When the Barbarians threatened the temple altars in ancient Siam, the cats defended them so strongly that they succeeded in repelling the invaders. In everlasting gratitude the priests prayed devoutly and the Siamese cats were rewarded by the Gods with a gift of blue eyes, which characteristically enhances the beauty of the Siamese cat.

Legend also states that the dark area on the neck of the Siamese is a shadow that was left when a god picked up once of the cats.

The tail kink was very common in earlier Siamese but is now considered to be a fault. The legend of the tail kink is probably the most well-known legend today. It was said that when the princesses and ladies of the Siamese court were bathing they would place their rings on the cat's tails, which then developed a kink to prevent the rings from falling off.