Grimalkins: Not Your Average House Cat?
May 11, 2077
Definition of Grimalkin from the dictionary:
a cat (archaic)
a spiteful old woman
Hmmm. Not much to go on there. But why am I asking about grimalkins? Just for kicks and giggles. In my line of work, I never know what kind of creature I’m going to come up against next. It’s best to be prepared for anything.
So grimalkins, do they exist? I believe so, considering we could probably slap the name “grimalkin” on any cat-being. I imagine they would be rather wise, noble and patient creatures.
I’m not sure where the spiteful old woman reference comes from, but hit me with your grimalkin stories.
Comments (7)
I had a cat familiar once who was smarter than most toddlers. His name was The Gentleman, and he used to bring me presents every morning. Not dead birds and mice like you might think. The Gentleman brought me pretty leaves, flowers, pine cones, and even a gemstone once. He would drop them at my feet while I drank my tea, and wait for me to notice so I could tell him what a considerate gentleman he was. If ever a cat deserved to be called Grimalkin, it was he.
cchedgewitch (May 11, 2077)
Definitely a gentleman and a grimalkin. Thanks for sharing.
Valkyrie367 (May 11, 2077)
We have a tradition of animal spirit guides in my clan. I was chosen by a cat. Even though he is long gone, his spirit still guides me every day. Maybe this is a form of grimalkin?
Ahanu (May 12, 2077)
That’s a lovely tradition. And yes, I think grimalkins would make excellent spirit guides.
Valkyrie367 (May 12, 2077)
The spiteful old woman reference stems from the “malkin” portion of the term. Grimalkin may be a blending of gray and malkin, which was and archaic term with several meanings, one being a low class woman. Or it might also have been a diminutive of the girl’s name, Maude.
ThatWordGuy (May 14, 2077)
Thank you! I find etymology fascinating.
Valkyrie367 (May 14, 2077)
I wish my students did too. It would make grading their final papers a lot easier :(
ThatWordGuy (May 14, 2077)