The ''Cagots'' () were a persecuted minority found in the west of France and northern Spain: the Navarrese Pyrenees, Basque Country (historical territory), Basque provinces, Béarn, Aragón, Gascony and Brittany. Evidence of the group exists as far back as 1000 CE.

Name

Etymology

The origins of both the term (and , , , etc.) and the Cagots themselves are uncertain. It has been suggested that they were descendants of the Visigoths defeated by Clovis I at the Battle of Vouillé,: "" ["4) ''What would that people be, which after its subjugation would be present only in these miserable ones?'' In no way are the opinions of the writers so divided. Some consider them to be the descendants of the first inhabitants conquered by the Romans and later by the Franks - ''the Gauls''. ''Antoine Court de Gébelin, Court de Gebelin'' in his chooses the ''Alans'' and cites the Battle of Orleans (463), battle of 463, in which they were defeated with the Visigoths. ''Pierre de Marca, Marca'' regards them as the remains of the ''Saracens, Sarazans'' defeated by ''Charles Martel, Carl Martel'' led by the ''Abd al-Rahman I, Abdalrahman''. ''Louis Ramond de Carbonnières, Ramond'' in his ''Journey to the Pyrenees'' derives them from the Arian-minded peoples who, under the ''Clovis I, Clodoveus'' in the year 507 at ''Vouillé, Vienne, Vouglé'' (''in Campo'' or ''Campania Vocladensi'') under the leadership of ''Alaric II, Alaric'', beaten, scattered, abused ten miles from ''Poitiers'', and treated with equal bitterness and contempt by the inhabitants of the ''Loire'' and the ''Sèvre Niortaise, Sévre'' the mouths of these two rivers were driven. Who is right here must first be decided later, and before this can happen, the matter must be examined more closely."] and that the name derives from ("dog") and the Old Occitan for Goths, Goth around the 6th century. Yet in opposition to this etymology is the fact that the word is first found in this form no earlier than the year 1542. Seventeenth century French historian Pierre de Marca, in his , propounds the reverse – that the word signifies "hunters of the Goths", and that the Cagots were descendants of the Saracens and Moors of Al-Andalus (or even Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain, Jews) after their defeat by Charles Martel, although this proposal was comprehensively refuted by the Prior of Livorno, Abbot as early as 1754. Antoine Court de Gébelin derives the term cagot from the Latin , meaning "false, bad, deceitful", and meaning "god", due to a belief that Cagots were descended from the Alans and followed Arianism.

Variations

Their name differed by province and the Languages of France, local language: * In Gascony they were called , and ; "" ["The gafets or gahets of Guyenne make their appearance in history towards the end of the 13th century, at the same time as the cagots. They, too, were considered wretches; they had in the church a door, a place and a stoup reserved, and they were buried separately. The custom of Le Mas-d'Agenais, Mas-d'Agenais, written in 1388, forbids anyone "to buy, to sell, cattle or poultry from gafet or gafete, or to rent gafet or gafete for harvesting." The custom of Marmande forbids gafets to go barefoot through the streets and without a "signal" of red cloth applied to the left side of the dress, to buy or to stay in the city on a day other than Monday; she enjoins them, if they meet man or woman, to stand apart as much as possible until the passer-by has moved away."] * In Bordeaux they were called , : "" ["They are known in Brittany under the name of Cacous or Caqueux. They can be found in Aunis, especially on the island of Maillezais, as well as in La Rochelle, where they are called Coliberts. In Guyenne and Gascogne, near Bordeaux, they appear under the name of the Cahets, and can be found in the most uninhabitable swamps, swamps and heaths. In the two Navarres they are called Caffos, Cagotes, Agotes."] or * In Agenais, Bordeaux, and Landes de Gascogne they were called * In the Southern Basque Country, Spanish Basque country they were called , , , and * In County of Anjou, Anjou, Languedoc, and Armagnac (province), Armagnac they were called , and (''marsh people'') * In Brittany they were called , (possibly from the Breton language, Breton word meaning leprous), and . They were also sometimes referred to as , , ,: "" ["The question arises 2) ''Do the caquets or caqueux in Brittany and the cagots in Bearn, like the cassos in Navarre, belong to one and the same family?'' We think we can answer the question with ''Louis Ramond de Carbonnières, Ramond'' in the affirmative. The close affinity of names, the similarity of their condition, the same contempt in all places, and the same spirit emanating from all the ordinances concerning them, seem to prove this."] , and , names of the local due to similar low stature and discrimination in society. , or referencing Gehazi the servant of Elisha who was cursed with leprosy due to his greed. With the recording as an insult regularly used against Cagots. is seen in the writings of Dominique Joseph Garat. Also in the French Basque Country the forms and were also used. * In County of Bigorre, Bigorre they were also called or * In Aunis and Poitou they were also called / * Also other recorded names include , , , , , and (most likely from the Old French meaning leper). Previously some of these names had been viewed as being similar yet separate groups from the Cagots, though this changed in some cases in later research.

Geography

The cagots were present in France in Gascony to the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country, but also in the north of Spain (in Aragon, south and north Navarre, and Asturias) where they are referred to commonly by the term Agotes. Cagots were typically required to live in separate quarters, on the outskirts of towns. These hamlets were called then from the 16th century , which were often on the far outskirts of the villages. On the scale of Béarn, for example, the distribution of cagots, often carpenters, was similar to that of other craftsmen, who were numerous mainly in the Piedmont. Far from congregating in only a few places, the cagots were scattered in over 137 villages and towns. Outside the mountains, 35 to 40% of communities had cagots, especially the largest ones, excluding very small villages.

Toponomy

Toponymy and topography indicate that the places where the cagots were found have constant characteristics; these are gaps, generally across rivers or outside Defensive wall, town walls, called “” (and derivatives) or “” (Laplace names are frequent) next to water points, places allocated to live and above all to practice their trades. Toponymy also provides evidence of areas where Cagots had lived in the past. Various Street names are still in use such as: * in the municipalities of Montgaillard, Hautes-Pyrénées, Montgaillard and Lourdes * in Laurède * in (Roquefort) * in Saint-Girons, Ariège, Saint-Girons * in the municipalities of Mézin, Sos, Lot-et-Garonne, Sos, Vic-Fezensac, Aire-sur-l'Adour, Eauze, and Gondrin * in Villeneuve-de-Marsan * in Vérines In Aubiet, there is a locality called “”. It was in this hamlet, that the cagots () of Aubiet lived, on the left bank of the Arrats, separated from the village by the river. In this last example, the discovery of the name of the place allowed teachers to discover the local history of the cagots and to start educational work. Until the beginning of the 20th century, several districts of cagots still bore the name of ("Carpenter").

Treatment

Cagots were shunned and hated; while restrictions varied by time and place, with many discriminatory actions being codified into law in France in 1460, they were typically required to live in separate quarters. Cagots were excluded from various political and social rights.

Religion and government

Cagots were not allowed to marry non-Cagots leading to forced endogamy, though in some areas in the later centuries (such as Béarn) they were able to marry non-Cagots though the non-Cagot would then be classed as a Cagot. They were not allowed to enter taverns or use public fountains. The marginalization of the Cagots began at baptism where chimes were not rung in celebration as was the case for non-Cagots and that the baptisms were held at nightfall. Within parish registries the term , or its scholarly synonym , was entered. Cagots were buried in cemeteries separate from non-Cagots with reports of riots occurring if bishops tried to have the bodies moved to non-Cagot cemeteries. Commonly Cagots were not given a standard last name in registries and records but were only listed by their first name, followed by the mention "" or "", such as on their baptismal certificate, They were allowed to enter a church only by a special door: "" ["that they were not allowed to enter the churches other than through separate doors, and in these had their own stoups and chairs for themselves and their families."] and, during the service, a rail separated them from the other worshippers. They were forbidden from joining the priesthood. Either they were altogether forbidden to partake of the sacrament, or the Eucharist was given to them on the end of a wooden spoon, while a holy water stoup was reserved for their exclusive use. They were compelled to wear a distinctive dress to which, in some places, was attached the foot of a goose or duck (whence they were sometimes called ), and latterly to have a red representation of a goose's foot in fabric sewn onto their clothes. Whilst in Navarre a court ruling in 1623 required all Cagots to wear cloaks with a yellow trim to identify them as Cagots.

Work

Cagots were prohibited from selling food or wine, touching food in the market, working with livestock, or entering mills. The Cagots were often restricted to craft trades including those of carpenter, masons, woodcutters, wood carvers,: "" ["Apart from splitting wood and carving, they are not allowed to do any other craft: these two occupations have become contemptible and dishonorable because of this."] coopers, butcher, and rope-maker. Due to association with crafts working with wood Cagots, as well as making the instruments, they often worked operating instruments of torture that were made of wood in towns and villages, as well as executioners. Such professions may have perpetuated their social ostracisation. Cagot women were often midwives until the 15th century. Due to social exclusion, in France the Cagots were exempt from taxation until the 18th century. By the 19th century these restrictions seem to have been lifted, but the trades continued to be practiced by Cagots, along with other trades such as weaving and blacksmithing. Cagots who were involved in masonry and carpentry were often contracted to construct major public buildings, such as churches, an example being the . Because the main identifying mark of the Cagots was the restriction of their trades to a few small options, their segregation has been compared to the caste system in India.: "" ["On the western coast of this country, from Saint-Malo, St. Malo to deep up the Pyrenees, there is a class of people who come very close to the Indian pariah, and are on the same level of humiliation with them. They have been scattered in these areas, from time immemorial to the present day, under constant disparagement from their more fortunate fellow citizens. With their best-known and most general designation they are called Cagots, and it remains doubtful whether the hypocrites gave them or they gave them their names, although the last one seems more credible to me."]

Accusations and pseudo-medical beliefs

The Cagots were not an ethnic nor a religious group. They spoke the same language as the people in an area and generally kept the same religion as well, with later researchers remarking that there was no evidence to mark the Cagots as distinct from their neighbours. Their only distinguishing feature was their descent from families long identified as Cagots. Few consistent reasons were given as to why they were hated; accusations varied from Cagots being cretinism, cretins, Leprosy, lepers, heresy, heretics, cannibalism, cannibals, Witchcraft, sorcerers, Werewolf, werewolves, Paraphilia, sexual deviants, to actions they were accused of such as poisoning wells, or for simply being intrinsically evil. also notes how it was also believed that they could cause children to fall ill by touching them or even just looking at them. So pestilential was their touch considered that it was a crime for them to walk the common road barefooted or to drink from the same cup as non-Cagots. It was also a common belief that the Cagots gave off a foul smell. The Cagots did have a culture of their own, but very little of it was written down or preserved; as a result, almost everything that is known about them relates to their persecution. The repression lasted through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Industrial Revolution, with the prejudice fading only in the 19th and 20th centuries. The French early psychiatrist Jean-Étienne Dominique Esquirol wrote in his 1838 works that the Cagots were a subset of "Idiot#Disability and early classification and nomenclature, idiot", and separate from "cretins". By the middle of the 19th century, previous pseudo-medical beliefs and beliefs of them being intellectually inferior had waned and German doctors, by 1849, regarded them as “not without the ability to become useful members of society.” Though various French and British doctors were continuing to label the Cagots as a race inherently afflicted with congenital disabilities to the end of the 19th century. Daniel Hack Tuke, Daniel Tuke wrote in 1880 after visiting communities where Cagots lived, noted how local people would not subject "cretins" born to non-Cagots to living with Cagots.

Origin

Biblical legends

Various legends placed the Cagots as originating from biblical events, including being descendants of the carpenters who made the cross that Jesus was crucified on, or being descendants of the bricklayers who built Solomon's Temple after being expelled from History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel by Yahweh, God due to poor craftsmanship. Similarly a more detailed legend places the origins of the Cagots in Spain as being descendants of a Pyrenean master carver named Jacques, who traveled to ancient Israel via Tartessos, to cast Boaz and Jachin for Solomon's Temple. While in Israel he was distracted during the casting of Jachin by a woman, and due to the imperfection this caused in the column his descendants were cursed to suffer leprosy.

Religious origin

Another theory is that the Cagots were descendants of the Cathars, who had been persecuted for heresy in the Albigensian Crusade. With some comparisons including the use the term to refer to Cagots, which evokes the name that the Cathars gave to themselves, . A delegation by Cagots to Pope Leo X in 1514 made this claim, though the Cagots predate the Cathar heresy and the Cathar heresy was not present in Gascony and other regions where Cagots were present. Perhaps this was a strategic move: in statutes such stains of heresy expired after four generations and if this was the cause of their marginalisation, it also gave grounds for their emancipation. Others have suggested an origin as Arianism, Arian Christians. One early mention of the Cagots is from 1288, when they appear to have been called or . Other terms seen in use prior to the 16th century include , , and , which in medieval texts became inseparable from the term , and so in Béarn became synonymous with the word leper. Thus, another theory is that the Cagots were early converts to Christianity, and that the hatred of their pagan neighbors continued after they also converted, merely for different reasons.

Medical origin

Another possible explanation of their name or is to be found in the fact that in medieval times all lepers were known as , and that, whether Visigoths or not, these Cagots were affected in the Middle Ages with a particular form of leprosy or a condition resembling it, such as psoriasis. Thus would arise the confusion between Christians and Cretins, and explain the similar restrictions placed on lepers and Cagots. Ambroise Paré wrote in of Cagots in 1561 of being lepers with "beautiful faces" and skin with no signs of leprosy, describing them as "white lepers" (people afflicted with "white leprosy"). Later dermatologists believe that Paré was describing leucoderma. Early edicts apparently refer to lepers and Cagots as different categories of undesirables, With this distinction being explicit by 1593. The Parlement of Bordeaux repeated customary prohibitions against them but added when they are lepers, if there still are any, they must carry (rattles). One belief in Navarre were that the were descendants of French immigrant lepers to the region. Later English commentators supported the idea of an origin among a community of lepers due to the similarities in the treatment of Cagots in churches and the measures taken to allow lepers in England and Scotland to attend churches.

Other origins

wrote that the Cagots were likely descendants of Erromintxela language, Spanish Roma from the Basque country. In Bordeaux, where they were numerous, they were called (synonymous with the Gascon language, Gascon word for thief), also used in Old French to refer to leprosy, close to the Catalan and the Spanish meaning robber or looter, similar to the older, probably Celtic languages, Celtic-origin Latin term (or bagad), a possible origin of . The alleged physical appearance and ethnicity of the Cagots varied wildly from legends and stories; some local legends (especially those that held to the leper theory) indicated that Cagots had blonde hair and blue eyes, while those favoring the Arab descent story said that Cagots were considerably darker. In Pío Baroja's work comments that Cagot residents of had both individuals with "Germanic" features as well as individuals with "Romani" features. One common trend was to claim that Cagots had no ears or no earlobes, or that one ear was longer than the other, with other supposed identifiers including webbed hands and/or feet, or the presence of goitres. Graham Robb finds most of the above theories unlikely: A modern hypothesis of interest is that the Cagots are the descendants of a fallen medieval guild of carpenters. This theory would explain the most salient thing Cagots throughout France and Spain have in common: that is, being restricted in their choice of trade. The red webbed-foot symbol Cagots were sometimes forced to wear might have been the guild's original emblem. There was a brief construction boom on the Way of St. James pilgrimage route in the 9th and 10th centuries; this could have brought the guild both power and suspicion. The collapse of their business would have left a scattered, yet cohesive group in the areas where Cagots are known. For similar reasons due to their restricted trades, Delacampagne suggests a possible origin as a culturally distinct community of woodsmen who were Christianised relatively late.

Religion

Cagots followed the same religion as the non-Cagots who lived around them. They were forced to use a side entrance to churches, often an intentionally low one to force Cagots to bow and remind them of their subservient status. This practice, done for cultural rather than religious reasons, did not change even between Catholic and Huguenot areas. They had their own holy water fonts set aside for Cagots, and touching the normal font was strictly forbidden. These restrictions were taken seriously; in the 18th century, a wealthy Cagot had his hand cut off and nailed to the church door for daring to touch the font reserved for "clean" citizens. Cagots were expected to slip into churches quietly and congregate in the worst seats. Many Bretons believed that Cagots bled from their navel on Good Friday. An appeal by the Cagots to Pope Leo X in 1514 was successful, and he published a papal bull, bull instructing that the Cagots be treated "with kindness, in the same way as the other believers." Still, little changed, as most local authorities ignored the bull.

Government

The nominal though usually ineffective allies of the Cagots were the government, the educated, and the wealthy. This included Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V who officially supported tolerance of and improvements to the lives of Cagots. It has been suggested that the odd patchwork of areas which recognized Cagots has more to do with which local governments tolerated the prejudice, and which allowed Cagots to be a normal part of society. In a study in 1683, doctors examined the Cagots and found them no different from normal citizens. Notably, they did not actually suffer from leprosy or any other disease that could clarify their exclusion from society. The Parliaments of Pau, Toulouse and Bordeaux were apprised of the situation, and money was allocated to improve the lot of the Cagots, but the populace and local authorities resisted. In 1673, the Ursúa lord of the municipality of Baztan, Navarre, Baztán advocated the recognition of the local Cagots as natural residents of the Baztán. By the 18th century Cagots made up considerable portions of various settlements, such as in Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, Baigorri where Cagots made up 10% of the population. In 1709, the influential politician planned and constructed the manufacturing town of Nuevo Baztán (after his native Baztan (valley), Baztan Valley in Navarre) near Madrid. He brought many Cagot settlers to Nuevo Baztán, but after some years, many returned to Navarre, unhappy with their work conditions. In 1723 the instituted a fine of 500 French livres for anyone insulting any individual as "alleged descendants of the Giezy race, and treating them as agots, cagots, gahets or ladres"; ordering that they will be admitted to general and particular assemblies, to municipal offices and honors of the church, they may even be placed in the galleries and other places of the said church where they will be treated and recognized as the other inhabitants of the places, without any distinction; as also that their children will be received in the schools and colleges of the cities, towns and villages, and will be admitted in all the Christian instructions indiscriminately. During the French Revolution substantive steps were taken to end discrimination toward Cagots. Revolutionary authorities claimed that Cagots were no different from other citizens, and ''de jure'' discrimination generally came to an end. Still, local prejudice from the populace persisted, though the practice began to decline. Also during the Revolution, Cagots stormed record offices and burned birth certificates in an attempt to conceal their heritage. These measures did not prove effective, as the local populace still remembered. Rhyming songs kept the names of Cagot families known.

Modern status

Kurt Tucholsky wrote in his book on the ''Pyrenees'' in 1927: "There were many in the Argelès valley, near Luchon and in the Ariège district. Today they are almost extinct, you have to search hard if you want to see them". The Cagots no longer form a separate social class and were largely assimilated into the general population. Very little of Cagot culture still exists, as most descendants of Cagots have preferred not to be known as such. There was a distinct Cagot community in Navarre until the early 20th century, with the small northern village called Arizkun in Basque language, Basque (or Arizcun in Spanish) being the last haven of this segregation, where the community was contained within the neighbourhood of Bozate. Family names in Spain still associated with having Cagot ancestors include: Bidegain, Errotaberea, Zaldua, Maistruarena, Amorena, and Santxotena. There are two museums dedicated to the history of the Cagots, one in the neighborhood of Bozate in the town of Arizkun, Spain, the (Ethnographic Museum of the Agotes), opened by in 2003, and a museum in the Château des Nestes in Arreau, France.

Cagot symbols used in anti-vaccination protests

In 2021 and 2022 Vaccine hesitancy, anti-vaccination and Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic#France, anti-vaccine passport protestors in France started wearing the red goose's foot symbol that Cagots were forced to wear, and handed out cards explaining the discrimination against the Cagots.

In media

* In the 1793 French play , by Sylvain Maréchal, the liberated subjects of the kings of Europe provide critiques of and insult their former rulers, where they say the Spanish king has "stupidity, cagotism and despotism [...] imprinted on his royal face". * The author Thomas Colley Grattan's 1823 story ''The Cagot's Hut'' details the ''otherness'' he perceived in the Cagots during his travels in the French Pyrenees, detailing many of the mythical features that became folklore about the Cagots appearance. * The German poet Heinrich Heine visited the town of Cauterets in July 1841 and learned of the Cagots minority and their discrimination by others, subsequently becoming the topic of his poem ''Canto XV'' in ''Atta Troll''. * References to Cagots have appeared in multiple poems by the 19th century French poet Édouard Pailleron. * The 2012 Spanish-language film ''Baztan'' by Iñaki Elizalde, deals with a young man fighting against the discrimination he and his family have suffered for centuries due to being Cagots. * The Cagot sculptor Xabier Santxotena, whose work explores the history and identity of the Cagots, opened the in his former family home. * A character called Beñat Le Cagot appears in the novel ''Shibumi (novel), Shibumi'' published in 1979 by Trevanian, a pseudonym of Rodney William Whitaker.

Gallery

File:Porte cagots église Sauveterre de Béarn.JPG, Door of the Cagots of the church of Sauveterre-de-Béarn. File:Maison du Cagot à Langogne (48).gif, Protruding badge on the facade indicating the dwelling of a Cagot in Langogne (Lozère). File:(65) Bagnères de Bigorre - l'adour et le quartier des cagots.jpg, A postcard of the subprefecture of Bagnères-de-Bigorre, showing the Adour and the neighborhood of the Cagots. File:Cagot saint girons.jpg, Sculpture of a "Cagot" in the Église Saint-Girons in Monein, which was built by the local cagot craftsmen in 1464. File:SAINT-SAVIN (Hautes-Pyrénées) La Maison des CAGOTS.jpg, Cagot houses in the Mailhòc district (wooden mallet), Saint-Savin, Hautes-Pyrénées, Saint-Savin, 1906. File:Rue du village de Campan (Hautes-Pyrénées) 3.jpg, A sign for in Campan. File:Campan - La halle.JPG, which was built by the local Cagots. File:CastethMontaner.jpg, Montaner castle, built by the Cagots, for Gaston III, Count of Foix.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Cagots Museum in Arreau with illustrations
{{Conformity Basque history Kingdom of France Social history of France Discrimination in France Discrimination in Spain