In British mythology, the Manx cat is a symbol of the Isle of Man and features in local folklore with simple, often fanciful origin tales for its taillessness, while the broader Celtic world has rich myths involving other magical felines and spirits.
Locals believed this spirit roamed the moors and cliff paths as silent guardians, lingering at the edge between the mortal world and the Otherworld.
Manx Cat in Local Folklore
- The "King of the Cats": A curious belief held that the cats of the Isle of Man had their own king, who lived as an ordinary house cat by day but assumed his regal powers at night, sometimes holding a "Cat Tynwald" (parliament). People were warned against mistreating any cat, as it might be the King.
- Connection to the Sea and Storms: There was a folk belief that cats were connected to the sea and had to return to it in the end. This led to a naval superstition that cats could conjure a storm using the "magic" in their tails. Thus, tailless Manx cats were considered ideal ship cats because, without a tail, they couldn't start a storm.
- Witches and Black Cats: In traditional Hop-tu-naa (Manx Halloween) rhymes, the black cat appears as a transformed witch.
- Legends of Origin: The most common "myths" surrounding the Manx cat are fanciful stories designed to explain its lack of a tail, rather than tales of a specific spirit.
The Isle of Man has a rich tradition of belief in the Mooinjer Veggey (the "little people" or fairies), and other spirits like the Buggane (a hideous goblin) and the Phynodderee (a hairy sprite), and the Manx cat is primarily a feature of general animal folklore and a national symbol.