Almost everybody like cats but in the shadowy corners of Japanese folklore, where the boundary between the mundane and the supernatural blurs, lies a creature both captivating and eerie: the Bakeneko. He is an ordinary cat, with eyes gleaming, and unsettling intelligence, its every movement steeped in an ancient mystery. As night falls and the world quiets, this seemingly harmless feline might just transform into something far more sinister.
The origins of Bakeneko
In the 17th century, during the Edo period, the textile industry developed, resulting in the appearance of sericulture in Japan. At that time, cats were valued for driving away rats and mice that were threatening the silkworm farm. These protective animals were therefore forbidden from being sold. Thus, many alley cats populated the streets, causing legends to be born.The term Bakeneko means " changed cat " or " cat demon ". It was said that this feline could transform into a demon to haunt its house and take possession of its master. Not a very friendly cat!
The magical powers of the
Like many of Japan’s animals, when cats live to an old age they develop supernatural powers and transform into yōkai. Bakeneko begin their supernatural life looking almost identical to an ordinary housecat. Soon they begin to walk about on their hind legs. As they age and their powers increase, they can grow large —up to the size of a full-grown human.
Bakeneko possess great shape-shifting abilities and disguise themselves as smaller cats or humans—sometimes even taking the shape of their own masters. Many learn to speak human languages. While in disguise, they are known to dress up as humans with towels wrapped around their heads. In this form, bakeneko dances around merrily. While this sounds frivolous and even cute, b
Bakeneko are a menace to any house they live in or near. They can eat things that are much bigger than they are and can even consume poisonous things without difficulty. It is possible for a bakeneko to eat its own master and then assume his form, living in his place. If they do not directly kill their owners, they can bring down great curses and misfortune. They can summon ghostly fireballs and are known to accidentally start house fires, their tails acting like torches igniting any flammable materials in the house. Bakeneko also have the disturbing ability to reanimate fresh corpses and use them like puppets for their own nefarious purposes.
Bakeneko can come into being as a result of a number of things, but the most common reasons are by being long-lived (over 13 years old), growing to a certain size (over 3.75 kilograms), or by licking up large quantities of lamp oil. A telltale sign that a cat may be close to becoming a bakeneko is believed to be an exceptionally long tail. The older and wiser a cat gets, the longer its tail becomes. This superstition led to the custom of bobbing cats’ tails at an early age to prevent them from transforming into yōkai.
Here is a fun short story about Bakeneko. I hope you like it.
The Cat in the Moonlight
In a quiet village nestled in the hills of Japan, there was a small, weather-beaten house that stood at the edge of a dense forest. The house had belonged to Old Mrs. Haruka, a kind but solitary woman known for her love of cats. Her home was always filled with the soft purring of her feline companions, each one a cherished friend in her twilight years.
One crisp autumn night, as the full moon bathed the landscape in its silvery light, a new cat appeared at Mrs. Haruka’s door. Unlike the others, this cat was sleek and jet-black, with eyes that seemed to shimmer like tiny lanterns. It walked with an eerie grace, and despite its calm demeanor, there was something unsettling about its presence.
Mrs. Haruka, always welcoming to the strays, invited the mysterious cat inside. It accepted with a nod of its head, stepping silently into the warmth of the home. The old woman prepared a bowl of milk and set it down for the new guest, but the cat merely stared at it, its gaze steady and unblinking.
As the night wore on, Mrs. Haruka went to bed, leaving the cat curled up by the hearth. But as the clock struck midnight, an unusual chill filled the room. The fire flickered and then went out, casting the room into darkness. The only light came from the moon, filtering through the gaps in the wooden walls.
Mrs. Haruka awoke to the sound of whispers. She glanced around, her heart racing, and saw the black cat sitting upright, its eyes glowing brightly. The whispers grew louder, filling the room with voices speaking in an old, forgotten dialect.
The cat’s form began to shift and waver, growing larger and more shadowy. Its purr deepened into a low, rumbling growl. The old woman realized with growing dread that this was no ordinary cat but a bakeneko—a creature from ancient lore, transformed by centuries of wrath and sorrow.
The whispers became clearer, and Mrs. Haruka understood they were not mere sounds but fragments of old curses and grievances. The Bakeneko was here not to harm, but to seek justice and solace for an ancient wrong.
Summoning all her courage, Mrs. Haruka spoke softly, acknowledging the Bakeneko’s presence. “I am but a humble old woman,” she said, “but I am willing to listen to your story.”
The cat’s eyes seemed to soften, and its form began to return to its original size and shape. The room grew warmer, and the whispers faded. The Bakeneko had found a brief respite, a moment of peace in the presence of someone who was willing to hear its tale.
As dawn approached, the Bakeneko slowly vanished, leaving behind a single black feather. Mrs. Haruka found the feather on the hearth and knew that she had been part of something profound. The mysterious cat never returned, but each night as the full moon rose, she would remember the whispers and the silent plea for understanding.
The villagers spoke of the old woman’s strange encounter, and her tale became a local legend. The house at the edge of the forest remained, its quiet demeanor hiding the secrets of that moonlit night, where the boundaries between the living and the supernatural had momentarily blurred.
So, if you have and older cat that stands on his back legs with a long tail and exhibit strange behaviors, you just might have a Bakeneko!
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