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Brommende Katten

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternative names: Demonic Cats, Witch Cats
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Brommende Katten appear as two unusually large and aggressive cats that block lonely roads after dark. They refuse to move aside, attack anyone who challenges them, and possess supernatural strength far beyond that of ordinary cats. Like many spectral animals in Dutch folklore, they can only be driven away by silver.

According to the legend, a farmhand was returning home late one evening to his farm near Hoeksmeer when he found two large cats sitting in the middle of the road. The animals growled continuously and refused to let him pass, as though the road belonged entirely to them.

Growing impatient, the farmhand picked up a stone to drive them away, but it had no effect. Instead, one cat leapt directly at his chest while the other clung to his trousers. He drew his iron knife to defend himself, but the weapon proved completely useless against the creatures. The cats were so fierce that he feared they would tear him apart.

In desperation, he searched his pockets and found nothing except a single silver quarter coin. The moment he grasped the coin, the situation changed. The cats suddenly lost their courage and fled as quickly as they had appeared.

The farmhand later learned that ordinary iron could not harm such supernatural cats, but silver possessed the power to overcome them. Had he carried a silver knife instead of an iron one, it would have served just as well. Thanks only to the silver coin in his pocket, he escaped the attack of the demonic cats unharmed.

Sources

Ter Laan, K. Groninger volksleven. I. Verhalende folklore. Groningen: J.B. Wolters, 1959. 1st ed.

Kav

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Tradition / Region: Bezhtin mythology, Russian Mythology
Alternative names: None recorded
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Kav appears as a shaggy creature completely covered in hair with the face of a cat, but without whiskers. It is the restless spirit of a recently deceased person who lived an unrighteous life and rose from the grave after death.

According to Bezhtin tradition, the Kav wanders through abandoned villages, ruined houses, barns, and haylofts. Those unfortunate enough to encounter it are overwhelmed by terror, and the creature is said to frighten its victims so severely that they may be driven into madness or even die from the encounter. It is regarded as an evil undead spirit that continues to haunt the living after emerging from its grave.

Sources

“Кав (Kav).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Kav

Calygreyhound

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Tradition / Region: English Mythology
Alternative names: None known
Category: Cat, Deer

The Myth

The Calygreyhound is a fantastical beast with the head of a wildcat, the body of a deer or antelope, the foreclaws of an eagle, ox hooves, antlers or horns, the hind legs of a lion or ox, and the tail of either a lion or a poodle. In rare depictions, it also possesses eagle’s wings.

Unlike many legendary creatures, the Calygreyhound has no surviving myths or folktales describing its deeds or adventures. It appears exclusively in medieval heraldry, most notably as a heraldic supporter of the de Vere family, Earls of Oxford, during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was traditionally associated with speed and swiftness, and its appearance varied considerably between artistic depictions, suggesting it was an entirely imaginative heraldic creation rather than a creature from popular legend.

Sources

“Calygreyhound.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calygreyhound

Xian Li

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternative names: Fairy Wildcat, Fairy Civet
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Xian Li is a wildcat spirit that, after cultivating its powers for a long time, gains supernatural abilities and transforms into a beautiful man or woman. Rather than referring to domestic cats, the ancient Chinese term li described small wild feline-like animals such as leopard cats, lynxes, or certain civets.

According to Chinese tradition, these wildcats could attain spiritual power through long cultivation. Once transformed into human form, they would seduce people in order to absorb their life essence. Like other shape-shifting spirits, they were believed to be eloquent, persuasive, and capable of both charming and harming humans.

The Xian Li belongs to a broader tradition of Chinese animal spirits that achieve supernatural powers through age and cultivation. Like the fox spirit, it could assume human form and interact freely with people, using its beauty and deception to accomplish its goals.

Sources

“仙狸 (Xiānlí).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/仙狸

Santo Gato

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Tradition / Region: French Mythology
Alternative names: Santa Gata
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Santo Gato appears as a cat that is believed to be the manifestation of Saint Agatha of Catania. Rather than being an evil creature, it is a supernatural form assumed by the saint to punish those who violate her feast day.

According to Occitan tradition, Saint Agatha’s cult became deeply rooted in Provence, Languedoc, Gascony, and the Pyrenees, where she was invoked for protection against lightning, storms, fire, and destructive weather. On the eve of her feast, church bells rang throughout the night to drive away the demons believed to cause these disasters.

A widespread folk belief held that women were forbidden to bake bread or wash clothes on Saint Agatha’s feast day, as such work was considered disrespectful to the saint. Those who ignored the prohibition risked her punishment. It was said that every year on 5 February, Saint Agatha appeared in the form of a cat—the Santo Gato—to visit and punish women who had worked on her holy day.

The saint’s blessed breads, baked on the eve of her feast and blessed during Mass, were believed to protect people, homes, and property from fire and lightning. In parts of the Pyrenees, her feast was also associated with seasonal rituals intended to hasten the end of winter and the arrival of spring, reflecting the blending of Christian devotion with older folk traditions.

Sources

“Santo Gato.” Wikipédia, l’encyclopédie libre (French Wikipedia). Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Gato

Ccoa

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Tradition / Region: Peruvian Mythology
Alternative names: Cacya, Chokkechinchay, Choquechinchay
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Ccoa is a fearsome cat-like mountain spirit about 40 centimeters tall and 60 centimeters long, with a broad tail measuring around 30 centimeters. It has gray fur marked with black stripes, a disproportionately large head, and glowing phosphorescent eyes. Hail is said to pour from its eyes and ears, while some traditions describe it as a cat-like bull with blood-red eyes.

According to Andean belief, the Ccoa belongs to the guardian mountain spirits known as the apus and the agricultural spirits called the aukis. Just as condors are their chickens and vicuñas their llamas, the Ccoa is their cat. Its principal home is Mount Ausangate near Kauri in the Cusco region, and it is closely associated with Choquechinchay, the celestial puma represented by the evening star and a constellation.

During the rainy season, the Ccoa emerges from mountain springs in the form of storm clouds. It is feared as a destructive spirit that sweeps its tail through the clouds to unleash violent storms, hail, and deadly lightning. It often destroys crops before harvest, making it one of the greatest threats to farming communities. Whether it acts on its own or carries out the commands of the mountain spirits is uncertain, but it is always treated with caution.

People traditionally viewed the Ccoa in two different ways. Wealthy landowners were believed to serve and honor it, allowing their fields to escape destruction, while poorer farmers fought against it because their crops were ruined by hail and their families afflicted with disease. Sorcerers especially revered the Ccoa, believing it granted supernatural powers to those struck by its lightning.

To appease the spirit, offerings were burned on high mountain ground. These typically included incense, wine, gold and silver tinsel, llama fat, and grains such as cañihua and huairuro. Sorcerers were expected to make regular offerings in gratitude for the powers the Ccoa bestowed. The spirit was believed to become enraged by inadequate offerings, by attempts to drive away its hailstorms, or by the improper burial of unbaptized children, whose souls it was said to claim as servants beneath Mount Ausangate.

In some later traditions, the Ccoa’s role was replaced by Santiago, a more neutral supernatural figure associated with hail and lightning who could both damage and protect crops. Some scholars also suggest that the Ccoa preserves elements of the ancient feline cults of the Chavín civilization.

Sources

Countess Sica. “Ccoa.” A Book of Creatures. September 27, 2019. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/09/27/ccoa/

Toverkat

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Tradition / Region: Belgian Mythology
Alternative names: Magic Cat, Bewitched Cat
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Toverkat appears as a beautiful spotted cat with uncanny intelligence and supernatural abilities. It can escape any confinement, move with impossible speed, and seems impossible to capture. Rather than directly attacking people, it torments travelers and leads them into fear and confusion.

According to the legend, about fifty years before the story was recorded, three farmers were driving carts loaded with fat pigs to the market in Leuven on a bright September night. As they passed through the Bollo Woods near Tremelo, a beautiful spotted cat suddenly leapt from a thicket. It ran between the farmers’ legs and beneath the carts, meowing in an eerie and unsettling way.

One of the farmers suggested catching the animal. They seized the cat, tied it securely inside a sack, and continued their journey. Yet before they had gone ten paces, the cat was once again running beside them, despite the sack still being tightly fastened.

The strange cat continued to leap effortlessly through the spokes of the moving wagon wheels without suffering any injury, frightening the three men even more. After following them for another hour, they happened to meet a calf dealer on his way to the Leuven market. His cart was pulled by a large dog, and after hearing the farmers’ story, he confidently declared that his dog hated cats and would quickly deal with it.

The dog was released and charged toward the mysterious feline. In an instant, the cat sprang onto the dog’s back, dug its razor-sharp claws deep into its flesh, and clung to it as the terrified dog howled in pain. With the cat still on its back, the animal fled into the forest, disappearing forever.

The dog was never seen again. Left without his beast of burden, the calf dealer was forced to push his cart carrying the live calves all the way to Leuven himself. The tale endured as one of Flanders’ most famous stories of a supernatural or bewitched cat whose powers surpassed both humans and animals.

Sources

De Cock, Alfons. Vlaamsche sagen uit den volksmond. Amsterdam: Maatschappij voor Goede en Goedkoope Lectuur, 1921, p. 40.

Black Cat of Denderleeuw

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Tradition / Region: Belgian Mythology
Alternative names: None recorded
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Black Cat of Denderleeuw appears as an ordinary black cat whose death brings a powerful curse upon those responsible.

According to the legend, a black cat belonging to the Baetens household killed and ate one of their pigeons. Seeking revenge, the family hanged the cat from a tree. From that day onward, a curse fell upon the farm. For the next ten years, no cat could survive there. Every healthy young cat brought into the house soon began to waste away, weakened for no apparent reason, and died after only a short time. The strange succession of deaths was believed to be vengeance for the unjust killing of the black cat.

Sources

De Cock, Alfons. Vlaamsche sagen uit den volksmond. Amsterdam: Maatschappij voor Goede en Goedkoope Lectuur, 1921, p. 40.

Blonde Cats of Denderleeuw

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Tradition / Region: Belgian Mythology
Alternative names: Three Blonde Cats
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Blonde Cats of Denderleeuw appear as three pale blonde cats that roam country roads at midnight. Although they resemble ordinary cats, they can speak with human voices and possess the supernatural ability to multiply endlessly, surrounding and overwhelming anyone they choose to follow.

According to the legend, a man named Jan Saeys was walking home around midnight after drinking. Along the road he encountered three blonde cats and jokingly greeted them, asking, Where are you going, beautiful little blonde cats?

To his horror, the cats answered him in human speech, repeating, Jan Saeys asks me, little blonde cat, where are you going? As they walked beside him, they continued repeating the same words over and over.

Meanwhile, the number of cats steadily increased. Three became many, and soon countless blonde cats surrounded him so densely that he could barely move his feet. Terrified, Jan instantly sobered and hurried home as fast as he could. With one final leap he threw himself inside his house and shut the door behind him.

No sooner had he entered than three tremendous knocks struck the door with such force that the entire house shook. The mysterious visitors never entered, but the terrifying encounter remained one of the supernatural cat legends of Denderleeuw.

Sources

De Cock, Alfons. Vlaamsche sagen uit den volksmond. Amsterdam: Maatschappij voor Goede en Goedkoope Lectuur, 1921, p. 40.

Black Cat of Keerbergen

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Tradition / Region: Belgian Mythology
Alternative names: None recorded
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Black Cat of Keerbergen appears as an ordinary but sinister black cat that suddenly leaps onto the shoulders of lone travelers at night. Once it has attached itself, it cannot be shaken off no matter how hard the victim struggles.

According to the legend, a farm laborer was walking home on a summer evening after working late at a nearby farm. His journey took him past a small pine wood when, without warning, a black cat sprang from one of the trees onto his shoulder. Terrified, he tried desperately to throw it off, shaking and striking at it, but the cat refused to let go.

Almost mad with fear, the man ran the rest of the way home. Only after he reached his house did the cat calmly jump down from his shoulder and disappear without a trace.

The laborer went straight to bed, deeply shaken by the encounter. Three days later, he died. According to the tradition, he had literally been frightened to death by the mysterious black cat.

Sources

De Cock, Alfons. Vlaamsche sagen uit den volksmond. Amsterdam: Maatschappij voor Goede en Goedkoope Lectuur, 1921, p. 40.