Cat Sìth [Ket-Shee] Type of Creature: Sìdhe (Fairy)
- Celtic (Scottish, Irish)
- Alternate Names: Cat Sìdhe, Caìt Sìdhe, Caìt Sìth
- Associated Traditions:
-Samhain [Sa-win]: If one sets a bowl of milk outside their house during the festival, a Cat Sìth would bless the house. If not, the Sìdhe may curse the house.
-Taghairm: A divination ceremony involving the burning of the bodies of cats, where a demonic Cat Sìth named “Big Ears” would grant wishes to the practitioners.
- Fictional Depictions:
“The King of Cats”-Various
Le Roman de Merlin-Robert de Boron
“The Demon Cat”-William Butler Yeats
- Associated Creatures:
Cù-sìth (Fairy Dog)
Pooka (Shapeshifter)
Cath Palug (Welsh Monster Cat)
Generally said to have been inspired by the Kellas cat of Scotland, this Sìdhe creature is described as having black fur with a white spot on its chest. It is also supposedly the size of a large dog. The Cat Sìth is a powerful trickster, and largely untrustworthy. Avoid making deals with them, as loopholes will be abused. Some believe them to be witches that can transform into the feline form nine times. They are also believed to steal a corpse’s soul before they pass on. They can be found on battlefields after the fighting concludes taking the souls of the dead.
As I drunken walked down through the night,
I stumbled by a frightful sight
A big black beast of the Celts you see
Was sitting there in front of me
He asked me what I wished for,
If my soul to he I swore
He would grant me it
I paused and swayed like a ship at sea
As he grinned in filthy glee
I thought about my heart’s desire
Of what I’ve always wanted prior
But in my stupor, I could not think
After I had so much to drink
And so I asked for another pour