In the first decade of the history of Phi Mu Alpha, an enigmatic black cat, known as the "Mystic Cat," became part of our lore. Our national magazine was first called "The Mystic Cat" (now "The Sinfonian"); the Mystic Cat appeared on the cover of our 1908, 1914 and 1931 songbooks, and for a while, new members were sometimes nicknamed "kittens." The lore and imagery of the Mystic Cat has enjoyed a revival in recent years.
There were also numerous songs and poems about the Mystic Cat, including this "Nonsense Song" from the 1914 Songbook:
The most mysterious mystery is our mighty Mystic Cat,
He prowls about our chapter rooms and waxes sleek and fat;
We wonder what and where he is, but all to no avail --
He's a mystery from his mystic nose to the tip of his mystic tail.
Does he only venture forth at night and shun the light of day?
Does he vanish like a spectre before the sun's first ray?
We never see his mystic form but while we watch and wait
We feel his mystic presence like some omen grim of Fate.
Oh, Mystic Cat, enigma dark, thou phantom of the night,
Reveal thyself unto our eyes in all thy mystic might.
Oh, sable-coated feline, Though thy form we never see,
We’ll worship at thy mystic feet for all eternity.
The funny thing, given his name, is that all these years later, no one really knows anything about the origin of the Mystic Cat. It was never written down. There are guesses, but it appropriately remains a "most mysterious mystery."
