Introducing Meowna
To let the cat out of the bag, we have a new team member: Meowna. But first, a bit of context, because we’d like you to connect the dots.
Cats. We know that they like to chase lasers and sits where fits. What MEOW?
It’s quite apparent that the human-feline relationship goes way back in time. Cultural depictions of cats and their relationship to humans stretches back over 12.000 years.
Ever since, this relationship has had its fair share of weirdness, animosity, reverence, and a whole lot of misconceptions. Cats are featured in the history of many nations, are the subject of legend and are a favorite subject of artists, writers and internet folk. We like ’em, we adopt them, we take millions of photos and videos of them and are pretty much in love with these cute fuzzballs.
Introducing: Meowna
That’s why, when Meowna walked through our door and presented herself and a candidate for a position at Hey, Be Well! we were immediately convinced she will be an absolute rockstar member of our team.
Therefore, we are proud to present. Meowna as our new Marketing Manager! She is a highly skilled professional, with great negotiation skills and vast experience in getting what she wants.
She has been navigating the complex world of Marketing for Tech Companies for years, and is a big fan of Crypto Kitties.
She has promised to take our telegram community to a whole new level and make sure everyone knows all about Hey, Be Well!, it’s amazing progress and cool team (I’m her favorite :D).
On a more serious note, I have designed Meowna for the sheer enjoyment of our telelgram community . There is already a cute pack of cat stickers(and more to follow), which will enhance communication, furr their (and ours, not gonna lie) personal enjoyment. It’s free and you can get Meowna here
Feel free to join our Telegram group for more details and constant updates on the project: https://telegram.me/heybewell.
Myself and the team will engage and answer all questions in real time. We are entirely focusing on understanding the community and their needs.
It’s not a just an Internet viral craze, all cultures, around the world, have been fascinated by cats for a long time. Here an overview over our obsession with cat throughout the world’s histroy, for those of you who, you know…like to know stuff!
Mesopotamia
Some mistakenly assume that the domestication of cats first happened in Egypt about 4,000 years ago. However, there is enough evidence to suggest that wild cats indeed lived among the Mesopotamians over 100,000 years ago. They are known to have been domesticated there approximately 12.000 BCE — this makes it quite the historical arCAType.
Ancient Egypt
When it came to feline worship, no other culture could probably match the devotion of the Egyptians. They called these creatures Mau, and set them on a pedestal for their exemplary hunting skills. There were large shrines dedicated in the honor of the feline goddesses, and pet cats were mummified on a regular basis. In everyday life, killing a cat was punishable by death, even if it was accidental. The death of a pet cat would be mourned by the entire household, with members of the family shaving their eyebrows to signify their loss- such a huge CATastrophy.
China
In ancient China, goddess Li Shou took the form of a feline. Quite like the Egyptians, the Chinese too sought her blessings to gain pest-free fields. This goddess also symbolized fertility- and good Chinese historians recorded the name for PAWsterity.
Japan
If you happen to be in Japan, the famous image of the Maneki Neko or Beckoning Cat is hard to miss. A legend goes that a cat sitting outside a temple raised her paw in acknowledgment of the emperor who was passing by. Amused by this gesture, the emperor entered the temple. The next moment, a bolt of lightning struck the very spot where he had been standing. The emperor attributed his good fortune to the timely intervention of the cat, and thus the Beckoning Cat figurine is thought to bring in a positive change in fortunes — PURRRfect timing for the emperor,I’d say.
India
Cats are mentioned in the two great literary epics of ancient India, The Mahabharata and The Ramayana (both c. 5th/4th century BCE). In Mahabharata a famous passage concerns the cat Lomasa and the mouse Palita, who help each other escape from death and discuss at length the nature of relationships, particularly those in which one of the parties is stronger or more powerful than the other. In the Ramayana, the god Indra disguises himself as a cat after seducing the beautiful maid Ahalya as a means to escape from her husband- almost CAT with his hand in the cookie jar.
Europe
The Greeks and Romans may not have worshiped the cat, but it was held in high regard as a prized pet. However, a Greek legend tells us that Zeus once seduced Alcmene and she became pregnant with Hercules. Zeus’ wife, Hera, attempted to kill Alcmene in a fit of jealous rage, but she was saved by a timely intervention by Galinthias. Hera transformed Galinthias into a cat and banished her to the underworld. This myth is probably the first time when cats were associated with darkness, the underworld, and witchcraft. These unfortunate links were soon to spell doom for felines in the centuries that followed- no PUSS for the wicked :p
The Celts had a fondness for felines, associating them with their goddess Brighid. They revered feline the qualities of grace and stealth, and even attempted to emulate them in their magical — PURRRsuits.
In Norse mythology, the goddess Freyja had her chariot drawn by two felines, who were also her companions. Farmers were known to leave pans of milk in the fields to attract the cats, and appease the goddess, and thus, keep the area free of rodents — a bunch of CATaholics.
The Russians have always seen the cat as a positive symbol which heralds good fortune. They believe that letting a cat enter a new home before humans do, can bring good luck to the household — Let’s PAWS and reflect.
Pop Culture
Pop culture has had a penchant for associating cats with females, as is clear by the phrase crazy cat lady. Over time, cats were seen as companions to the fairer sex, probably a throwback from the Medieval Era, when cats and witches were paired together. This went on to form a popular opinion that single (intelligent) and independent women who couldn’t find a suitable man to marry often sought the company of cats, even going on to hoard them in their later years- MEOWch, that’s quite a stereotype!
Worth recalling Tom and Jerry, an all time 90’s kids animation. It is an American series of short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. It centers on a rivalry between its two title characters, Tom, a cat, and Jerry, a mouse, and many recurring characters, based around slapstick comedy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqyziA30whE
And speaking of cat culture, how can we forget the inimitable Hello Kitty? This immensely cute Japanese bobtail character stands for everything that is pure, innocent, and charming. Created by the Japanese company Sanrio, this cat is seen on a variety of merchandise. https://www.sanrio.com/categories/hello-kitty
He hated Mondays before it was cool — Garfield- is a comic created by Jim Davis. Published since 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character, Garfield, the cat; Jon Arbuckle, the human; and Odie, the dog. As of 2013, it was syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals, and held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip. https://garfield.com/
Grumpy Cat a.k.a. Tardar Sauce, is certainly the queen of the web world, with millions of memes honoring her forever-grumpy expression. Her general irritation of all worldly things is seen as typical CATtitude―dismissing every good thing as useless.
http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/406335-grumpy-cat
An honorable mention, Simon’s Cat, an animated series featuring the mischievous and often hilarious antics of a fat white cat and his owner Simon. https://simonscat.com/
A little entertainment for all those youtubers out there who like to proCATstinate on the platform: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHscMam4W7s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcGOoDThC1E
Before we round up on cat culture, we must salute the feline icons of the world’s first blockchain game — CRYPTO KITTIES, collectible and breedable? Each cat is one-of-a-kind and 100% owned by you, it cannot be replicated, taken away, or destroyed? — You gotta be KITTEN me! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClUgQBJcxAmHjOQgV4QgVXg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGfvkjzLrNw
Black Cat Symbolism
It might surprise you that black cat symbolism is associated with physical healing, because, in most parts of the world, the black cat is considered as a bad omen. Spirituality highly respects the power of black cats as their medical instincts are amazing. They can scan the human body and know the right plant to use for the particular condition.
For thousands of years, they have been the helpers of the herbalists. Through telepathic means, they send healthy messages to their loved ones; for instance, it’s time to take your medicine, or drink a glass of water, etc. They are also considered to be the right companion for artists and writers because of the creative powers.
Bye-bye for MEOW!
As always, be well!
Amalia
