What have Cats got to do with Rain?

Villagers parading a cat for Hae Nang Maew, a rain ceremony (Thailand)

All customs, traditions, and cultures have a life span. Ritual observance often arises from a place and time and it can disappear as people move away from a place or, as time changes. All that to say, things change.

Much as one might analyze the custom of America’s youthful street gangs in the 50s through the Hollywood lens of the musical comedy Grease or the more melancholic Outsiders (or even West Side Story), these groups existed in a certain place and time. Gone are the jackets with Jets or Sharks, the fistfight rumbles in city parks and in front of malt shops. Gangs became more violent, their names and iconography adapting to sit the change. Malt shops disappeared and parks became more regulated.

As absurd as the comparison being drawn may sound, this phenomenon is no different from deeper cultural or longer-lasting traditions being put under the pressure of time.

In this case, the rain traditions of different cultural groups across Southeast Asia are evaporating quickly.

The View of Cats across Southeast Asia

Modern domesticated cats can be traced along two major lineages going back to the Fertile Crescent and even earlier, to Southeast Asia. The role and view of cats among Southeast Asian societies ranges widely though there are several major themes connecting cats to nobility (China, Thailand), as guards against ghosts (some Khmer peoples, Lao, Chinese, Thai, and Japanese), and as focused here, portentous symbols connected to weather.

In several Southeast Asian cultures, cats are not just furry companions; they are believed to possess mystical powers linked to rainfall and weather patterns. The reasons behind this are not immediately clear and remain understudied.

Image from the Treatise on Cats (1800), a samut khoi, or Thai Folding book,
courtesy of the *Library of Congress*

In many indigenous belief systems across the region, cats are revered as guardians of the weather, with their behaviors perceived as indicators of impending rain. For instance, in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia, it's believed that when cats groom themselves excessively or wash their faces with their paws, rain is imminent. Similarly, in Thailand, the sight of a cat staring intently at the sky is interpreted as a sign of forthcoming rain.

Beyond these folk customs, there are ritual observances as well. The Hae Nang Maew festival which takes place in Cambodia and in more agricultural parts of central and northern Thailand, celebrates cats as harbingers of good fortune and a wet year for successful crops.

In other parts of Thailand, there is the Si Sawat cat Rain-making parade, involving the Thai silver-blue cat whose fur is said to look like a rain cloud.

In Java, there is what is known as the Manten Kucing ritual, a ceremony by which two cats are paraded around a village, bathed, and “married” to each other in a ritual that asks for rain. This ritual however is not carried out annually, but only in years of drought or dry weather.

Climactic Impacts, Creeping Modernity, and Changing Cat Customs

Despite the modernization and urbanization sweeping across Southeast Asia, the reverence for cats persists, serving as a testament to the enduring connection between humanity and the natural world. In an era of climate uncertainty, where the impact of human activities on weather patterns looms large, these ancient customs and relationships offer a glimpse into a time when people lived in a more closely perceived harmony with the rhythms of nature, seeking solace and guidance from the creatures that inhabit their midst.

And while reverence for cats may continue, ritual connections are not. The allure of cities, creeping modernity, and increasingly dry years in some regions due to climactic shifts, spell trouble for the continuity of these festivals from their traditional communities.

As some of these unique village or micro-regional traditions risk being lost, others are being assumed by commercialization. What’s left generally, is pageantry, an event to attract tourists as well as questions about the continuity of tradition and who these newly commercialized traditions benefit.

Not all of these commercialized changes are bad.

In recent years, animal rights activists have encouraged communities to use stuffed animals instead of real ones to limit the stress on cats. This change has been somewhat successful leading to a combination of culture and commercialism that has made the 1969 hit manga character, Doraemon, the unofficial mascot of rain parades in several regions. This update to ritual has caused an upswing in observance while adding a new popular dimension to it.

While these changes to rain rituals and cats may be a wash, their modernization, even if vexing or challenging the original custom can be seen to give new life. While traditions continue to adapt or die out, it will be interesting to see how ritual observance makes the jump and whether or not commercialization serves as a key for driving custom in the future.

As we marvel at the intricate tapestry of Southeast Asian cultures, let us not overlook the humble yet revered feline companions that continue to play a pivotal role in preserving age-old traditions and fostering a deeper appreciation for the delicate balance of the natural world.

What have Cats got to do with Rain?

The View of Cats across Southeast Asia

Climactic Impacts, Creeping Modernity, and Changing Cat Customs

Further Readings

Forgetting Fatherland, Maintaining Mother Tongue(s)