Origin of Cat

On a stone was obtained the cat with the nose of a girl,

with the head of a hare, with a tail from Hiisi’s plait of hair,

with the claws of a viper snake,

witht he feet of cloudberries,

from a wolf the rest of its body comes.

 

Like many other nocturnal creatures, the cat was often associated with magic, hexes and dark powers. In Finnish folklore it was described as a demonic, fiery being from Hiisi. Depending on the context Hiisi may refer to a place with its own folk and powers, often like an underworld, but also as an entity, a troll or a giant. Creatures of the night also had their more positive associations. In one tale ailments were placed onto a sled pulled by a cat who would take the worries over to the dark Pohjola. Cats were sometimes portrayed as the healers’ helpers and were believed to bring protection from evil spirits.