According to the movie The Mummy, the character Imhotep was scared of cats because they were believed to be guardians of the Underworld.
The Reason Given in the Film
In the 1999 film The Mummy, the ancient Egyptian high priest Imhotep, resurrected as the titular mummy, displays a significant fear of cats. The reason explicitly stated in the movie for this intense phobia is the belief that "cats are the guardians of the Underworld". This makes them potent symbols and entities that the undead Imhotep seeks to avoid. Encountering a cat is shown to weaken him and drive him away.
How This Compares to Real Egyptian Mythology
It's important to note, as highlighted in the reference, that the movie's explanation for Imhotep's fear differs from actual ancient Egyptian beliefs regarding cats. While cats were indeed highly revered animals in Egyptian society, their primary associations were not with the Underworld or death in a fearful sense for the departed.
Instead, cats were linked to powerful goddesses:
- Bastet: Often depicted as a lioness or a domestic cat, Bastet was the goddess of fertility, motherhood, protection, music, dance, and joy. She was a benevolent protective deity.
- Sekhmet: Another goddess depicted as a lioness, Sekhmet was associated with healing, but also with warfare and vengeance. She was a powerful and sometimes fearsome deity, but still not directly a "guardian of the Underworld" in the sense presented in the film.
Ancient Egyptians believed cats offered protection in the earthly realm and were symbols of divine grace. While they had a spiritual significance, the film's specific portrayal of them as fearful guardians of the Underworld is a narrative device used within the movie rather than an accurate reflection of historical Egyptian religious beliefs.
Thus, the mummy's fear of cats in the film The Mummy stems from the cinematic explanation that they are the guardians of the Underworld, a concept used for dramatic effect within the movie's plot.
