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.