DOCSLIB.ORG

Morality Among Cathar Perfects and Believers in France and Italy, 1100-1300

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Morality Among Cathar Perfects and Believers in France and Italy, 1100-1300 Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 12-1976 Morality Among Cathar Perfects and Believers in France and Italy, 1100-1300 James Edward Myers Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Myers, James Edward, "Morality Among Cathar Perfects and Believers in France and Italy, 1100-1300" (1976). Master's Theses. 2385. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/2385 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MORALITY AMONG CATHAR PERFECTS AND BELIEVERS IN FRANCE AND ITALY, 1100-1300 by James Edward Myers A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Arts Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan December 1976 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For my first introduction into the study of Catharism, as well as the encouragement to pursue my idea that many of the historians who have commented upon Cathar behavior were in error, I should like to express my gratitude to Professor John R. Sommerfeldt. I should also like to thank Professor Otto Grundler, Dr. Rozanne Elder, and Professor Sommerfeldt for the help they provided during the course of my studies and for their kind acceptance of my request that they serve on my thesis committee. Needless to say, my gratitude to these people in no way lessens my personal responsibility for the content of this thesis. James Edward layers Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or “target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to Insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will finda good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in “sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation. Silver prints of "photographs" may be ordered at additional charge by writing the Order Department, giving the catalog number, title, author and specific pages you wish reproduced. 5. PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have indistinct print. Filmed as received. University Microfilms International 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 USA St. John’s Road, Tyler's Green High Wycombe. Bucks, England HP10 8HR Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. MASTERS THESIS 13-9421 MYERS, James Edward MORALITY AMONG CATHAR PERFECTS AND BELIEVERS IN FRANCE AND ITALY, 1100-1300. Western Michigan University, M.A., 1976 History, medieval Xerox University MicrofilmsAnn # Arbor, Michigan 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION ................................. 1 I THE C A T H A R S .............................. ^ II THE HISTORICAL TRADITION................... I1*- III THE PERFECTS.............................. 27 IV THE B E L I E V E R S ............................ 44 V CONCLUSIONS............................. 56 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY......................... 6^ Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INTRODUCTION Travelling through Southern France today one is immediately struck by an enormous interest in the Cathars of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. From Perpignan to Avignon, throughout the Midi, Frenchmen of all ages and from all walks of life are more familiar with the history of their medieval ancestors than most of us Americans are with our eighteenth-century founders. Every book­ seller has the latest books and tracts on the Cathars in his window. For teachers, doctors, students, and factory workers the Cathars are often a topic for general conversation. One need only go to Montsegur on a weekend to be impressed by the vast number of people, young and old, who undergo the rigorous climb up to the last strong­ hold of Catharism in search of their past. In the last ten years the French have published nearly one hundred books or articles on the Cathars, some of them are scholarly efforts, but for the most part they are rapidly produced syntheses of earlier scholarly ef­ forts prepared for the French public at large and for foreign tourists who are merely curious. The current interest of the French in Catharism is not sur­ prising. For many people of Southern France the Cathars are not merely a passing interest for they are directly affected by them. The Cathars were their ancestors, and the military, governmental, and religious activity that occurred in Southern France during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries because of the Cathars and their 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. beliefs had an influence and lasting effect on this part of France.^ For the majority of Americans, even those with a background in medieval studies, the Cathars are either entirely unknown or their more interesting customs and beliefs are known only in part and in­ correctly. Most textbooks on medieval history gloss over Catharism in a page or two, usually only repeating the statements of other, earlier summaries. Because of the growing French interest in the Cathars, the recent research of French scholars, the deplorable state of Cathar studies in English, and the importance of Catharism as a probable reform movement to medieval, Renaissance, and Reforma­ tion history, I think studies in this area by Americans should be increased. Many of the popular views among American historians are based upon the efforts of nineteenth-century historians who were either influenced pejoratively by their Catholic background or lacked many of the sources available to us today, or both. As a result their knowledge on the subject is often sadly defective. With these views and objectives in mind I shall attempt a study of the sources currently available on one aspect of Catharism and, I hope, make a contribution towards solving one of the problems that has confronted historians of the movement and has, as I hope to show, resulted in conflicting views. The Cathars have been accused by many historians of highly ^"Joseph R. Strayer, The Albigensian Crusades (New York: The Dial Press, 1971)» PP- 163-17^. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. immoral and degenerate behavior. This view is still found in many texts, and it is one which my research has led me to conclude greatly exaggerated. The purpose of this thesis will be to examine perti­ nent sources on the behavior and moral standards of the Cathars and I shall hope to arrive at some definite conclusions. I shall begin with a brief outline of the religion and history of the Cathars, then treat the sources for the problem, and finally review the con­ clusions of some other historians. The main body of the thesis will be a discussion of Cathar behavior and morals, which will take into account the differences between Cathar "Perfects" and "Believers." Then I shall attempt a summary and presentation of conclusions which I think must necessarily be drawn from the evidence. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I THE CATHARS Since the objective of this thesis is not to present a compre­ hensive study of either the history of the Cathars or their religion; I shall begin this chapter by merely summarizing these two aspects. However, to understand what shall be discussed later the reader must be acquainted with both the religion and the history of the Cathars. The Cathars belonged to a religious group which flourished in Western Europe from c. 1150 to 1300 A.D.; this group considered themselves the only true practitioners of Christianity. A few Cathar communities were found in England and in Germany, near Cologne, but they were short-lived and the main Cathar concentrations were in Northern Italy and Southern Prance. It was in France, in the vicin­ ity of the village of Albi, near Toulouse, that they became most conspicuous, and it is from this region that they derived the name often given them: "Albigensians." How they originated and developed in Western Europe is still a matter of scholarly debate. Some authorities claim from available evidence that they originated from the Bogomil sect in the Balkans and Constantinople, and others claim that they sprang up independently, in Languedoc, as a reaction to local prevailing religious and social conditions.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Anti-Semitism: a History
    ANTI-SEMITISM: A HISTORY 1 www.counterextremism.com | @FightExtremism ANTI-SEMITISM: A HISTORY Key Points Historic anti-Semitism has primarily been a response to exaggerated fears of Jewish power and influence manipulating key events. Anti-Semitic passages and decrees in early Christianity and Islam informed centuries of Jewish persecution. Historic professional, societal, and political restrictions on Jews helped give rise to some of the most enduring conspiracies about Jewish influence. 2 Table of Contents Religion and Anti-Semitism .................................................................................................... 5 The Origins and Inspirations of Christian Anti-Semitism ................................................. 6 The Origins and Inspirations of Islamic Anti-Semitism .................................................. 11 Anti-Semitism Throughout History ...................................................................................... 17 First Century through Eleventh Century: Rome and the Rise of Christianity ................. 18 Sixth Century through Eighth Century: The Khazars and the Birth of an Enduring Conspiracy Theory AttacKing Jewish Identity ................................................................. 19 Tenth Century through Twelfth Century: Continued Conquests and the Crusades ...... 20 Twelfth Century: Proliferation of the Blood Libel, Increasing Restrictions, the Talmud on Trial ..............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • PERFORMED IDENTITIES: HEAVY METAL MUSICIANS BETWEEN 1984 and 1991 Bradley C. Klypchak a Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate
    PERFORMED IDENTITIES: HEAVY METAL MUSICIANS BETWEEN 1984 AND 1991 Bradley C. Klypchak A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2007 Committee: Dr. Jeffrey A. Brown, Advisor Dr. John Makay Graduate Faculty Representative Dr. Ron E. Shields Dr. Don McQuarie © 2007 Bradley C. Klypchak All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Dr. Jeffrey A. Brown, Advisor Between 1984 and 1991, heavy metal became one of the most publicly popular and commercially successful rock music subgenres. The focus of this dissertation is to explore the following research questions: How did the subculture of heavy metal music between 1984 and 1991 evolve and what meanings can be derived from this ongoing process? How did the contextual circumstances surrounding heavy metal music during this period impact the performative choices exhibited by artists, and from a position of retrospection, what lasting significance does this particular era of heavy metal merit today? A textual analysis of metal- related materials fostered the development of themes relating to the selective choices made and performances enacted by metal artists. These themes were then considered in terms of gender, sexuality, race, and age constructions as well as the ongoing negotiations of the metal artist within multiple performative realms. Occurring at the juncture of art and commerce, heavy metal music is a purposeful construction. Metal musicians made performative choices for serving particular aims, be it fame, wealth, or art. These same individuals worked within a greater system of influence. Metal bands were the contracted employees of record labels whose own corporate aims needed to be recognized.
    [Show full text]
  • Life Among Good Women: the Social and Religious Impact of the Cathar Perfectae in the Thirteenth-Century Lauragais
    Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 12-2017 Life among Good Women: The Social and Religious Impact of the Cathar Perfectae in the Thirteenth-Century Lauragais Derek Robert Benson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the European History Commons, and the History of Gender Commons Recommended Citation Benson, Derek Robert, "Life among Good Women: The Social and Religious Impact of the Cathar Perfectae in the Thirteenth-Century Lauragais" (2017). Master's Theses. 2008. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/2008 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LIFE AMONG GOOD WOMEN: THE SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS IMPACT OF THE CATHAR PERFECTAE IN THE THIRTEENTH-CENTURY LAURAGAIS by Derek Robert Benson A thesis submitted to the Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts History Western Michigan University December 2017 Thesis Committee: Robert Berkhofer III, Ph.D., Chair Larry Simon, Ph.D. James Palmitessa, Ph.D. LIFE AMONG GOOD WOMEN: THE SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS IMPACT OF THE CATHAR PERFECTAE IN THE THIRTEENTH-CENTURY LAURAGAIS Derek Robert Benson, M.A. Western Michigan University, 2017 This Master’s Thesis builds on the work of previous historians, such as Anne Brenon and John Arnold. It is primarily a study of gendered aspects in the Cathar heresy.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dark Age Church Period of Barbarian Invasions
    Scholars Crossing History of Global Missions Center for Global Ministries 2009 The Dark Age Church Period of Barbarian Invasions Don Fanning Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgm_hist Recommended Citation Fanning, Don, "The Dark Age Church Period of Barbarian Invasions" (2009). History of Global Missions. 3. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgm_hist/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Global Ministries at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in History of Global Missions by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Middle Ages 500-1000 1 3 The Dark Age Church Period of Barbarian Invasions AD 500—1000 Introduction With the endorsement of the Emperor and obligatory church membership for all Roman citizens across the empire, Roman Christianity continued to change the nature of the Church, in stead of visa versa. The humble beginnings were soon forgotten in the luxurious halls and civil power of the highest courts and assemblies of the known world. Who needs spiritual power when you can have civil power? The transition from being the persecuted to the persecutor, from the powerless to the powerful with Imperial and divine authority brought with it the inevitable seeds of corruption. Some say that Christianity won the known world in the first five centuries, but a closer look may reveal that the world had won Christianity as well, and that, in much less time. The year 476 usually marks the end of the Christian Roman Empire in the West.
    [Show full text]
  • 4.1.2 Chronology of False Religions/Heresies of Satan (App.)
    The Need for Teaching the Eschatological Gospel of Both Comings of Jesus Christ in the 21st Century . 4.1.2 Chronology of False Religions/Heresies of Satan 0(app. 4,000 BC) 0 (app.) -- The Fall (Original Sin) of Humanity in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3) 75 (app.) -- Cain murders Abel and is cursed (Gen 4:1-16) 475 (app.) -- Lamech (descendent of Cain) murders 2 men & from his two wives (1st polygamist) & 4 kids came “human knowledge” vs. godly knowledge (Gen 4:20-24) 1,000 (3,000 BC) 1500 (app.) -- Angels marry women and procreate giants (Gen 6:1-8) 1656 (2344 BC) -- Flood wipes out sinful man on earth (only Noah & Family survive--Gen 7-8) 1757 (app.) -- Nimrod/Tower of Babel (Gen 11)—Nimrod & wife, Semiramis (from Ham, cursed son of Noah), establish Babylonian Mysteries Cults, Witchcraft/Pantheism (app.) = approximate Chronology of False Religions/Heresies of Satan (cont.) 2000 (2000 BC) 2000 (app.) -- Babylonian Mysteries Cult False Religion begins to spread over the entire earth (Becomes Baal and Ishtar/Ashteroth worship in Canaan) 2600-4400 -- Persians, Indians, Greeks, and Romans worship the god Mithras (1400 BC-400 AD) 2980 (app.) -- Sun god (Ra) and animal worship in Egypt (Egypt descended from Ham) 3,000 (1,000 BC) 3000 (app.) -- Sun worship and Animism established in India/Humanism in China 3278 (722 BC) -- Israel (Samaria) exiled to Assyria (resettled by Assyrian Mysteries cult/Judaism mixed races and religion, became the Samaritans) 3395 (605 BC) -- Beginning of Judah to exile in Babylon 3412 (588 BC) -- Taoism in China/Zoroastrianism
    [Show full text]
  • Nemanja Radulovic: the Role of Gnosticism in Neo-Bogomilism
    Freie Universität Berlin 26 & 27 June 2014 New Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond Nemanja Radulovic:´ The Role of Gnosticism in Neo-Bogomilism The subject of the paper will be the influence of “Gnosticism” and “Antiquity” on contemporary Neo-Bogomil movements. These include Universal White Brotherhood (Bulgaria) and the Slavic Church of Bogomils and Holy Grail (Croatia). Both claim to be succesors of medieval Bogomilism and both are still underresarched. In the process of constructing their sense of tradition, these movements in eclectic fashion heavily rely on the concept of “time immemorial” (e. g., ancient lands like Hyperborea, Atlantis, etc.), on Romantic constructs of the Slavic past (i. e., envisioning Bogomilism as primarily Slavic movement) and on the imagining of historical antiquity (Egypt, early Christianity and Gnosticism, and, to a lesser extent, ancient Greece). The last element of this bricolage will be presented in the paper. We will try to show how both movements – in spite of their differences – invent their own image of antiquity, focusing mostly on lines of succession allegedly stemming from Gnosticism. The paper will also illustrate how these groups use concepts and motifs characteristic of (or at least attributed to) ancient Gnostic groups. Comparison with other Neo-Gnostic groups in the West and with modern scholarly approaches to Gnosticism will thus show what Neo-Bogomils are interested in, namely, the construction of their own identities. Keywords: Balkans, Christianity, Neo-Gnosticism, Neo-Paganism 1 Freie Universität Berlin 26 & 27 June 2014 New Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond Index: Archaeology: • Caroline Tully (U.
    [Show full text]
  • Jews on Trial: the Papal Inquisition in Modena
    1 Jews, Papal Inquisitors and the Estense dukes In 1598, the year that Duke Cesare d’Este (1562–1628) lost Ferrara to Papal forces and moved the capital of his duchy to Modena, the Papal Inquisition in Modena was elevated from vicariate to full Inquisitorial status. Despite initial clashes with the Duke, the Inquisition began to prosecute not only heretics and blasphemers, but also professing Jews. Such a policy towards infidels by an organization appointed to enquire into heresy (inquisitio haereticae pravitatis) was unusual. In order to understand this process this chapter studies the political situation in Modena, the socio-religious predicament of Modenese Jews, how the Roman Inquisition in Modena was established despite ducal restrictions and finally the steps taken by the Holy Office to gain jurisdiction over professing Jews. It argues that in Modena, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Holy Office, directly empowered by popes to try Jews who violated canons, was taking unprecedented judicial actions against them. Modena, a small city on the south side of the Po Valley, seventy miles west of Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, originated as the Roman town of Mutina, but after centuries of destruction and renewal it evolved as a market town and as a busy commercial centre of a fertile countryside. It was built around a Romanesque cathedral and the Ghirlandina tower, intersected by canals and cut through by the Via Aemilia, the ancient Roman highway from Piacenza to Rimini. It was part of the duchy ruled by the Este family, who origi- nated in Este, to the south of the Euganean hills, and the territories it ruled at their greatest extent stretched from the Adriatic coast across the Po Valley and up into the Apennines beyond Modena and Reggio, as well as north of the Po into the Polesine region.
    [Show full text]
  • THE CORRUPTION of ANGELS This Page Intentionally Left Blank the CORRUPTION of ANGELS
    THE CORRUPTION OF ANGELS This page intentionally left blank THE CORRUPTION OF ANGELS THE GREAT INQUISITION OF 1245–1246 Mark Gregory Pegg PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON AND OXFORD COPYRIGHT 2001 BY PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PUBLISHED BY PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS, 41 WILLIAM STREET, PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY 08540 IN THE UNITED KINGDOM: PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS, 3 MARKET PLACE, WOODSTOCK, OXFORDSHIRE OX20 1SY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA PEGG, MARK GREGORY, 1963– THE CORRUPTION OF ANGELS : THE GREAT INQUISITION OF 1245–1246 / MARK GREGORY PEGG. P. CM. INCLUDES BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES AND INDEX. ISBN 0-691-00656-3 (ALK. PAPER) 1. ALBIGENSES. 2. LAURAGAIS (FRANCE)—CHURCH HISTORY. 3. INQUISITION—FRANCE—LAURAGAIS. 4. FRANCE—CHURCH HISTORY—987–1515. I. TITLE. DC83.3.P44 2001 272′.2′0944736—DC21 00-057462 THIS BOOK HAS BEEN COMPOSED IN BASKERVILLE TYPEFACE PRINTED ON ACID-FREE PAPER. ∞ WWW.PUP.PRINCETON.EDU PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 13579108642 To My Mother This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix 1 Two Hundred and One Days 3 2 The Death of One Cistercian 4 3 Wedged between Catha and Cathay 15 4 Paper and Parchment 20 5 Splitting Heads and Tearing Skin 28 6 Summoned to Saint-Sernin 35 7 Questions about Questions 45 8 Four Eavesdropping Friars 52 9 The Memory of What Was Heard 57 10 Lies 63 11 Now Are You Willing to Put That in Writing? 74 12 Before the Crusaders Came 83 13 Words and Nods 92 14 Not Quite Dead 104 viii CONTENTS 15 One Full Dish of Chestnuts 114 16 Two Yellow Crosses 126 17 Life around a Leaf 131 NOTES 133 BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS CITED 199 INDEX 219 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS HE STAFF, librarians, and archivists of Olin Library at Washing- ton University in St.
    [Show full text]
  • An Educator's Guide To
    An Educator’s Guide to by Adam Gidwitz Dear Educator, I’m at the Holy Crossroads Inn, a day’s walk north of Paris. Outside, the sky is dark, and getting darker… It’s the perfect night for a story. Critically acclaimed Adam Gidwitz’s new novel has “as much to say about the present as it does the past.” (— Publishers Weekly). Themes of social justice, tolerance and empathy, and understanding differences, especially as they relate to personal beliefs and religion, run through- out his expertly told tale. The story, told from multiple narrator’s points of view, is evocative of The Canterbury Tales—richly researched and action packed. Ripe for 4th-6th grade learners, it could be read aloud or assigned for at-home or in-school reading. The following pages will guide you through teaching the book. Broken into sections and with suggested links and outside source material to reference, it will hopefully be the starting point for you to incorporate this book into the fabric of your classroom. We are thrilled to introduce you to a new book by Adam, as you have always been great champions of his books. Thank you for your continued support of our books and our brand. Penguin School & Library About the Author: Adam Gidwitz taught in Brooklyn for eight years. Now, he writes full- time—which means he writes a couple of hours a day, and lies on the couch staring at the ceiling the rest of the time. As is the case with all of this books, everything in them not only happened in the real fairy tales, it also happened to him.
    [Show full text]
  • Cathar Or Catholic: Treading the Line Between Popular Piety and Heresy in Occitania, 1022-1271
    Cathar or Catholic: Treading the line between popular piety and heresy in Occitania, 1022-1271. Master’s Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Department of History William Kapelle, Advisor In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Master’s Degree by Elizabeth Jensen May 2013 Copyright by Elizabeth Jensen © 2013 ABSTRACT Cathar or Catholic: Treading the line between popular piety and heresy in Occitania, 1022-1271. A thesis presented to the Department of History Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts By Elizabeth Jensen The Occitanian Cathars were among the most successful heretics in medieval Europe. In order to combat this heresy the Catholic Church ordered preaching campaigns, passed ecclesiastic legislation, called for a crusade and eventually turned to the new mechanism of the Inquisition. Understanding why the Cathars were so popular in Occitania and why the defeat of this heresy required so many different mechanisms entails exploring the development of Occitanian culture and the wider world of religious reform and enthusiasm. This paper will explain the origins of popular piety and religious reform in medieval Europe before focusing in on two specific movements, the Patarenes and Henry of Lausanne, the first of which became an acceptable form of reform while the other remained a heretic. This will lead to a specific description of the situation in Occitania and the attempts to eradicate the Cathars with special attention focused on the way in which Occitanian culture fostered the growth of Catharism. In short, Catharism filled the need that existed in the people of Occitania for a reformed religious experience.
    [Show full text]
  • Read Transcript
    History of the Crusades. Episode 111. The Crusade Against The Cathars. The Origins Of The Cathars. Hello again. Last week we took a closer look at southern France on the eve of the Crusade Against the Cathars. This week we will take a look at the Cathars themselves. In a nutshell, the Cathars were religious devotees who had strayed so far from the orthodox teachings of the Latin Church that not only were they viewed as heretics, there were many who questioned whether they could even be classed as Christians. Central to their belief was the distinction between the temporal and the eternal, the dark and the light, the material and the spiritual. To the Cathars, the material world was the realm of the devil; only the spiritual world was pure and divine. Unsurprisingly then, they rejected material possessions, preached celibacy, and spurned many pleasures of the material world. They had no churches, no holy objects, and their spiritual leaders, known as the "Perfect", wore only common everyday clothes. The Perfect were vegetarians, although everyday Cathars could eat whatever food they liked. They rejected the sacraments of the Catholic Church, and had only one ritual of their own, called the "Consolamentum". The Consolamentum was used to ordain a new Perfect, or to prepare dying Cathars for their journey from the base, evil, material world into the pure, spiritual one. Cathars rejected the Old Testament, taking for their own scriptures the New Testament, particularly the Gospel According to St John. These were translated into the language of Southern France, Languedoc, and circulated amongst the Cathars.
    [Show full text]
  • The Idea of Medieval Heresy in Early Modern France
    The Idea of Medieval Heresy in Early Modern France Bethany Hume PhD University of York History September 2019 2 Abstract This thesis responds to the historiographical focus on the trope of the Albigensians and Waldensians within sixteenth-century confessional polemic. It supports a shift away from the consideration of medieval heresy in early modern historical writing merely as literary topoi of the French Wars of Religion. Instead, it argues for a more detailed examination of the medieval heretical and inquisitorial sources used within seventeenth-century French intellectual culture and religious polemic. It does this by examining the context of the Doat Commission (1663-1670), which transcribed a collection of inquisition registers from Languedoc, 1235-44. Jean de Doat (c.1600-1683), President of the Chambre des Comptes of the parlement of Pau from 1646, was charged by royal commission to the south of France to copy documents of interest to the Crown. This thesis aims to explore the Doat Commission within the wider context of ideas on medieval heresy in seventeenth-century France. The periodization “medieval” is extremely broad and incorporates many forms of heresy throughout Europe. As such, the scope of this thesis surveys how thirteenth-century heretics, namely the Albigensians and Waldensians, were portrayed in historical narrative in the 1600s. The field of study that this thesis hopes to contribute to includes the growth of historical interest in medieval heresy and its repression, and the search for original sources by seventeenth-century savants. By exploring the ideas of medieval heresy espoused by different intellectual networks it becomes clear that early modern European thought on medieval heresy informed antiquarianism, historical writing, and ideas of justice and persecution, as well as shaping confessional identity.
    [Show full text]