The Feline Fright A Historical RoarAs I sit here pen in hand trying to make sense of...

The Feline Fright A Historical
RoarAs I sit here pen in hand
trying to make sense of the
curious case of catphobia
among some of historys most
influential leaders I am
reminded of Lewis Carrolls
whimsical masterpiece
Jabberwocky You see just as
the poem describes a
fantastical creature with
claws that gleam like jewels
and eyes that blink like the
stars these notable figures
seemed to have an unspoken
fear of our feline friendsLet
us start with Julius Caesar
the Roman general and
statesman who left an
indelible mark on world
history According to legend
Caesar was known to be a brave
warrior but behind closed
doors he was said to be
terrified of cats One can only
imagine the whispers in the
Roman Senate Caesar may
conquer Gaul but cats conquer
his heartNext we have Henri II
the King of France from 1547
to 1559 This monarch known for
his military prowess and
artistic patronage was rumored
to be felinephobic One wonders
if his courtiers would have
referred to him as Le Roi Chat
behind his back a play on
words combining Henris royal
status with his catrelated
fearNow we venture into the
realm of Charles XI the King
of Sweden from 1660 to 1697
This stoic leader was said to
be afraid of cats which might
seem incongruous given his
reputation as a strong and
decisive ruler Perhaps he saw
the agility and stealth of
felines as a reflection of
their own unpredictability
making him uneasyFinally we
come to Napoleon Bonaparte the
French emperor who left an
indelible mark on European
history It is said that
Napoleon was catphobic
although some accounts suggest
this fear may have been
exaggerated or even fabricated
Nonetheless the idea of the
great Napoleon feared by many
being intimidated by a
whiskered feline is a
tantalizing thoughtIn the
words of Lewis Carrolls poem
Beware the Jabberwock my son
The jaws that bite the claws
that catch Indeed it seems
that these historical figures
were all warned against the
perceived dangers lurking in
the shadows namely those
whiskered creatures with their
piercing gaze and razorsharp
clawsAs I conclude this
curious journey through
history I am left pondering
the mysterious connection
between these great leaders
and their seemingly irrational
fear of cats Were they simply
prey to old wives tales and
superstitions Or did their
feline phobia stem from a
deeper psychological or
philosophical insight into the
nature of power vulnerability
and mortalityWhatever the
reason it is clear that the
cat has been a constant
presence throughout human
history leaving an indelible
mark on our collective psyche
And so as we reflect on the
curious case of Julius Caesar
Henri II Charles XI and
Napoleons fear of cats we are
reminded to always keep in
mind the wise words of Carroll
The Jabberwock my son is a
creature of whimsy and wonder
but do not underestimate its
powerSources Suetonius The
Twelve Caesars Henri IIs
biographers various Charles
XIs biographers various
Napoleon Bonapartes
biographers variousImage
Credits The illustration is a
creative interpretation of the
Jabberwock from Lewis Carrolls
poem Jabberwocky

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.