Montsegur and the Mystery of the Cathars - Paperback

by Jean Markale (Author)

The history and philosophy of the mysterious Cathar religion and its lost treasure

- Demonstrates that Catharism is not simply a heretical Christian cult as it is often portrayed

- Examines the evidence for the existence of a lost Cathar treasure and its possible connection to the Holy Grail

On March 16, 1244, over 200 Cathars were captured in their fortress stronghold of Monts gur and were burned alive by troops of the Inquisition. While some Cathar enclaves survived into the next century, this was the death blow to a religion that had been a powerful symbol of Occitain sovereignty against the designs of the French monarchy and the papacy. History has recorded that four high-ranking Cathar perfecti carried a great treasure out of Monts gur the night before its fall, a fact that led rebel Huguenots of the 17th century and members of Hitler's S.S. to believe that an enormous treasure or weapon of awesome spiritual power lay hidden somewhere nearby the ruins of the former Cathar stronghold.

Seeking to untangle the true from the false, Celtic and medieval scholar Jean Markale meticulously searches through the obscure history of the Cathars, tracing their roots back to the ancient Zoroastrian religion of Persia. He examines what earned the Cathars--who practiced vegetarianism, non-violence, and tolerance--the ruthless persecution of both the Church and the state. He explores their doctrine, their place in medieval Occitain culture, and their secret pact with the Knights Templar. Most important, he uses all available documentation to reveal the nature of the treasure the Cathars spirited away from their fortress at Monts gur the night before its surrender to French troops.

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HISTORY / RELIGION"Combining impeccable scholarship with an imaginative insight, Markale illumnates a critical nexus in the development of Western religious history--one that has long been shrouded in darkness. The relevance of the Cathar doctrine to modern spiritual development is also confirmed by his analysis."James Wasserman, author of The Templars and the Assassins and Art and Symbols of the Occult"In this remarkable book, poet-historian Jean Markale evokes the spirit of the land where the Cathars walked in the light of their faith and were martyred by the Inquisition. Deftly navigating eddies of fact, fiction, and folklore concerning their treasure, he debunks frivolous speculation and rumor while allowing those theories supported by evidence to survive."Margaret Starbird, author of The Woman with the Alabaster JarOn March 16, 1244, after a year-long siege, more than two hundred Cathars were captured in their fortress stronghold of Monts駵r in the Pyrenees and burned alive by troops of the Inquisition. While some Cathar enclaves survived into the next century, this was the death blow to a religion that had been a powerful symbol of Occitain sovereignty despite the designs of the French monarchy and the papacy. History has recorded that, on the night before the fall of the fortress, four high-ranking Cathar perfecti carried away a great treasure from Monts駵r, a fact that led rebel Huguenots of the seventeenth century and members of Hitler's S.S. to believe that something of awesome spiritual power lay hidden somewhere near the ruins of the Cathar stronghold.Seeking to untangle the true from the false, Celtic and medieval scholar Jean Markale meticulously searches through the obscure history and dualist theology of the Cathars, tracing their roots to the ancient Zoroastrian religion of Persia. He examines what earned the Cathars--who practiced vegetarianism, nonviolence, and tolerance--the ruthless persecution of the Church and the state, and he explores both their place in medieval Occitain culture and their secret pact with the Knights Templar. Above all, Markale uses all available documentation to reveal the remarkable nature of the treasure spirited away by the Cathars on that fateful night in 1244.Poet, philosopher, historian, and storyteller, JEAN MARKALE has spent a lifetime researching pre-Christian and medieval culture and spirituality. He is the author of more than forty books, including The Templar Treasure at Gisors, The Druids, The Celts, Merlin, and Women of the Celts. He is a specialist in Celtic studies at the Sorbonne and lives in the Brittany region of France.

Author Biography

Jean Markale (1928-2008), was a poet, philosopher, historian, and storyteller, who spent a lifetime researching pre-Christian and medieval culture and spirituality. He was a former specialist in Celtic studies at the Sorbonne and author of more than 40 books, including The Templar Treasure at Gisors, The Druids, The Celts, Merlin, and Women of the Celts.