Black Cat of Riga

Getting into the Great Guild in Latvia in the 14th century, was an incredibly huge honor. Similarly, getting snubbed from the Great Guild was a gigantic insult.

One Riga local was so offended that he attached a black cat on top of his building so it would cast its evil glare upon the Guild for as long as the building would stand.

With an arched back, the Black Cat of Riga seems ready to strike and clearly states the man’s displeasure at not getting admitted to the Guild. Obviously, the members of the guild hated the sculpture, and a fight between the man and the guild raged for months to come. Although an agreement was reached and the statue turned around, the Black Cat still sits on its perch in Old Town Riga.