory. Indeed, there is evidence of animals dying from the Plague. Pope Gregory IX did not say cats are evil, and did not order people to kill cats. Like most diseases, were hard pressed to find thebad guy. We know there was a massive reduction in cat populations at the time because of this, so its plausible to make the connection. But myths often transcend evidence, dont they? Why did Pope Gregory IX issue Vox in Rama in the first place? You cant even accept that cats may have offered some protection from the plague. Its believed by some that the plague spread, at least in part,via rats. While I dont have any cats my allergist says owning a cat for me is worse for my lungs than chain smoking Ive long revered cats. Poor cats though. As I understand it, people used small dogs for rat hunting. The population of Europe drops from 80 million to around 30 million by the time the black death subsides, some cities even saw a decrease of more than 70% of their population, few, such as a village called Quob, lost their entire population. And though its unlikely that historys most pro-natural environment pope will encourage cat bonfires, he does suggest we take a step away from the dog ice cream and cat outfits in the pet aisle. (Accessed June 1, 2018). Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Vox-in-Rama-authentic-What-effects-did-it-have, PetMD. These were, however, local affairs and dont serve as proof of the kind of massive cat recall modern folks have inferred from Pope Gregory IXs bull. The popes were all hypocrytical, bastards. As mentioned, this Pope initiated what has been described as the feline Holocaust 3 in Europe. Buy Long Live the Kitty! Queen Elizabeth I celebrated her coronation with the burning of a cat-stuffed effigy. Retrieved from http://www.kattenstoet.be/en/page/497-511/the-cat-throwing.html, MedicineNet.com. Gregory IX. Encyclopedia of World Biography, Encyclopedia.com. The author provides citations for his claims. It mentioned Pope Gregorys hate on for cats. CATS ARE BETTER THAN PEOPLE & ALWAYS WILL BE BETTER THAN HUMANS. In this case, with no cats around, disease-carrying rats multiplied like crazy, spreading the Plague. For Conrad in his quest for heretics around Mainz and Hildesheim claimed to have uncovered a Luciferian cult. Thank you for your cooperation.You can sign-up to the Membership any time to remove the adds and enjoy the content with no interruptions, 2 popes and a plague are to blame for burning felines at the stake. The theory that plague pandemics happen amidst a cat vacuum doesnt hold up: Europe didnt keep its cat population depleted for nearly 500 years. February 8, 2013. Although he did not approve the use of torture in the interrogation of suspects, Gregory did pass the law that sent unrepentant heretics to the fire and in some cases repentant heretics to prison for life. Others are less sure. For he had inherited the problem of heresies which were blossoming across thirteenth century Christian Europe and challenging the universal church. Apparently torture produced some pretty convincing confessions from people who worshipped the devil and his black cat. I adore cats, they are so zen. (dogma defined as the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology, or any kind of organization: it is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from). Since that time, black cats have symbolized bad luck, or a curse, to people not only in Europe but throughout the world. Was considering writing a song about the folly of feline flaying, now Im not so sure. Id already discounted that idea. Do you believe that cats are invested with the spirit of Mr. Morningstar. (Ive decided not the repost the link here). Exterminating cats during the black plague epidemic in the 14th century: Cat owners were often accused of witchcraft, and often murdered along with their pets. A witch riding a broomstick with a black cat. The Waldenses, who were founded in 1170 by Peter Waldo claimed that individuals could commune with God directly, negating the need for priests. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/ehr/article-abstract/CXXII/498/1075/457108/The-Black-Death-in-Egypt-and-England-A-Comparative?redirectedFrom=fulltext, Kattenstoet. Conrads methods for identifying heretics were questionable to some. Name is important in the papacy as it is seen as a signal of how their reign is envisioned. Dog lovers, please get over it. cats were only interested in our rat infested granaries. The Vox (or Voice in Rama, after the city of Ramah in ancient Judah) beseeched the archbishops Mainz and Hildesheim to lend their full support to Conrad in his efforts to root out the cult and its adherents. Some people are sick. The final point though is that contemporary accounts and the examination of modern doctors and historians of the evidence from them has shown bacteria that caused the Black Death can take the form of a lung infection called pneumonic plague, which was spread easily between humans. As we are. The cats play into the picture as they would have normally been instrumental in cutting down the rat populations. Interesting article. Wages rose fast in the absence of labor. The Vox in Rama encouraged Conrad of Marburg to overreach himself and that same year he accused Henry II, Count of Sayn of taking part in satanic orgies. These inferences have led to a story that appears to lack evidence. (Accessed June 1, 2018). Henry was acquitted when he appealed to the bishop of Mainz and later that year Marburg himself was mysteriously murdered- probably at Henrys behest. Costs of living dropped. In the 13th century, Pope Gregory IX, pope from 1227-1241, believed that cats actually carried the spirit of Satan himself within them. Without them, pests would run wild, and not just rats. Retrieved from http://historycollection.co/thou-shalt-not-suffer-a-cat-to-live-why-pope-gregory-ixs-vox-in-rama-implicated-cats-in-devil-worship/, Gibbens, Sarah. Ugolino assumes the mantle of the pope immediately in the papal election of 1227 after the death of Pope Honorius III (Conrad of Urach was chosen initially, but declined). A pandemic so severe that it kills more than 50 million people in Europe in a couple of years, and killed more than 200 million people worldwide. (2007, September 1). no; mice? https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/plague/factsheet.asp. Anyone with a thing against cats may get some satisfaction from a weird history "fact" circulating on the internet. But cats? Gregory believed him. If cats were evil, it made sense that they were responsible for all the death and . This description created an image that was to be used for all future depictions of witches sabbats- and one that established the cat as a creature of the devil. Gregory was a reluctant pontiff- and not just because of his age. Cat burning and other forms of cat hating have survived the centuries since. Cats were later blamed for the Black Death (13461352), though rats were actually the culprit. When an animal is removed from the ecosystem (especially out of fear) it usually causes a chain reaction. . They spread via trade boats. Which brings us back to Pope Innocent VIIIs 1484 declaration that the cat was the devils favourite animal and idol of all witches., The cat was the devils favourite animal and idol of all witches. Pope Innocent VIII. When an animal is removed from the ecosystem (especially out of fear) it usually causes a chain reaction. ITS TIME FOR THE GOVT TO STOP THE HUMAN OVER-POPULATION. By rough estimates, as many as 200 million people died. People like to dump on the Middle Ages for being Europes cultural and technological nadir, especially compared to the surrounding Classical and Renaissance periods. His papacy started when hereticism run rampant in Europe, and yet, by the end of his term, he saw the completion of one of the most important canon law in the Catholic Church known as the Decretales Gregorii IX, Decretales Gregorii IX, So why not witches? On January 23, 1229, he sent messages to Riga, Lubeck, Sweden, to Gotland with an appeal to begin . Cats were beloved by Egyptians. Gregorys response was to issue the Vox in Rama. One should not direct them the affection due only to persons.. For a lot of folks, everything you need to know about the Middle Ages you can find in Braveheart or Monty Pythonit was a simple, stupid period when superstition ruled the land, heads rolled daily, and people were covered in sh*t all the time. The black plague ravaged countless European cities around a century after the demise of Pope Gregory IX. Finally, even if cat numbers were vastly reduced, they were not wiped out. 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