Monts?gur and the Mystery of the Cathars
by Jean Markale
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jean MarkaleEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-09-02
ISBN: 0892810904
Number of pages: 312
Publisher: Inner Traditions
Book Reviews of Monts?gur and the Mystery of the Cathars
Book Review: Probably not for the general reader.
Summary: 5 Stars
Jean Markale's book is very dense-it is a book that will challenge any perceptions you might have about what you know about the late medieval period: philosophy, theology and collectively, the heresies that proliferated before the Protestant Reformation.
I read this French title in translation and thought, stupidly in hindsight, that I was familiar enough with the general topic of the Cathars and their modest place in the history of France and Europe. Ah-how wrong I was! Please don't let me put you off reading Markale's challenging book-just be somewhat aware of what you are in for because the author does not tread lightly over the intricate history of the Cathar theology. For instance in Part 2 he writes in-depth about Cathar philisophical/theological antecedents: the Mazdeans of ancient Persia, the Gnostics, Manicheans and finally the Bulgarian Bogomils. Markale is too wise to stitch a seamless sheet leading inexorably to the flowering of Catharism but he does trace the many common points where these early pre-Christian religions meet and the similarities they share with Catharism.
There is no dross in this book; seemingly every word, every sentence is a brick in the solid wall Markale is building.
His is not a book to skip over and be assured that you will be able to pick up the substance pages-indeed paragraphs-later. It is a book to be savored. His first chapter is one of those wonderfully literary compositions where the reader is left wondering if he/she is reading a rich novel or a piece of historical research. In later chapters this trails off but initially it reads like a beautiful piece of literature.
If you have time, background and interest I suggest that you find this wonderful book and enjoy it.
Summary of Monts?gur and the Mystery of the Cathars
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?r 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?r 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?r the night before its surrender to French troops.
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