Church of Jeff @jeffowski@mastodon.world
Public

On March 11, 889, a 22-year-old Japanese emperor wrote in his diary about his new black cat.

This diary entry is a rare and poetic historical artifact: a firsthand account of a beloved black cat written by Emperor Uda (宇多天皇) of Japan in 889 CE, when he was just 22 years old. It's considered one of the earliest known descriptions of a domestic cat in Japanese history, particularly in such a vivid, personal way.

See image Alt-Text for that diary entry.

On March 11, 889, a 22-year-old Japanese emperor wrote in his diary about his new black cat. “On the 6th Day of the 2nd Month of the First Year of the Kampo era. Taking a moment of my free time, I wish to express my joy of the cat. It arrived by boat as a gift to the late Emperor, received from the hands of Minamoto no Kuwashi. The color of the fur is peerless. None could find the words to describe it, although one said it was reminiscent of the deepest ink. It has an air about it, similar to Kanno. Its length is 5 sun, and its height is 6 sun. I affixed a bow about its neck, but it did not remain for long. In rebellion, it narrows its eyes and extends its needles. It shows its back. When it lies down, it curls in a circle like a coin. You cannot see its feet. It’s as if it were circular Bi disk. When it stands, its cry expresses profound loneliness, like a black dragon floating above the clouds. By nature, it likes to stalk birds. It lowers its head and works its tail. It can extend its spine to raise its height by at least 2 sun. Its color allows it to disappear at night. I am convinced it is superior to all other cats.”
0
0
0

If you have a fediverse account, you can quote this note from your own instance. Search https://mastodon.world/users/jeffowski/statuses/114518658825332678 on your instance and quote it. (Note that quoting is not supported in Mastodon.)