Montsegur - Sunday 19th August 2007.

Today we head for Carcassonne but first a detour to Montségur. Montségur is a special shrine of the Cathars (it has been described as their Alamo). In this nation of Southern France (Occitania) Cathars and Catholics had lived side by side as neighbours until the king of France and the pope made its demise and annexation the goal of a war officially known as the Albigensian Crusade. In 1204 the Cathars had asked Raymond de Péreille (one of their supporters) to rebuild his castle at Montségur (or Mount Safety) and it subsequently became their chief stronghold. While other castles fell easily, the besiegers found Montségur impossible to seal up tightly and starve out, even with 6,000 men. In 1243 it held out for 10 months, even into a difficult winter but shortly before Christmas a group of Basque mercenaries scaled a seemingly impossible sheer cliff face, and overran a forward position. From here, under the direction of a Catholic bishop specialising in war machines, the French were able to construct catapults. This spelled the end of all hope. The garrison surrendered on 2 March 1244 having negotiated a truce of two weeks, after which the Parfaits (or 'goodmen' as they called themselves) would have to abjure their faith or burn alive. Not a single Cathar took up the offer.

Surrounding countryside from the base of the rock (or Pog).

Montségur and pog silhouetted against an ominous sky.

Surrounding countryside from the summit of the pog.

The stone memorial marking Camp des Crémats, the burning field, where a stockade full of firewood was set alight as the archbishop of Narbonne arrived to take possession of Montségur and all the souls who converted to Catholicism. All 225 Parfait climbed the ladders and jumped into the flames rather than abjur their religion.

Cloud descending on Montségur shortly after my descent.

Information on the siege of Montségur from: 'Gascony & the Pyrenees' by Dana Facaros & Michael Pauls and also http://www.languedoc-france.info/120719_montsegur.htm

As I stopped, for a rest and a drink of water, I looked over the surrounding countryside and to my amazement there just a few feet away from me was an eagle gliding quietly towards Montségur. Unfortunately my camera was in its case and switched off - so I did not have a chance to photograph it - I could only watch as it slowly disappeared behind some shrubbery - but it is a moment that I will not easily forget. To me the eagle seemed representative of the power and strength of the former occupants of the fortress.

In Bulgarian mythology, the eagle is a creature that flies between the worlds from the mountain heights to the underworld depths. It never ages because it drinks from the lake of the water of life that lies at the end of the earth. It is the helper of heroes.