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A '''matagot''' or '''mandagot''' is, in oral traditions of southern [[France]], a spirit in the form of an animal, frequently a black cat, though rat, fox, dog, or cow types are also said to exist. |
A '''matagot''' or '''mandagot''' is, in oral traditions of southern [[France]], a spirit in the form of an animal, frequently a black cat, though rat, fox, dog, or cow types are also said to exist. |
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Matagots are generally evil, but some may prove helpful, like the "magician cat" said to bring wealth into a home if it is well fed. Traditionally, a wealth-bringing matagot must be lured with a fresh, plump chicken, then carried home by its new owner without the human once looking back. If the cat is given the first mouthful of food and drink at every meal, it will repay its owner with a solid gold coin each morning. In Gascony traditions, you must not keep the matagot all your |
Matagots are generally evil, but some may prove helpful, like the "magician cat" said to bring wealth into a home if it is well fed. Traditionally, a wealth-bringing matagot must be lured with a fresh, plump chicken, then carried home by its new owner without the human once looking back. If the cat is given the first mouthful of food and drink at every meal, it will repay its owner with a solid gold coin each morning. In Gascony traditions, you must not keep the matagot all your life: if the owner is dying, he will suffer a long agony, as long as he doesn't free the matagot.<ref>{{cite book |title=Contes de Gascogne |last=Bladé |first=Jean-François |year=1886 |publisher=Maisonneuve |location=Paris }}</ref> |
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==Etymology== |
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The word matagot is derived from the Spanish ''mata-gothos'', from ''matar'' (to kill) and ''gothos'' ([[Goths]]).<ref>{{cite book |title=Mémoire sur le canton de [[La Ciotat]] |last=Masse |first=Michel |year=1842 |location=Paris}}</ref> The Germanic Goth tribes settled in Spain, Southern France and Italy and eventually converted to Christianity, so ''Goth'' means "Christian" in opposition with ''Moro'' which means "Muslim". Hence a matagot would be an evil spirit who kills Christians. |
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Another form is ''magot'', and this word designs a bunch of money, a treasure, so the people who became rich were supposed to have a "magot" in their home. |
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== In popular culture == |
== In popular culture == |
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In [[Kelley Armstrong]]'s [[Kelley Armstrong#Cainsville Series|Cainsville series]] novel ''Omens'', the protagonist Olivia is adopted by an unusually intelligent black stray she dubs "The Cat" or "T.C." for short; he is addressed respectfully person-to-cat as ''"matagot"'' by village elder Veronica in private, and at points demonstrates supernatural powers such as the ability to project an image of himself across town when he needs somebody to come to his aid. In ''The Screams of Dragons,'' a short story prequel to ''Omens'', an endangered newborn black kitten is dubbed "Matagot" by his young rescuers, psychic Rose & animal communicator Hannah, as they feel he's "a spirit that's taken the form of a black cat." Later in the story, an adult Matagot risks his life to lure a homicidal young man into exposing his twisted nature to the village elders before further harm can be done to others.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kelley Armstrong|author-link=Kelley Armstrong|title=The Screams of Dragons|url=http://subterraneanpress.com/magazine/spring_2014/the_screams_of_dragons_by_kelley_armstrong|website=Subterranean Press Magazine|publisher=Subterranean Press|access-date=9 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805031324/http://subterraneanpress.com/magazine/spring_2014/the_screams_of_dragons_by_kelley_armstrong|archive-date=5 August 2014|date=Spring 2014|quote="He’s different…That’s why they won’t let him eat very much. I think he’s a matagot.…Magician’s cat," Rose said, as matter-of-factly as if she’d said the cat was a Siamese. "It’s a spirit that’s taken the form of a black cat."}}</ref> |
In [[Kelley Armstrong]]'s [[Kelley Armstrong#Cainsville Series|Cainsville series]] novel ''Omens'', the protagonist Olivia is adopted by an unusually intelligent black stray she dubs "The Cat" or "T.C." for short; he is addressed respectfully person-to-cat as ''"matagot"'' by village elder Veronica in private, and at points demonstrates supernatural powers such as the ability to project an image of himself across town when he needs somebody to come to his aid. In ''The Screams of Dragons,'' a short story prequel to ''Omens'', an endangered newborn black kitten is dubbed "Matagot" by his young rescuers, psychic Rose & animal communicator Hannah, as they feel he's "a spirit that's taken the form of a black cat." Later in the story, an adult Matagot risks his life to lure a homicidal young man into exposing his twisted nature to the village elders before further harm can be done to others.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kelley Armstrong|author-link=Kelley Armstrong|title=The Screams of Dragons|url=http://subterraneanpress.com/magazine/spring_2014/the_screams_of_dragons_by_kelley_armstrong|website=Subterranean Press Magazine|publisher=Subterranean Press|access-date=9 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805031324/http://subterraneanpress.com/magazine/spring_2014/the_screams_of_dragons_by_kelley_armstrong|archive-date=5 August 2014|date=Spring 2014|quote="He’s different…That’s why they won’t let him eat very much. I think he’s a matagot.…Magician’s cat," Rose said, as matter-of-factly as if she’d said the cat was a Siamese. "It’s a spirit that’s taken the form of a black cat."}}</ref> |
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==References== |
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Revision as of 23:17, 19 January 2024
A matagot or mandagot is, in oral traditions of southern France, a spirit in the form of an animal, frequently a black cat, though rat, fox, dog, or cow types are also said to exist.
Matagots are generally evil, but some may prove helpful, like the "magician cat" said to bring wealth into a home if it is well fed. Traditionally, a wealth-bringing matagot must be lured with a fresh, plump chicken, then carried home by its new owner without the human once looking back. If the cat is given the first mouthful of food and drink at every meal, it will repay its owner with a solid gold coin each morning. In Gascony traditions, you must not keep the matagot all your life: if the owner is dying, he will suffer a long agony, as long as he doesn't free the matagot.[1]
In popular culture
In Kelley Armstrong's Cainsville series novel Omens, the protagonist Olivia is adopted by an unusually intelligent black stray she dubs "The Cat" or "T.C." for short; he is addressed respectfully person-to-cat as "matagot" by village elder Veronica in private, and at points demonstrates supernatural powers such as the ability to project an image of himself across town when he needs somebody to come to his aid. In The Screams of Dragons, a short story prequel to Omens, an endangered newborn black kitten is dubbed "Matagot" by his young rescuers, psychic Rose & animal communicator Hannah, as they feel he's "a spirit that's taken the form of a black cat." Later in the story, an adult Matagot risks his life to lure a homicidal young man into exposing his twisted nature to the village elders before further harm can be done to others.[2]
References
- ^ Bladé, Jean-François (1886). Contes de Gascogne. Paris: Maisonneuve.
- ^ Kelley Armstrong (Spring 2014). "The Screams of Dragons". Subterranean Press Magazine. Subterranean Press. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
He's different…That's why they won't let him eat very much. I think he's a matagot.…Magician's cat," Rose said, as matter-of-factly as if she'd said the cat was a Siamese. "It's a spirit that's taken the form of a black cat.
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