Religion/Mythology

 Rats have had a place in religion ever since their existence here on earth. In many religions our furry little friends are viewed in a holy way, while other religions view these creatures as very bad. Many views on rats have also changed throughout history depending on where you look some people had to think twice about trusting these little creatures that they were told to worship. In the 14th century rats were the leading spreader of the bubonic plague. This was a terrible outbreak that was estimated to have killed around 25 million people which caused many people who once worshipped this creature to have second thoughts.

The first religion that I would like to go over is very interesting to me and caught my eye as soon as I started my research. The Temple of Rats, Karni Mata Hindu Temple is in India where Buddha taught that all living beings, no matter the form, were our family and friends. This temple was constructed in the early 1900s to honor goddess Karni Mata. Inside of the temple some 20,000 rats call this place their home and people who come here to worship bring offerings for the rats to eat. Even though the rats live in this temple, they are not worshipped by those visiting. They are simply free to roam the temple and call it their home. However, if you see a white rat this is said to be a reincarnation of Yama’s son. Seeing and touching a white rat is also supposed to bring you good fortune for the rest of your life. It was discovered that the rats in the temple do not leave the temple. Wild rats, however, do not come near the temple.

Now that I went over a religion who views rats in a positive way, I would like to share some information on how rats have been viewed in mythology throughout history. Rats are prominent characters in many different cultures mythologies but not all of them view them in the same way. Rats to many mythologies are viewed as tricksters for the way they can easily slip into your house unnoticed and ruin your food or even you home in some cases. In some cases, though rats can be seen as good and seeing a rat can bring you good fortune in your life. One rat folklore that is popular states that seeing a rat can mean that your family is growing because rats are known to be very fast breeders. Many people who connect with rats and see them as spirit animals are witty and possess many of the same characteristics as a rat such as being good with puzzles and always been a good problem solver. This is because rats are witty and always find a way to move forward. There are many meanings of rats in mythology and there is quite a lot of information on how rats have been viewed in mythology throughout our history.

How we view rats I believe has come from how we have viewed them throughout religion and mythology history. Many of the views that people have on these furry friends can be related back to the way we viewed them throughout our history of religion and mythology. 


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