News from Italy
Christmas: The legend of the M on the forehead of cats
by Principessa Vanessa
If you observe the cats’ foreheads, you notice stripes of fur that form a large M. Legend has it that, on Christmas night, Maria wanted to thank a cat for the precious help given and left the initial engraved on the front of its head.
Have you ever noticed that some cats have an M in their font? Today, we will discover a legend behind that M on the forehead of cats. More than one! Ready to find them?
The cat appears in many works of art with religious subjects and different meanings. In the Middle Ages, the cat was often hunted and killed because it was associated with malice and the demonic. Still, from the 14th century, after the Black Death spread in Europe through mouse fleas, the cat began to be re-evaluated.
The legend of the M on the forehead of cats in the Catholic world
In the Catholic world, there is a sweet legend about the M on the forehead of cats. To know it, we have to go back more than 2000 years to the first Christmas in history and the birth of Baby Jesus. We find ourselves in the cave with Mary, Joseph, the little child, the ox, the donkey and a cat. The newborn Jesus in the manger, despite being warmed by the breath of the ox and the donkey, felt cold. The Virgin tried to put him to sleep by singing a lullaby, but Jesus was trembling from the cold. A cat – perhaps a she-cat – left her kittens and went to huddle close to him. This is because of the manager. Managed to make him warm up and fall asleep with the warmth of his thick fur. To express her gratitude, Maria drew an M on the little animal’s forehead with the fingers of her hand. And this M was then transmitted over the centuries to all his descendants.
We can find many modern confirmations of this legend. It is not unusual to see a cat curled inside the managers of the various nativity scenes set up by cities and towns. Many parents will also know it is not uncommon to find your four-legged friend sleeping with the latest human addition to the family. Doing so keeps the baby warm, cradles them, and keeps them asleep, making Mum and Dad’s job easier.
The Islamic version
This is an incredible legend, but it is not the only one. Everyone loves cats, so here’s the Islamic version.
The legend of Muezza, Muhammad’s cat
Muezza was Muhammad’s cat. One day, Muhammad found himself in grave danger. A poisonous snake was in front of him and ready to attack him. Luckily, Muezza came to his aid and saved his life.
Muhammad loved cats and Muezza unconditionally, regardless of this episode. He imprinted the M on the cats’ foreheads as a reminder of this great friendship. The M is the initial of both names.
We can find many modern confirmations in this legend. It is not unusual to see a cat curled inside the managers of the various nativity scenes set up by cities and towns. And many parents will also know that it is not unusual to find your four-legged friend sleeping together with the latest human addition to the family. Doing so keeps him warm, cradles him, and keeps him asleep, making Mum and Dad’s job easier.
According to science, the M on the cats’ foreheads is not due to a miracle or a gift from God, nor even a sign of gratitude from Muhammad. The M is nothing but genetics, pure and simple genetics. M is a characteristic of brindle cats and a distinctive sign of many different breeds:
An M that you could attribute to a genetic factor but which you could also imagine as a gift from a grateful God or Prophet.
Even though the letter M does not have a mystical meaning, the legends surrounding it continue to fascinate and enthral cat lovers worldwide. This makes us very happy.
