Grimalkin

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Grimalkin was the name of the witches' cat in Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

A grimalkin is defined as an old or evil-looking she-cat. The term stems from gray (the color) plus malkin, an archaic word for cat. Scottish legend makes reference to the grimalkin as a faery cat which dwells in the highlands.

During the Middle ages, the name grimalkin - and cats in general - became associated with the devil and witchcraft. Women tried as witches in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries were often accused of having a familiar, frequently a grimalkin.

The name has been re-used for various other things including a racing yacht which was a casualty in the 1979 Fastnet race storm. However the boat did not sink, has been refurbished and is still sailing.

See: malkin, greymalkin

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