The cat-sìth (plural cait-shìth), meaning "fairy cat" in Scottish Gaelic and pronounced "caught shee", is a fairy creature from Celtic mythology, said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its breast. Legend has it that the spectral cat haunts the Scottish Highlands. The Irish word cat sà literally translates to "cat of the fairy mound", where "mound" refers the fairy forts commonly believed to be the homes of fairies of all kinds in local folklore. English speakers may be familiar with its usage in the term "banshee", from Irish bean sÃ, meaning "woman of the fairy mound".
The legends surrounding this creature are more common in Scottish folklore, but a few occur in Irish. Some common folklore suggested that the cat-sìth was not a fairy, but a witch who could transform into a cat and back up to nine times. After the ninth transformation, they would be unable to return to human form. This is speculated to be the origin of the proverb "a cat has nine lives", as opposed to some other number.
Usage
See Special:Whatlinkshere/Etymology:Cait Sith for a list of articles using this term.
