You've heard the old adage that cats have nine lives. While this saying obviously isn't based in reality (although I wish it were), it has been repeated for hundreds of years. It had to come from somewhere, but according to historians, we're not exactly sure where it originated.
Jess Johnson, an Egyptologist at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in California, said this myth can't necessarily be traced back to a single starting point, but is likely a blend of ancient religion, superstition and human observation.
One possible origin of the myth stems from ancient Egypt. Johnson said cats were associated with the divine, and one story it could be traced to is that of Bastet, a cat-headed goddess of protection and fertility. The goddess was thought
to have two personalities: one graceful and one fiercely protective.
That said, some Egyptologists find this origin unlikely.
Brian Muhs, an Egyptologist at the University of Chicago, said this myth has been attributed to Egypt since cats were venerated to the point where they were even buried and mummified. However, Muhs said ancient Egyptian texts usually talk about life and afterlife rather than multiple lives, making it unlikely that ancient Egypt was the source of the myth.
"We do not know why the myth persisted, much in the same way that we do not know when and where the myth began. Cats have long been domesticated and were often kept in ancient Egyptian households to manage pest populations like mice and snakes. Over time, the graceful agility and uncanny ability to 'land on their feet' has likely contributed to a cat's reputation for cheating death," said Johnson.
Johnson said another starting point could've come from Norse mythology, as Freya, the Viking goddess of love and beauty, was associated with both cats and the number nine. Cats were said to pull the goddess' chariot, and she was the overseer of the mythological "ninth world."
The idea spread across cultures and centuries, eventually appearing in literature as well. The myth made its way into traditional English proverbs and in William Shakespeare's writing. One proverb says "a cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays," while Shakespeare references a cat's nine lives in "Romeo and Juliet."
Nine seems to be a reoccurring number for a cat's life, but Johnson said it's not universal. In some places, like contemporary regions of Iran, cats are said to have seven lives rather than nine.
While we don't know exactly where the myth of cats having nine lives originated, Johnson said it's likely a blend of beliefs and stories from different cultures over time. Pair that with cats' remarkable righting reflex, which helps them land on their feet after a fall, and it's no wonder the myth has persisted for centuries.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why do cats have '9 lives'? Historians trace back the myth
