For the rat that first appeared in human civilization, a controversial image has developed in the collective image : on the one hand, it was considered sacred by Asians, and on the other, cursed by the Western world.

From sacred animal...

However, before being considered as an invader by the West, the rat was originally perceived in Asia as a sacred being. For instance, in Chinese culture, the rat embodies the first year of the Chinese zodiac. It symbolizes luck and intelligence. In 2020, François LAM [a] created a statue in honor of the Year of the Rat [25]. The golden rat stands proudly on a rock. In Indian culture, the rat is elevated to the status of sacred being. In Hinduism particularly, the elephant god Ganesh (representing wisdom and intelligence) is often depicted with a rat-like conveyance called Mûshika [3]. These two sacred beings complement each other : the rat is small and cunning, while the elephant is huge and powerful. Thus, in Indian culture, the rat is elevated to the rank of sacred being. That is why Indians have constructed a sacred temple to shelter 20,000 rats : the Karni Karni Mata [22]. Moreover, this image of the clever rat can be found in occidental fiction. For instance, in Ninja Turtles [13], the humanoid rat Splinter is portrayed as a caricature of the “ sensei ” (a great wise and a cunning warrior). On the other hand, in the cartoon Ratz [12], the rodents are both caricatured as ingenious beings able to make flying vehicles, and also as silly creatures who make a lot of blunders.

The rats that swarm our cities today are mostly descended from the widespread Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the Norway rat. Originally from Asia, the rat was smuggled by human ships to Europe, where it now inhabits almost the whole world with the exception of Antarctica. Thanks to its ability to adapt to sometimes extreme environmental conditions, the rat has conquered the world ! That is why broadly supported by the majority is that rats are swarming invaders. It is a view often promoted in fiction, as in the animated episode of Love, Death and Robot series : Mason’s Rats [26]. In this episode the rat is portrayed as an invasive species that takes over a farmer's barn without his knowledge.

Once across the Asian border, the image of the rat is more controversial in fiction, a fine line separates the idolized rat and a despised rat.