Here is potential link I would like to share with you. So far it is a very hypothetical, tenuous, subjective relation and it might remain this way.
Let me explain myself.
As you know, Cathars have been chased and destroyed with a rare violence. Even a crusade was settled against them. After thousands of deaths, years of suffering and torture, decades of attacks, only a few hundred Cathars were still alive. They got besieged in the last Cathar castle : Montsegur.
So the siege lasted long, and finally the Cathars lost. Here was the great deal proposed by the winners : either you negate your "religion", either you die.
Most Cathars chose the first solution. However, ~200 of them, mostly the "perfects" - the initiated ones - chose the second solution : to die.
NB : figures usually vary between 183 and 215. The "perfects" are kind of initiated monks - males and females.
Since they were so numerous, it was not possible to burn them in a classical way (tied to a pole standing on the top of a wood burden).
But incquisitors who were less stupid than pervert found a briliant technical solution: building a wood fence with a wood door and wood burdens within the fenced area. It was simple and efficient.
Before going on, for those who don't know the whole story, I will try to give you an idea of the level of blind violence animating the crusaders. Dominique de Guznan entered the city of Beziers (~60000 inhabitants) in 1209. Crusade soldiers were arresting and kiling so many people (including woman and children) that officers asked what should be done with all those people. Dominique de Guznan replied : "Kill all of them, God will know his own" . After Guznan and his troop left Beziers they had killed more than 20000 people. Dominique is more famous under the following name : Siant Dominique. Indeed,for his highly valuable work, Gusnan was canonised in 1234 (easy to remember) and he is celebrated every year on the 8th of August.
So let's go back to Montsegur. It is winter. We are in the cold morning of the 16th of March, year 1244. Snow is everywhere and clouds are low. Cathars have been chased, tortured, exterminated for 40 years. The very last survivors are here in Montsegur. The one who accepted to renounce to their faith were allowed to leave the castle alive.
The wood fence is settled in a field next to the Castle. Montsegur is now totally controlled by Crusaders. Some soldiers are waiting around the wood field holding torches. Some other troopers surround the 200 "heretics".
Long flames start to fly from the fence. And here the magic starts.
The 200 "perfect" cathars start walking together towards the fire. They hold each other hands. They seem amazingly calm. While they come closer to the wood porch, they start singing. They sereinely enter the fire field, their beautiful song hides the growing fire sounds. For endless minutes, their song lifts up from their souls and dances with the flames flying up from their bodies.
Today, this field look like another one. It is just some acres of green grass in the Pyrenees. Though for me and many others, it is a very very special place.
So where is the tenious link I was talking about in the beginning of this mail ?
If I correctly remember the Cs mentioned something like a critical mass of individuals that brought together in a specific environment and state of mind might have a non neglectable influence on events. And if my memory is not betraying me, this critical mass was roughly 200 individuals.
I had told you that it is a very tenious link ;)
But I thought it was good opportunity to tell you this beautiful and sad story.
Let me explain myself.
As you know, Cathars have been chased and destroyed with a rare violence. Even a crusade was settled against them. After thousands of deaths, years of suffering and torture, decades of attacks, only a few hundred Cathars were still alive. They got besieged in the last Cathar castle : Montsegur.
So the siege lasted long, and finally the Cathars lost. Here was the great deal proposed by the winners : either you negate your "religion", either you die.
Most Cathars chose the first solution. However, ~200 of them, mostly the "perfects" - the initiated ones - chose the second solution : to die.
NB : figures usually vary between 183 and 215. The "perfects" are kind of initiated monks - males and females.
Since they were so numerous, it was not possible to burn them in a classical way (tied to a pole standing on the top of a wood burden).
But incquisitors who were less stupid than pervert found a briliant technical solution: building a wood fence with a wood door and wood burdens within the fenced area. It was simple and efficient.
Before going on, for those who don't know the whole story, I will try to give you an idea of the level of blind violence animating the crusaders. Dominique de Guznan entered the city of Beziers (~60000 inhabitants) in 1209. Crusade soldiers were arresting and kiling so many people (including woman and children) that officers asked what should be done with all those people. Dominique de Guznan replied : "Kill all of them, God will know his own" . After Guznan and his troop left Beziers they had killed more than 20000 people. Dominique is more famous under the following name : Siant Dominique. Indeed,for his highly valuable work, Gusnan was canonised in 1234 (easy to remember) and he is celebrated every year on the 8th of August.
So let's go back to Montsegur. It is winter. We are in the cold morning of the 16th of March, year 1244. Snow is everywhere and clouds are low. Cathars have been chased, tortured, exterminated for 40 years. The very last survivors are here in Montsegur. The one who accepted to renounce to their faith were allowed to leave the castle alive.
The wood fence is settled in a field next to the Castle. Montsegur is now totally controlled by Crusaders. Some soldiers are waiting around the wood field holding torches. Some other troopers surround the 200 "heretics".
Long flames start to fly from the fence. And here the magic starts.
The 200 "perfect" cathars start walking together towards the fire. They hold each other hands. They seem amazingly calm. While they come closer to the wood porch, they start singing. They sereinely enter the fire field, their beautiful song hides the growing fire sounds. For endless minutes, their song lifts up from their souls and dances with the flames flying up from their bodies.
Today, this field look like another one. It is just some acres of green grass in the Pyrenees. Though for me and many others, it is a very very special place.
So where is the tenious link I was talking about in the beginning of this mail ?
If I correctly remember the Cs mentioned something like a critical mass of individuals that brought together in a specific environment and state of mind might have a non neglectable influence on events. And if my memory is not betraying me, this critical mass was roughly 200 individuals.
I had told you that it is a very tenious link ;)
But I thought it was good opportunity to tell you this beautiful and sad story.