Tradition / Region: Belgian Mythology
Alternative names: Witch Cat of Kessel
Category: Cat
The Myth
The Heksenkat appears as one of a group of ordinary-looking cats that secretly gather at night to perform eerie round dances. In reality, these cats are witches in animal form, and injuries inflicted upon them carry over to their human bodies.
According to the legend, a farmer in Kessel could never keep a farmhand for more than a day or two. Every servant abruptly left without explaining why. Eventually, the farmer decided to hire no one else, but one day a respectable young man insisted so strongly on working for him that the farmer reluctantly agreed.
On his first night, the servant was awakened by the sight of numerous cats dancing in a circle inside his room. Terrified, he remained still and said nothing to the farmer the following morning. Instead, he secretly armed himself with a large chopping knife before going to bed the next evening.
When the dancing cats returned, the servant calmly called out, Here, kitty. One of the cats approached him, and he hurled the blade, severing both of its front legs.
The next morning the farmer was horrified to discover his wife lying in bed covered in blood, both of her arms horribly cut off. The servant immediately gathered his belongings and fled.
Only then did the farmer realize the truth. His wife had been a witch who transformed herself into a cat each night to frighten away every servant, explaining why none of them had ever remained on the farm for long.
Sources
De Cock, Alfons. Vlaamsche sagen uit den volksmond. Amsterdam: Maatschappij voor Goede en Goedkoope Lectuur, 1921, p. 36.