I am a slow writer. It takes me years to write a book. I started researching The Treasure of Montsegur almost ten years ago, when two different people on two different continents independently brought the story of the Cathars to me—the treasure, the doomed Good Christians trapped on the top of the mountain, the surrender, and the four Good Men who were secretly lowered on ropes down the sheer cliff face by night, to vanish into a lush landscape and keep alive the Church of Love.
What a tale! I began to ponder: What if one of those four were a woman? What if she’d lost the treasure, the three Good Men? What if she fell in love? What if she’s on her own spiritual search, looking for God? That’s how a story whispers itself to me, slowly, and with questioning.
What if she were a mature woman in her forties (aged by medieval standards), and I swirled that idea on my tongue like fine wine, because with our cultural idealization of youth, few books today permit a passionate love affair to an older woman. I liked that. I also liked her earlier obsessive affair; for who has not fallen in love with—had an obsession for—a man who used her callously? What if she were homeless, heretic, hunted? What if she were a Resistance Fighter?
But for me, the research into that period was made more immediate, because the war in Bosnia had just broken out, and I was reading with horror of events as appalling as those of Medieval France! Massacre, genocide, spiritual and physical passions lived out in blood and butchery, vengeance and violence, rape, mass graves, torture and atrocities; and always, as an under-current, the search for the God of love.
Some of my own people came originally from France, as Huguenots fleeing another religious persecution. But that’s not unusual: almost any American immigrant was fleeing something—or is today. We are so blessed in our prosperity, freedom, pursuits and opportunities. Apart from acknowledging my background, I don’t live in the past, or feel myself victimized for the passions of earlier generations. But I look at atrocities perpetrated in Kashmir, Croatia, Ireland, Israel, in Afghanistan, Argentina, Somalia, Sudan, in the Philippines, Timor, Sri Lanka—or on a minor scale in my own city of Washington, D.C.—is any place exempt from suffering? I look and my heart breaks. I am left shuddering and in tears.
Some people organize demonstrations, and others serve in relief camps. But all I can do is tell a story, and hope that by setting it 700 years ago those who read it will make the connection between those events and what we do to each other every day.
Are we doomed to violence evermore? And where is God in this?
The treasure has never been found. Hitler sent search parties into the Languedoc to see if they could find it. But there’s another question: what was the treasure? Was it gold and bullion? Was it the Holy Book? Was it the Good Men and Good Women who baptized others with their light-struck spiritual hands? Or was it the simple goodness of a loving heart?
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:
One theme of the novel is the deep friendship between Baiona and Jeanne; and yet twice Baiona “takes” the man Jeanne loves. The first was not important, but all her life Jeanne loves William, and she believes that he loves her as well. Did he? Do you understand and sympathize with Jeanne’s dilemma? Have you ever been in a situation of loving an unattainable person?
One turning point for the young girl, Jeanne, is her relationship with the boy Rogert. Why did Jeanne allow these sexual encounters with Rogert? Do you think that she was taken advantage of? Given how innocent she was and how romantic, do you think there was anything else she could have done?
In the end William chooses Baiona, deciding be martyred with his wife. Why? Why do you think that he chose to stay with Baiona instead of staying and marrying Jeanne? What was the result emotionally for Jeanne?
In the course of the novel, Jeanne drops in social position from that of a high-born lady, to bourgeois widow and resistance fighter and finally to a homeless beggar. When she meets Jerome, a free peasant farmer, she finally seems to find some happiness. Does this seem justified, or does it feel romanticized to you?
It is through the love of Jerome and by telling her own story that Jeanne is healed. But in telling her story she has created a conflict for the man she loves. Why can’t they marry? Why can’t they go get the treasure and live happily ever after?
What do you think was the treasure of Montségur?
The Lady Esclarmonde, a true historical figure, repeated a prayer whenever entering a room or eating a meal or dropping her spindle? What was so important about this prayer? Do you have a particular prayer or meditation that is especially meaningful to your spiritual life? Has it changed the way you think or relate to God?
The Lady Esclarmonde raises Jeanne to be a good Cathar believer and even sends her to study at Montségur under the tutelage of the great Cathar bishop Guilabert de Castres. Yet when it comes time to arrange a marriage for Jeanne, she chooses a Catholic, Gobert. Why? How have culture and faith affected your relationships?
Jeanne gives the consolamentum, a spiritual baptism, by the laying-on of hands to a dying woman. Every religion has special sacraments of baptism and initiation. What are the most important ones in your own faith tradition? Can women as well as men provide this privilege and gift?
When the novel opens, Jeanne is seen by many—and thinks of herself—as crazy. Yet she behaves at moments with great certainty. What do you think? Has she gone mad? Have you ever experienced or do you know anyone with post-traumatic stress syndrome?
Jeanne is fleeing the Inquisition. Do you know or have you heard of any people persecuted today by modern forms of Inquisition? Do you believe that use of torture is ever permissible against an enemy?
Holy war and the search for God are central themes of this novel. Both Catholics and Cathars believe they have found the true path, and yet both worship the same Christ, who preached only kindness and compassion. Given religious conflicts today, how far do you think we’ve come since the 13th century? Could another Inquisition happen?
According to the medieval rules of war, if a city or fortress surrendered to the attackers, all civilians and soldiers were free to leave and could not be harmed. But if the city or castle were taken by the invaders, any atrocity was allowed. At Beziers, 20,000 people were slaughtered and thousands more raped and mutilated and sent to wander in the woods. Do you know of instances today of modern atrocities committed by armies or by mobs? Are there any rules that exist today to protect civilians in times of war? What countries have signed these rules, if there are any?
Jeanne becomes a Resistance Fighter, battling the French for parage (a way of life) and for her homeland independence. Under what circumstances would you become a freedom fighter?
During the course of the novel, Jeanne is betrayed again and again: she is abandoned as an orphan, betrayed by Rogert, Gobert, perhaps by her second husband as well when he commits suicide. Jeanne faced a lifetime of difficulties and obstacles; throughout, her dominant motivation is a longing for love and acceptance. What gave her courage and flexibility? Would you be able to respond with similar heroism in such trying circumstances? Did she ever truly find peace?
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
55 Avenue Road, Suite 2900
Toronto, ON, M5R, 3L2, Canada
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publish
ers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com
Acknowledgments
I’m often asked what led me to write about this period. Two people independently brought the story of the Cathars to me within a few weeks of each other, and I have come to trust such strange coincidences. The history of this period is known to any French schoolchild, but it came to my attention just at the break-out of the Bosnian war—which saw Christians and Muslims attacking each other with a ferocity so horrifying that I thought we might as well be living in the thirteenth century! Have we learned nothing at all?
A book is generally considered a solitary effort, but it’s never written alone. I give special thanks to John Pearson and to Annie and Addison Edwards, who brought the story to me, and especially to Addison, who, living not far from Montségur, helped with my researches in France, leading me to many books and maps; to Georges Passerat at the University of Toulouse, to Jean-Louise Gasc at the Center for Cathars in Villegly, to Lily Devézy in Carcassonne, to David Maso, who acted as my guide in Montségur, to my friend John Hirsch, a medievalist at Georgetown University, to Kim Stevens for research, and to the many books by the Cathar authorities, both in English and in French, especially those of Michel Roquebert, Jean Duvernoy, Zoe Oldenbourg, René Nelli, and Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie.
Jenna Paulden and MeLissa Bauer helped with information on the birth scene. Professor E. Ann Matter of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania read the manuscript for accuracy and brought various matters to my attention; and my friend and literary agent, Anne Edelstein, never lost faith in a book that has taken nearly nine years to produce. Her constant good humor and encouragement buoyed my spirits whenever they flagged. A strange thing happens when you write a novel: the characters become as real to you as if they had really lived. I thank Chris Hafner, my brilliant production editor, as well as my editor, Renée Sedliar, whose enthusiasm has rekindled my love for this story, the people, and the courage they demonstrated. Her guidance is shown on every page.
About the Author
SOPHY BURNHAM is the author of several books, novels, and plays, including the New York Times bestseller A Book of Angels, which was translated into more than twenty languages. Her work has appeared in various magazines, including Esquire, the New York Times Magazine, and Ladies’ Home Journal.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Praise for The Treasure of Montségur
“In The Treasure of Montségur, Sophy Burnham crafts a beautiful, wondrous novel…Burnham weaves nimbly between real and surreal, between magic and mundane.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Sophy Burnham crafts a beautiful, wondrous novel out of the persecutions the Cathars faced for their beliefs…. Burnham weaves nimbly between real and surreal, between magic and mundane.”
—Book Review
“Her characters leave no good tale untold…In matters of the soul, Burnham is as sure-footed as those mysterious mountaineers of Montségur.”
—Washington Post Book World
“Burnham…paints a vivid picture of the Cathars’ struggles…. an intriguing and ultimately haunting tale.”
—Washingtonian magazine
“…a fierce yet tender heroine…the quality of the writing makes what could be an obscure topic…enjoyable to read.”
—Library Journal
“Ms. Burnham recreates her setting with integrity…. she paints historical detail over her narrative with spare but sure strokes. The Treasure of Montségur is worthwhile for its illumination of the Cathars’ plight and for the extraordinary character of Jeanne.”
—The Historical Novels Review
“Mixes romance with religious history in an evocative prose that should thrill the spiritually intrigued.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Burnham presents a sympathetic depiction of the Cathars and the insurmountable challenges and persecutions they faced.”
—Booklist
“…a page-turner. Its narrative skills cannot be faulted and neither can its immersion in the tragic story of Montségur…. Burnham proves that a modern ‘historical’ novel can successfully address spiritual matters without slipping into melodrama or sentimentality.”
—Rene Weis, author of The Yellow
Cross: The Story of the Last Cathars
1290–1329
“Burnham, author of a number of books on spiritual phenomena, including the New York Times bestseller A Book of Angels, is at her best describing mystic and spiritual matters…Burnham’s novel is an energetic, psychological imagining of the Cathar legend.”
—Publishers Weekly
OTHER BOOKS BY SOPHY BURNHAM
The Art Crowd
The Landed Gentry
Buccaneer
The Dogwalker
The Threat to Licensed Nuclear Facilities, ed.
A Book of Angels
Angel Letters
The President’s Angel
Revelations
For Writers Only
The Ecstatic Journey: Walking the Mystical Path
The Path of Prayer
PLAYS
Penelope
Snowstorms
The Promethia
The Meaning of Life
The Witch’s Tale
Beauty and the Beast
The Nightingale
AUDIO TAPES
Piercing the Veil
When You Are Hurting and In Need
Copyright
THE TREASURE OF MONTSÉGUR: A Novel. Copyright © 2002 by Sophy Burnham. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition © DECEMBER 2007 ISBN: 9780061865749
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The Treasure of Montsegur Page 32