The Cathars and the Albigensian Crusade: a sourcebook

261 Pages·2014·3.052 MB·English

by  Léglu, Catherine;Taylor, Claire;Rist, Rebecca

T C
HE ATHARS AND THE
A C
LBIGENSIAN RUSADE
The Cathars and the Albigensian Crusade brings together a rich and diverse range
of medieval sources to examine key aspects of the growth of heresy and dissent
in southern France in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and the Church’s
response to that threat through the subsequent authorisation of the Albigensian
crusade.
Aimed at students and scholars alike, the documents it discusses – papal letters,
troubadour songs, contemporary chronicles in Latin and the vernacular, and
inquisitorial documents – refl ect a deeper perception of medieval heresy and
the social, political and religious implications of crusading than has hitherto
been possible. The reader is introduced to themes which are crucial to our
under standing of the medieval world: ideologies of crusading and holy war, the
complex nature of Catharism, the Church’s implementation of diverse strategies
to counter heresy, the growth of papal inquisition, southern French counter-
strategies of resistance and rebellion, and the uses of Latin and the vernacular to
express regional and cultural identity.
This timely and highly original collection not only brings together previously
unexplored and in some cases unedited material, but provides a nuanced and
multi-layered view of the religious, social and political dimensions of one of the
most infamous confl icts of the High Middle Ages. This book is a valuable resource
for all students, teachers and researchers of medieval history and the crusades.
Catherine Léglu is Professor of French and Occitan Literature at the University
of Reading. She has published extensively on troubadour poetry and related
literary works of the High and Late Middle Ages. She has published two mono-
graphs, respectively on satirical poetry (2000) and the theme of multilingualism
in Occitan, French and Catalan literature (2010).
Rebecca Rist is an Associate Professor in History at the University of Reading.
Her research interests include the history of crusading, the papacy, medieval
heresy, and Jewish–Christian relations. She has published a monograph on
the papacy’s authorisation of crusades in Europe during the fi rst half of the
thirteenth century (2009).
Claire Taylor is an Associate Professor in History at the University of Nottingham.
Her work is on the south-west of France in the high-medieval period, with an
emphasis on its religious, political and social life. She has published two mono-
graphs on heresy in the region (2005 and 2011).
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T
HE
C
ATHARS
AND THE
A
LBIGENSIAN
C
RUSADE
A SOURCEBOOK
EDITED BY
C L
ATHERINE ÉGLU,
R R
EBECCA IST AND
C T
LAIRE AYLOR
R
Routledge
Taylor &. Francis Croup
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2014
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2014 Catherine Léglu, Rebecca Rist and Claire Taylor for selection,
translation and editorial material
The rights of Catherine Léglu, Rebecca Rist and Claire Taylor to be identifi ed
as the authors of the editorial material in this work have been asserted
by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation
and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-0-415-73688-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-408-25550-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-79814-1 (ebk)
Typeset in 10.5/13pt Galliard Std
by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS x
A NOTE ON THE EDITORS AND TRANSLATORS xi
A NOTE ON THE TRANSLATIONS xiii
PRIMARY SOURCES xv
MAP OF THE HIGH-MEDIEVAL LANGUEDOC xxii
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 1
Section 1 PAPAL LETTERS 21
Introduction 23
Part 1.1 Innocent III 32
1.1.1 Cum unus Dominus 32
1.1.2 Ad sponse sue 34
1.1.3 Inveterata pravitatis heretice 36
1.1.4 Ne nos ejus 37
1.1.5 Devotionem vestram dignis 40
1.1.6 In tantum clamor 41
1.1.7 Cum jam captis 41
1.1.8 Is in cujus 43
1.1.9 Etsi Tolosanorum excessus 46
1.1.10 Quot et quanta 47
Part 1.2 Honorius III 50
1.2.1 Populus Israel a 50
1.2.2 Deo in cujus 52
1.2.3 Ad colligendum zizania 55
1.2.4 Justis petentium desideriis 57
1.2.5 Quum quidam Christianae 58
· v ·
CONTENTS
1.2.6 Cum venerabiles fratres 59
1.2.7 Dignas Deo laudes 60
1.2.8 Mirabiles elationes maris 61
Part 1.3 Gregory IX 64
1.3.1 Ardenti desiderio aspirantes 64
1.3.2 Licet alia vice 66
Part 1.4 Innocent IV 68
1.4.1 Ad extirpanda 68
Section 2 TROUBADOUR POETRY 73
Introduction 75
Three Vidas: Peire Cardenal, Aimeric de Pegulhan
and Perdigon 79
Part 2.1 Political Poems 83
2.1.1 Guilhem Augier Novella ‘Quascus plor e planh son
damnatge’ 83
2.1.2 Gavaudan, ‘A la pus longa nuech de l’an’ 85
2.1.3 Pons de Capduelh, ‘So c’om plus vol e plus es
volontos’ 87
2.1.4 Anonymous, ‘Vai Hugonet, ses bistenssa’ 88
2.1.5 Raimon de Miraval, razo and canso ‘Bel m’es qu’ieu
chant e coindei’ 89
2.1.6 Peire Cardenal, ‘Razos es qu’ieu m’esbaudei’ 92
2.1.7 Peire Cardenal, ‘Tals cuida be’ 93
2.1.8 Tomier and Palaizi, ‘A tornar m’er enquer al
premier us’ 94
2.1.9 Gui de Cavaillon, ‘Senh’en coms, saber volria’ 96
2.1.10 Gui de Cavaillon, ‘Doas coblas farai’ 97
2.1.11 Raimon Escrivan, ‘Senhors, l’autrier vi ses falhida’ 98
2.1.12 Peire Cardenal, ‘Ben volgra, si dieus o volgues’ 99
2.1.13 Tomier and Palaizi, ‘De chantar farai una esdemessa’ 101
2.1.14 Bernart de la Barta, ‘Foilla ni fl ors, ni chautz temps
ni freidura’ 102
2.1.15 Bernart Sicart de Marvéjols, ‘Ab greu cossire’ 103
2.1.16 The view from England: Guillaume le Clerc de
Normandie, Le Besant de Dieu (extracts) 104
· vi ·
CONTENTS
Part 2.2 Religion 107
2.2.1 Peire Cardenal, ‘L’arcivesques de Narbona’ 108
2.2.2 Peire Cardenal, ‘L’afar del comte Guio’ 109
2.2.3 Peire Cardenal, ‘Un sirventés vuelh far dels auls glotos’ 111
2.2.4 Peire Cardenal, ‘Clergue si fan pastor’ 112
2.2.5 Peire Cardenal, ‘Ab votz d’angel’ 113
2.2.6 Guilhem Figueira, ‘Un sirventés farai en est son que
m’agensa’ 115
2.2.7 Gormonda de Montpellier, ‘Greu m’es a durar’ 119
2.2.8 Folquet de Marseille, ‘Vers Dieus, e.l vostre nom
e de sancta Maria’ 122
2.2.9 Gavaudan, ‘Crezens, fi s, verays et entiers’ 124
2.2.10 Peire Cardenal, ‘Un sirventés novel vueill comensar’ 125
Section 3 INQUISITORS’ REGISTERS 129
Introduction 131
Part 3.1 Extracts from Summaries of Crimes and Sentences
passed by Brother Peter Seilan in the Diocese of
Cahors, 1241–2 135
3.1.1 Gourdon, 1–24 December 1241 137
3.1.2 Montauban and Moissac, 2–9 May 1241 140
3.1.3 Montcuq, Sauveterre, Beaucaire, Montpezat,
Almont and Castelnau-Montratier, 10 February–
24 March 1242 141
Part 3.2 Extracts from Depositions of Witnesses from
Castelsarrasin Interrogated by Bernard of Caux,
1243–5 144
3.2.1 Pons Grimoard and Na Arnaude 146
3.2.2 Na Berètges and Othon of Berètges 151
3.2.3 John Vital 152
3.2.4 Isarn, Lord of Tauriac and Na Finas, his Wife 153
Part 3.3 Extracts from Depositions after the Siege and
Fall of Montségur (1243–4), 1244 157
3.3.1 Philippa of Mirepoix 158
3.3.2 Berengar of Le Lavelanet 159
3.3.3 Raymond of Péreille 161
· vii ·
CONTENTS
Part 3.4 Extracts from Depositions in the Processus against
Peter Garcias, 22 August–10 December 1247 164
3.4.1 Brother William Cougot 164
3.4.2 Brother Doat of Rodez 166
3.4.3 Brother William Garcias 168
Part 3.5 Extracts from Depositions Relating to the Circle
of Raymond Unaud of Lanta, 1 August 1245 and
8 October 1247 170
3.5.1 Raymond Unaud 171
3.5.2 Raymond Adhemar of Lanta 172
Part 3.6 Thematic Extracts 174
3.6.1 Childhood 174
3.6.2 Belief 176
Section 4 CHRONICLES AND NARRATIVES 179
Part 4.1 Extracts from the Song of the Albigensian
Crusade by William of Tudela and the
Anonymous Continuator 181
Introduction 181
4.1.1 The Fall of Béziers, 1209 (William of Tudela) 182
4.1.2 The Fall of Lavaur, 1211 (William of Tudela) 185
4.1.3 Battle of Muret, 1213 (the Anonymous Continuator) 187
4.1.4 Death of Simon of Montfort, 1218 (the Anonymous
Continuator) 189
Part 4.2 Extracts from the Chronicle of Peter of
Les-Vaux-de-Cernay 193
Introduction 193
4.2.1 On Cathars 194
4.2.2 The Siege and Fall of Lavaur, 1211 195
4.2.3 The Battle of Muret, 1213 198
Part 4.3 Extracts from the Chronicle of William of
Puylaurens 201
Introduction 201
4.3.1 The Battle of Muret, 1213 201
4.3.2 The Murders at Avignonet, 1242 202
4.3.3 The Seige and Fall of Montségur, 1243–4 202
· viii ·
CONTENTS
Part 4.4 Extracts from the Chronicle of William Pelhisson 204
Introduction 204
4.4.1 After the Peace of Paris 204
Part 4.5 Extracts from The Tale of the Heretic 208
Introduction 208
4.5.1 The Tale of the Heretic 209
FURTHER READING 215
INDEX OF PERSONS 223
GENERAL INDEX 231
· ix ·