Tradition / Region: Polish Mythology
Alternative names: —
Category: Cat
The Myth
Koszki are malicious creatures that resemble ordinary cats at first glance. Their bodies are covered in thick, dark fur, with pointed ears, long tails, and loud meows.
Anyone who unknowingly allows one into the house is said to suffer a terrible fate. The monsters steal healthy infants from their cradles and leave behind their own hideous, emaciated offspring in their place, as if mocking the family.
For this reason, people were warned to watch every cat that entered the home, especially black cats. If a cat’s face appeared old and disturbingly human instead of feline, and if its paws looked like grasping, bony human hands rather than claws, it was no ordinary animal but a Koszek.
The proper response was to seize a sturdy wooden club and beat the demonic creature until it fled or was destroyed.
Sources
Zych, Paweł, and Witold Vargas. Bestiariusz słowiański. Część pierwsza i druga. Warsaw: Bosz, 2017.