The Japanese monster Nekōmata (猫また), which means "forked cat", was supposedly a two-tailed cat creature that lived in the mountains, but was originally a horribly mistreated house cat. I have read that they eat human flesh, and can perform necromantic feats, such as raising the dead. I have seen pictures of cats wearing Kimono and performing human acts, such as playing musical instruments. Are these creatures bipeds, capable of human acts? Any information that can give a more concrete description of this creature would be greatly appreciated
-
1Reminds me of "fox spirits" in Chinese mythology, who could take human form, and perform all kinds of trickster magic, including necromantic. Just from reviewing the Nakomata wiki, my sense is quadrupeds capable of bipedal movement. This makes sense as there is definite anthropomorphization with a cat wearing a kimono!– DukeZhouCommented Oct 15, 2020 at 22:44
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
From what I've read, it seems that they often do walk around on their hind legs. On Wikipedia, it says, " The less experienced cat has difficulty standing on its hind legs while the older cat is able to do so." The website yokai.com seems to agree, saying that they are "most likely seen walking around on their hind legs and speaking human languages." So, to answer your question, it seems that nekomata often did engage in human acts, such as walking on two legs. Also, in this image
of a nekomata, it is shown wearing human clothes and playing a shamisen.
