The Cat-sìth
A large black fairy cat with a white spot on its chest was said to steal souls in the Highlands, unless people kept watch.
What was reported
The cat-sìth is a fairy creature of Scottish and Irish folklore: a large black cat with a white spot on its chest. It was believed to steal the soul of a person who had just died, by passing over the body before burial.
So families kept a long wake, watching over the body day and night with games, riddles and music, and no fire, since cats are drawn to warmth. On Samhain, a saucer of milk left out was said to win the cat-sìth's blessing.
Explanations offered
Some suggest the legend was inspired by the Kellas cat, a large black hybrid of wildcat and domestic cat found in Scotland and recognised by scientists in the 1980s. The cat-sìth is one of the forerunners of the black cat of Halloween.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Strathspey, Scottish Highlands
- Witnesses
- Highland tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.