The Cat - slate coaster

The Cat (also Cat in the Irish language), has been intertwined in many an Irish tale. Perhaps the best-known cat by name is Pangur Bán, which was the subject of an early medieval Irish poem. The poem was written at the Abbey of Riechenau in southern Germany by an Irish monk, sometime in the 9th Century. In earlier times, there were tales of the King of Cats, both in Scottish and Irish folklore. It was said that one of these cats, Irusán, was the size of an ox and lived in a cave near, Knowth, one of the ancient monuments of the Boyne Valley. There is also folklore revolving around the Cat Sidhe or Fairy cat and this tradition is also prevalent in Scotland and perhaps based on the wild cats that lived in the highlands. On Samhain, this cat would bless the house of those left out a saucer of milk but woe betide any household that failed to produce a gift. Cat Sign in Celtic Calendar Jan 21st - Feb 17th. Tree lore equivalent is the Rowan

Illustrated by Margaret McKenna