Cats were so important back then, as they hopefully are today, that our likenesses appeared on all kinds of jewelry, amulets, hand mirrors, cosmetic containers, and other objects of everyday life. In particular, amulets were supercharged for the protection of the humans. This confirms that even without our direct presence and intervention, we are dynamic forces and true inheritors of the powers of Bast. Quite impressive, I must say.
It’s been said that the ancient Egyptians took their cats on hunting expeditions and that we were trained to retrieve birds and fish from the marshy areas. That doesn’t surprise me at all. As far as the training goes, we are of course very good students and quick learners.
Being sent to go get the birds and fish— well, I don’t believe I need to explain much at all the pleasure and excitement that this kind of activity would bring us. The deal is though, and as you would expect, we might keep for ourselves a couple of the flying or swimming prizes for our own personal dietary enrichment. This should be considered as fair compensation for our faithful fetching duties. Hey, and who said the dogs were the only ones who can “go and fetch,” huh!
The only thing I don’t quite like about those hunting expeditions is the requirement of the wandering around in the marsh. Do ya know what I mean? “Marsh” means “water,” and lots of marshy water all over the place. I suggest the humans provide us with one of those boat vehicles so we can float on over to the prey without getting our delicate paws wet and our fur messed up. Sound like a fair deal?
Anyway, the friendly and respected feline had definitely become an integral part of ancient Egyptian family life, as they have continued to be until the present time in many different places. I even learned that many Egyptian parents named their children after cats, especially their daughters. No, I’m not kidding!
Quite sadly, I think that’s a tradition that has been forgotten about today. I strongly urge you humans to consider the renewal of this very simple naming procedure. “Freddy” is always a great example of a name that you could use for your offspring, with the feminine versions being “Freda” or maybe “Frederica.”
And one more thing. You see, us cats have a name and only a name— one name— and we’re done with it. No two or three first names with middle names mixed in, and double last names.
Let’s get to the point. I’m just Freddy, and Freddy is all there is to it! Nothing else is necessary. Freddy is quite fine all by itself, with no extra name or middle name or one or two last names or all that nonsense. Aren’t things a lot easier that way? Aren’t they?
The same goes for Bast. It wasn’t Bast Smith, or Bast Smith-Jones, or Bast Mary Thelma Smith-Jones or... Come on now!
Thus, for the birth of your next child, look to your cats for guidance in the naming process, okay? You won’t forget, will ya?
For example, your next little girl could be called Fluffy, and your baby boy, Bingo. Sound good? Or if you want to go the Egyptian route in honor of our heritage, then your baby girl could be named Habibah (beloved) and your baby boy, Abayomi (bringer of joy). Make a note of this too so you won’t let this detail slip by.
The ancient Egyptians also had statues of cats standing around everywhere in their cities. This was especially true of mother cats and their kittens since we are so well known for taking good care of our babies. Nowadays, I would suggest that a big feline statue be prominently located on every street corner for everyone to admire. I’m sure a famous sculptor will be looking me up someday soon to begin modeling my image in a beautiful, polished marble. Hey, I’m ready!
The feline also played a role in dream interpretations. For example, according to one old publication of those days, if a human saw a cat in a dream, it meant that he would have a good harvest. Well, of course. We’re so full of good, healthy, purring vibes from head to tail that our taking a casual stroll through any farmer’s field would be all that’s necessary to encourage those seeds and plants to grow big and strong.