The King of the Cats facts for kids
The folk tale The King of the Cats (sometimes called The King o' the Cats) is a famous story from the British Isles. It's about a strange event involving cats and a hidden world. One of the first times this story was written down was in a book called Beware the Cat in 1553. This tale is also similar to a very old story from the first century about "The Death of Pan". Many famous writers and storytellers, like Joseph Jacobs and Walter Scott, have shared their own versions of this tale over the years. It's known as a "death of an elf (or cat)" type of story in folklore studies.
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What is The King of the Cats?
The Story's Main Idea
The main idea of "The King of the Cats" is quite mysterious! It usually starts with a person traveling alone. This person either sees a cat or hears a voice. The voice tells them to deliver a message to someone, often using a very unusual name. The message is that another cat, also with a strange name, has died.
When the traveler finally reaches their home or destination, they tell everyone what happened. Suddenly, the housecat, who was quietly listening, cries out something like, "Then I am the king of the cats!" After saying this, the housecat quickly runs away, perhaps up the chimney or out the door, and is never seen again. Other versions of the story simply show the traveler seeing a group of cats holding a royal funeral.
Where Did the Story Come From?
This story has been around for a very long time! In William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, a character named Mercutio calls Tybalt the "Prince of Cats." While this might be a nod to a character in another old story called Reynard the Fox, it shows that the idea of a "Prince of Cats" was well-known in England by the 1500s.
The book Beware the Cat, published in 1561, is thought to be one of the first horror stories or novels written in English. It includes two traditional cat stories, and "The King of the Cats" is one of them. This shows how popular the tale was even back then.
Cats in Old Stories
Cats have often been linked to magic and supernatural beings like elves and fairies in many old traditions. In some old Irish tales, there's a king or lord of the cats. One story tells of a bard (a poet and storyteller) named Senchán Torpéist who angered the cats. The king of the cats, Irusan, hunted Senchán down. However, Irusan was eventually defeated by St. Kieran. This tale was later rewritten by Lady Jane Wilde and included in books by W. B. Yeats. Another Irish story, "When the King of the Cats Came to King Connal's Dominion," also features a cat king.
How the Story Influenced Others
The mysterious and exciting nature of "The King of the Cats" has inspired many artists, writers, and creators over the years.
- In 1909, after a famous poet named Algernon Charles Swinburne died, W. B. Yeats (who was 38 at the time) reportedly said to his sister, "I am king of the cats." This shows how the story's idea of a new "king" taking over was part of popular culture.
- The Polish-French artist Balthus painted a self-portrait in 1935 and titled it "A Portrait of H.M. The King of the Cats Painted by Himself."
- Stephen Vincent Benét wrote a short story in 1929 simply called "The King of the Cats," which was chosen for a collection of amazing American tales.
- Barbara Sleigh's children's book Carbonel: The King of the Cats (1954) and its sequels were inspired by this folk tale. These books are about a cat who is actually a king.
- Paul Galdone created a children's picture book in 1980 also titled King of the Cats.
- In John Crowley's 1987 novel The Solitudes, the story is connected to the ancient Greek myth of "the Death of Pan."
- The author China Miéville used the idea of a king of the cats for his 1998 novel King Rat.
- P. T. Cooper wrote a children's novel in 2012, also called The King of the Cats. It retells the original legend and then continues the story, focusing on the new king, Jack Tigerstripes, and his adventures. It's a bit like a Disney-style talking-animal story.
- The American rock band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists named a song "Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead" on their 2003 EP. The song was inspired by a version of "The King of the Cats" from Ireland, using the names of the cats from the story.
- The legend is even referenced in the Japanese manga and anime series The Ancient Magus' Bride. In this story, a cat named Molly is the current King of the Cats.
- The video game Ni No Kuni features a kingdom ruled by an anthropomorphic (human-like) cat named King Tom Tildrum XIV. His human world counterpart is a housecat named Timmy Toldrum, directly referencing the folk tale.
