Wampus cat
TheWampus catis acat-like creature inAmerican folklorethat varies widely in appearance, ranging from frightful to comical, depending on region.
Description[edit]
Early references, by theAmerican Dialect Society,noted the Wampus cat as "a creature heard whining about camps at night," "a spiritual green-eyed cat, having occult powers," or "an undefined imaginary animal."[1]FolkloristVance Randolphdescribed the Wampus cat as "a kind ofamphibious pantherwhich leaps into the water and swims like a colossalmink."[2]
Examples[edit]
The Wampus cat is the mascot of the following:
- Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School,Clark Fork, Idaho[3]
- Conway Junior High/ High School,Conway, Arkansas[4]
- Atoka High School,Atoka, Oklahoma[5]
- Itasca High School,Itasca, Texas[6]
- Leesville High School,Leesville, Louisiana[7]
In popular culture[edit]
- Amusical ensemblewho recorded several tracks in 1937 and 1938, and consisting of six or seven string musicians includingOscar "Buddy" Woods,were billed as "the Wampus Cats".[8]
- J. K. Rowling'sPottermorestoryHistory of Magic in North America[9]lists the Wampus cat as a source for hair used in magic wands.[10]TheAmerican School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ilvermorny,also has named one of its four houses for the mythical beast.[11]
- Strangeways Brewing in Virginia brews a beer[12]named after the cat.
- In theCormac McCarthynovelThe Orchard Keeper,the character Uncle Ather tells stories about Wampus cats, or "painters".[13]
- In theRoald DahlnovelJames and the Giant Peach,thepolice officersandfiremenofNew York Citymistook the Centipede for a Wampus.
- InSkylanders: Imaginators,the Skylander Sensei Mysticat is asphinxwho evokes the traits of the Wampus cat.
- Kobold Pressconverted the Wampus cat into a monster forDungeons & Dragons 5th Editionin its sourcebookTome of Beasts.These Wampus cats appear as female mountain lions with the heads of human, trollkin, orc, or goblin women and are created through curses leveled by shamans upon women who practice forbidden magic. Possessing the ability to enthrall others with their voice, Wampus cats despise all men, but especially holy men, priests, and shamans, whom they seek to kill in retribution for their fate.
- Pardon My Take,a sports podcast, used the Wampus cat as a euphemism for consuming a large amount of chewing tobacco as a punishment for mistakenly predicting a “whomping” in the2022 NBA Playoffseries between theBoston Celticsand theBrooklyn Nets.
- The 1965Tommy Collins (singer)song "If You Can't Bite, Don't Growl" includes the lyrics "I'm a wampus kitty and a mean mamma".
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"American Dialect Society.Dialect Notes(1905-1912). Volume III. (New Haven: The Turtle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1913) ".September 4, 1890.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
- ^Randolph, Vance.We Always Lie to Strangers: Tall Tales from the Ozarks.(New York: Columbia University Press, 1951.)
- ^Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School websiteLegend written by lifelong Clark Fork resident Shirley Dawson Crawford
- ^Owens, Judy (June 20, 2008)."Reporters Looking for Stories, Finding Wampus Cats | Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural".Daily Yonder.RetrievedMay 30,2014.
- ^"Atoka Alumni Association – Home".Wampuscatalumni.RetrievedMay 30,2014.
- ^Itasca ISD - TX - IISD HomeArchivedSeptember 8, 2009, at theWayback Machine
- ^Leesville High School - HomeArchivedApril 13, 2009, at theWayback Machine
- ^Uncle Dave Lewis."Buddy Woods".Allmusic.RetrievedNovember 23,2011.
- ^Sian Cain (March 8, 2016)."New JK Rowling story History of Magic in North America depicts Native American wizards".the Guardian.
- ^Rowling, J.K.(March 11, 2016)."1920s Wizarding America","History of Magic in North America".Pottermore.
- ^Rowling, J.K.(June 28, 2016)."Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry","Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry".Pottermore.
- ^"Strangeways Wampus Cat Triple IPA".RateBeer.RetrievedApril 23,2018.
- ^McCarthy, Cormac (August 11, 2010).The Orchard Keeper.Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.ISBN9780307762504.