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(edited by Walks-Between-Worlds) This FAQ is divided into two sections: First, though, a list of resources that went into the making of this
FAQ:
Part 1: Myths and
Legends As long as transformation stories have existed, so too have stories about humans changing into cats. In 1588, a horseman was passing by the Chateau de Joux in France and saw several cats in a tree. He approached and discharged a carbine which he was carrying, and a ring with several keys attached to it fell from the tree. The horseman took them to the village, and when he asked for dinner at the inn neither the hostess nor the keys to the cellar could be found. The horseman showed the keys to the host, who recognized them as his wife's. Meanwhile she came from the kitchen, wounded in the right hip. Her husband grabbed her and she confessed that she had just come from the Sabbat, where she had lost her keys after being shot in the hip from a carbine. The Inquisitors also tell that in their time villagers saw three large cats near Strasbourg, which afterward resumed the shape of women. In India, Weretigers were believed to house the spirits of the dead who were being punished for evil deeds. I personally don't believe the evil part, but who knows? >;-) In Africa and South America, the power of shape-shifting is often seen as a gift from some spirit or God and is for the purpose of getting revenge. Werejaguars, Wereleopards, etc., don't run around killing for the hell of it, they only attack those who have harmed them in their human form. The following's a Werejaguar story from the jungles of Brazil: A Dutch trader named Van Hielen went on business to an out-of-the- way Native village. He was fond of nature and decided to take a walk toward the forest early in the evening. At the edge of the clearing, far from the village itself, Van Hielen found an isolated hut. He heard shouts of anger and the sound of blows from inside. Suddenly a nine-year-old boy ran out the door. He was followed by a woman who was beating him with a peice of wood. Van Hielen liked children and stepped between the woman and the child. In the Native tongue, he asked the woman why the boy deserved such a beating. "Done?" cried the woman. "Why, he has done nothing. That's why I beat him, the lazy lout. Not a stroke of work will he do. His sister is just as bad. Ah!" she broke off. "There's the wretched child now. She too will get what she deserves." With that the woman lunged for the thin girl of about ten who had come running from the forest at the sound of her brother's cries. Van Hielen was so upset at the children's beatings that he offered the woman money if she would let them alone. She took the money greedily and disappeared into the hut with a glare at the children. "Poor things!" The trader said, "How can a mother be so cruel to her own children?" "Oh, but sir," exclaimed the little girl, "she is not our mother. She only makes us be her servants. You are kind, but do not trouble yourself. My name is Yaranka. My brother and I are the true children of the Forest Spirit, and she will help us to our revenge. We have suffered enough from that woman. We will get help from our true mother tonight in the Secret Place." With this speech, the two children made for the forest, leaving Van Hielen somewhat bewildered. Keeping to the shadows, for the moon was bright, Van Hielen hid himself near the hut. He heard the woman snoring, and not long after he saw two small shadows creep from the doorway and enter the forest. Van Hielen followed them, thankful that his many years in the country had taught him how to move silently through the jungle at night. Even so, he nearly lost sight of the two children many times. They seemed to slip through the tangle of vines and bushes like elves. After some time they came to a small clearing where a waterfall plunged into a pool in a shower of silver. In the center of the pool grew a single large, white water lily. Yaranka and her brother knelt down by the edge of the water and began to chant in an unfamiliar language. Then the children picked flowers from the bank and tossed them into the water. The motion of the tossed flowers made the trader dizzy. Everything seemed to be spinning, and the rush of the waterfall was joined by the rush of a strange dark wind. Out of the earth a vast figure reared itself, shapeless and towering. Then, in a mere flick of time, the figure vanished, the sickening motion in the clearing stopped, and all was as it had been before. Except that where the two children had stood, there now stood a pair of large jaguars. They were so close to Van Hielen that he could count the spots on the sleek heads and even the whiskers of the snarling lips. Van Hielen was a brave man, but he knew he had no chance against two such ferocious hunters at such close range. He saw the two pairs of green eyes gleam as the beasts scented him. Suddenly one jaguar checked its leap and shouldered the other one aside. The two furred bodies rushed past him on the narrow trail, so near that he could feel their breath. Then they were gone. Shaken, Van Hielen pulled himself together and made his way back toward the village. He arrived at the clearing just as dawn broke . Everything appeared as usual - except for the woman's hut, which had paw prints leading into the doorway. From within the hut came the most horrible sound he had ever heard. It was a soft *crunch*, *crunch*, *crunch*, as that of a large animal (or animals?) gnawing on bones. Certain that the woman would no longer beat the children, Van
Hielen left without a backward glance.
Domestic and wild cats represent magic, mystery, and independence. In Scandinavian lore, the domestic cat was associated with the Goddess of fertility, Freyja. In the Hindu tradition Shasthi, the Goddess of childbirth, is depicted riding a upon a domestic cat. And the Egyptian Goddess Bast (or Bastet), patron of cats, was most often presented in Werecat form. The Egyptians worshipped the cat perhaps more than almost any other culture. The cat was thought to be sacred to the goddess Isis, thus when Isis and her husband, the sun god Osiris, had a daughter the cat-goddess Bastet (Bast or Pasht) emerged. Originally Bastet was lion-headed, like the goddesses Tefnut of Heliopolis and Sekhmet of Memphis with whom she is often confused. Although it was in her later cat-headed form that Bastet became so immensely popular, she never ceased to be worshipped as a lion-headed deity. Bastet personified the life-giving warmth of the sun which encouraged the growth of vegetation. Because of this as well as being associated with Isis (as Mother Nature) Bastet was often worshipped as a fertility goddess. Tefnut, the lion-headed goddess of the Old Kingdom who was known as the "Ethiopian Cat" personified the cruel, searing heat of the equatorial sun, perhaps because the cat is seen as cruel in many cultures. No one can doubt the cats ferocity, and the Egyptians coveted that as well. Thus Sekhmet, "the Great Cat", which was twin sister to Bastet, "the Little Cat" was very a ferocious and warlike goddess that emitted flames against the enemies of the gods, for her aspect was the fierce destructive heat of the desert sun. When people wanted a fierce goddess to protect them they called on Sekhmet; and when in need of gentler and more personal help, they turned to Bastet. A text referring to the solar goddess runs: "Kindly is she as Bast, terrible is she as Sekhmet." The Egyptian Trinity was known by the composite name of Sekhmet-Bast-Ra. The lion was a symbol for the sun-God Mithra. The Egyptians believed the lion presided over the annual floods of the Nile. Early Christians believed it to be the earthly opponent of the eagle. The midieval alchemists associated th lion with the fixed element of sulphur, and a young lion was often the symbol of the rising sun and all that is implied by it. In the Scandinavian and Norse traditions, the lynx was sacred to the Goddess Freyja, and her chariot was sometimes depicted as being drawn by a lynx. The Greeks believed the lynx could see through solid objects. In fact, it was names for Lynceus, a mythological character who could also do this. In 1603 Italian scholars formed the Academy of Lynxes, dedicated to the search for truth and the fight against superstition. Galileo was a member, and its symbol was that of a lynx tearing Cerberus with its claws.The implication was that knowledge would end darkness and suffering. The panther has been associated with Jesus. In the *Abodazara* (early Jewish commentaries on the scriptures), it is listed as a surname for the family of Joseph. It tells how a man was healed "in the name of Jesus ben Panther". The panther was also associated with the Greek God of wine, Dionysus. One story tells how Dionysus was nursed by panthers, and he is sometimes depicted riding a chariot drawn by them. To the Natives of North and South America, the jaguar - especially in the form of a black panther - was endowed with great magic and power. It was seen as a symbol for mastery over all dimensions.To the Tucano Indians of the Amazon, the roar of the jaguar was the roar of thunder. The black panther was seen as To the Arawak, becoming the man-jaguar was the ultimate shapeshifting ritual. The Olmecs created monuments to the jaguar, and the Aztecs and Mayans spoke and taught about the power in becoming half-human, half-jaguar. Even in Egyptian rituals, a panther tail was worn about the waist or knotted about the neck to help protect and strengthen. It was used in a process called "passage through the skin" - their own version of shapeshifting to engender themselves with the panther's power. In Central Asia there arose a belief that the snow leopard does not eat the flesh of its victims, but sucks their blood. This belief probably stemmed from the puncture marks left when the snow leopard suffocates its prey. Another story is that of Milarepa, Tibet's poet-saint, who was stranded for six months in the Great Cave of Conquering Demons. When his followers went to find him, they found he had been transformed into a snow leopard. In Korea, the tiger is the king of beasts. In the Hindu tradition, the tiger is sacred to Kali, the Goddess of creation and dissolution, sexuality and death. In Greece it was connected to Dionysus, God of wine. In China, the tiger is both a symbol of darkness and the new moon, as well as brightness and the full moon. There are five mystic tigers in Chinese lore. The red tiger is a symbol of the south, summer, and fire. The black tiger is a symbol of the north, winter, and water. The blue tiger is a symbol of the east, spring, and vegetation. The white tiger is a symbol of the west, autumn, and all metals. The yellow tiger is supreme among all five; it is the ruler of Earth and all energies upon it. These represent just a few of the "breeds" currently involved in the
Cyberpack. To those whose breeds weren't included, I humbly apologize.
I couldn't find any stories or lore regarding them!
Part 2: Are you a
Werecat? Discovering one's feline nature is an individual and deeply personal thing. Often Werecats exhibit a "loner" attitude, and feel uncomfortable in groups. Werecats tend to value freedom above all else, the freedom to come and go as they choose, the freedom to be able to think and express ideas without anyone peering over their shoulder. Some Werecats are social and Pack-oriented, just like a lion or a beloved family cat. In the days of the Inquisition, women with "supernumary nipples" (more than two nipples, marked my faint dimples or freckles under the breasts) where accused of shapeshifting into large cats and feeding their familiars from their supernumary nipples. Men who acted particularly feminine or women who were assertive were termed "catty". Some Werecats are vain in their appearance and "preen" themselves, taking great care in their hygeine and style. Other Werecats are too wild to care for fashion and formalities. Werecats exude a sexuality and sensuality about them, primarily derived from the sleek, graceful nature of the cat itself. While not all Werecats should or do feel this way, many are rather amorous and occasionally lecherous or teasing. Cats are regarded for psychic and channeling capabilities, and this applies to Werecats as well. Werecats usually are empathic, and see things that others may not. Sometimes Werecats can astral travel more easily than others. A Werecats eyes are often important in seeing auras, or the kinetic impression of moods. This makes it difficult to hide intentions from a Werecat, and often (sadly) leads to the other person fearing and avoiding them. The biggest misconception is that Werecats are too selfish and aloof to run with a Pack. This is silly, as Werecats are part human and humans need companionship. As a fun aside, here is a list depicting 20 ways to know you're a
Werecat:
2.) When you walk by a sandbox, you have the urge to relieve yourself 3.) When you hear a catfight in the neighborhood, you puff up twice as big 4.) At the zoo all of the big cats sit still and stare at you... 5.) You can't get from your car to the front door without the neighbor's dogs chasing you 6.) You feel more comfortable sleeping in tree limbs than in a bed 7.) You would rather lick yourself from head to toe than take a shower 8.) When Spring rolls around you can't stop peeing on furniture and caterwauling 9.) Mice suddenly seem like a tempting gourmet 10.) The "Meow Mix" theme song suddenly makes sense 11.) You shed everywhere 12.) During Spring the neighborhood cats won't leave you alone 13.) You get chased up trees a lot 14.) The dogs that chase you see you shiftshape and retreat, yipping, holding their tails between their legs 15.) You've been sharpening your claws on the furniture 16.) People in the neighborhood are disappearing and you wake every morning with the window open and blood on your hands (just a joke!) 17.) You have an uncontrollable urge to sashay as you walk 18.) You lament at the lack of Werecat films and books 19.) Being "catty" takes on a whole new meaning 20.) Mouse - mmmm, tastes like chicken! For more information, write the author of this section, Walks Between
Worlds, at:
pariah@netherworld.com. 
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