Vikings used
cats as rat catchers and companions and are
sometimes credited with the domestication of
the Norwegian Forest Cat, or Skogkatt. The
Viking goddess of love, fertility and war,
Freya, was strongly associated with cats, as
they were considered her sacred animals. She
was often portrayed in a chariot drawn by two
horse-sized winged cats. Kittens were often
given in her name to brides, linking together
Freya's influence over both cats and romance.
