The Preachers

During the renovations to the city library, a remarkable discovery was made in the Predikheren Monastery. They found bricked-up cats. These included both young kittens and adult animals. The Predikheren Monastery turns out not to be unique in this regard. Bricked-up cats have also been found in other places in Europe:

-in the cemetery of Saint-Maclou in Rouen, France

-a cat mummy is displayed in the castle of Combourg near Saint-Malo

-in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland

-in Schloss Laubegg in Austria

-in the pub Three Stags' Heads in Wardlow Mires, England

-in the pub The Stag Inn in Hastings too

-in the crypt of the St. Nicholas Church in Wiuwert, Friesland

-in the Grote Kerk of Veere in Zeeland

In many cases, there are clear indications that dead cats were deliberately bricked up in a wall cavity. Or placed under a door threshold to ward off evil. Sometimes they were even still alive. This animal sacrifice is thought to date back to pagan customs. From the Middle Ages onward, cats were associated with magic, superstition, and the devil, witches, the underworld... This practice, which was widespread in Europe from the Middle Ages, likely has its origins in pre-medieval building sacrifices. Although the pagan significance was later lost, bricked-up cats were still seen as bringers of good luck well into the 19th century, according to traditional superstition.

Pascal Brackman