This reminds me of a story told by my father when he witnessed something very peculiar when a young man attending a funeral in Ireland. The deceased, a very old man, had been a character in the village and was known to be inordinately fond of cats. As is the custom in Ireland, a wake was held for 3 days after the death to ensure that no evil spirit could come and reanimate the body, nor stop the soul from starting on its onward journey.During this time the oddest thing happened and was witnessed directly by my father. Just as the priest arrived at the house to complete the final rites before closing the coffin, the village street filled with cats, hundreds of them appearing from every direction and they assembled outside the wake house, mewing and caterwauling in such a way as to convey almost the likeness of speech, as witnessed by the stunned mourners. They remained in place continuing the cacophany until the priest was entreated to go out and banish them with some prayers. It didn't work.They followed the coffin as it was carried through the streets to the church. The cats waited outside, patiently. After the funeral mass the coffin was again carried to the cemetery, cats running, leaping and romping around. By this time most of the villagers had disappeared out of fright. My father stuck it out and watched the feline throng finally melt away, almost one by one, after the old man's body had been laid in the grave.Some took it that the devil had visited that day, others that the cats came to pay their last respects to a much- loved friend. The whole episode so affected my father, a sober and sensible man, that he mentioned it from time to time, right up until shortly before his death. It was something he could not explain and it exercised him greatly. Perhaps the interconnectedness of consciousness is more powerful than we allow for.
Judy Jaafar ● 4755d