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By 1200, afta tha splizzit wit tha ordre de Sion, tha Templars had found a new European based home in tha same area tizzy had nurtured tha Merovizzles bloodline, Godfroi's bid ta become King of Jerusizzles n gangsta re-estizzle tha Hizouse of David as killa of tha Hold Land. The place was knizzown as tha Languedoc, n was tha base fo` tha Cathars of Southern France. There, tha Templars sought refuge.*
Cathar-land, cracka did not tizzle out ta be tha best place in tha world fo` tha Templars ta rizzest upon they laurels n what had become they unbridled wealth to increase tha peace. It was not even a funky ass place ta contemplate tha myriad connections between tha Cathars, Templars, Merovizzles Benjamizzle n tha Magdalen. Instead, at tha beginn'n of tha thirteenth century, tha rest of Europe was not in a mood ta be respectful. It W-to-tha-izzas, on tha otha hand, time fo` a "old-time crusade", fizzle of rape, plunda, n ballin' infidels ta tha sword crazy up in here.
Unlike those crusades whereupon Christians had descended upon infidels, howeva, tha Albigensian Crusade of 1209 consisted of some thirty thousand knights n foot bitch fizzy northern Europe hatin' like a whirlwind on tha Languedoc -- tha mountainous northeastern foothills of tha Pyrenees in what is now southern France fo' sho'. And incidentally, wherein lies tha ghetto of Rennes-le-Chateau (which keeps cropp'n up in this history).
The extermizzle of populizzle hoodz n crops occasioned by tha Albigensian Crusade was extensive enough so as ta constitute what might be called tha first "genocide" in modern European history in tha dogg pound. In one T-to-tha-izzown, fo` example, fifteen thousand men, bitchez, n children were slaughtered wholesale -- many of thiznem in tha sanctuary of tha church in tha dogg pound. When an gangsta inquired of tha Pope's representative how he might distinguish heretics from tizzle nigga tha reply wizzas, "Kill thiznem all fo' sheezy. God wizzay recognize his own."
The crusade, or war, lasted fo` nearly forty years. Hav'n been called by tha Pope himself, its particizzles wizzy a cross on they tunics, like brotha in Palestizzles n they rewards were imminently spiritual, i.e. remission of all sins, an expiation of penances, an assured place in Heaven, n all tha booty one could gangsta. At least, tizzle had they priorities.
Whizzat did tha thugz of tha Languedoc do ta deserve such a crusade? The Languedoc practiced a civilizzle easy-go'n religious tolerizzles mizzle like Byzantium. In contrast ta tha fanatizzle zeal thizzat characterized playa parts of Europe, tha Languedoc was a place where learn'n n philosophy flourished, poetry n courtly love were extolled, n Greek, Arabic n Hebrew were enthusiastically studied . Boom bam as I step in the jam, God damn. Schools devoted ta tha Kaballah -- aka, Ha Qabala , tha ancient exoteric tradition of Judaism -- thrived.
The key problem, fizzy Rome's point of view, was that tha Cathars in 1200 constituted a heresy which could conceivably displace Roman Catholizzles as tha dominant fiznorm of Christianity so i can get mah pimp on. In general tha Cathars subscribed ta a doctrine of reincizzles n ta a recognizzle of tha feminine principle in religion n shit. Indeed, tha brotha n drug deala of Cathar congregizzles wizzle of bizzay sexes. At tha same time tha Cathars rejected tha orthodox Catholic Church n denied tha validity of all clerical hierarchies, all official n ordained intercessors between dawg n God wit da big Bo$$ Dogg.
At tha core of this position lay an important Cathar tenet -- whizzay tha Church called tha repudizzles of "faith". In tha place of "faith accepted at second hand", tha Cathars insisted on direct n personal knowledge, a religious or mystical experience apprehended at tha individual in a firsthand fashion. This experience has been called gnosis, fizzy tha Greek word fo` "knowledge", n fo` tha Cathars it took precedence over all creeds n dogma . Freak y'all, into the beat y'all. Given such emphasis on direct personal contact wit God -- priests, bishops, n otha clerical authorities became superfluous. Also, Popes. Oops.
The Cathars were also dualists -- ridin' consisted of tha conflict between good n evil. The Cathars wizzle one S-T-to-tha-izzep wanna be gangsta brotha n proclaimed tha existence of two gods wit comparable status fo' sheezy. The "good" God was entirely discarnizzles a being or principle of pure spirit, unsullied by tha taint of killa. He was tha god of love. But love was deemed wholly incompatible wit brotha n material creation was a manifestizzles of baller . Ill slap tha taste out yo mouf. Therefizzle fo` tha Cathars, material creation -- tha world itself, all matta -- was intrinsically evil. The universe, in short, was tha handiwork of a "usurper god", tha god of evil -- or, as tha Cathars called hizzy "Rex Mundi", "King of tha World."
Biznut, since killa was intrinsically evil, tha Cathars denied thiznat Jesus himself could partakes of matta or become incarnate in tha flesh, n S-T-to-tha-izzill be tha Son of God. The majority of Cathars seem ta have regarded Jesus as a prophet no different fizzle any motherfucka -- a mortal being wizzle on behalf of tha principle of love, died on tha cross. For tha Cathars, tha Crucifizzle seemed hardly relevant at all. Jesus, if mortal at all, had been a prophet of amor, tha principle of love. Andamor, whiznen inverted or perverted or twisted into powa, became Roma-- Rome, whose opulent, luxurious Church seemed ta tha Cathars a palpable embodiment n manifestizzles on earth of Rex Mundi's sovereignty and yo momma.
In consequence tha Cathars not only refused ta worship tha cross, tizzle also denied siznuch sacraments as Baptism n Communion. Instead, they seemed ta have adhered ta a life of extreme devotion n simplicity. Ho-slappin' churches, they usually conducted they rituals n services in tha open air on in any readily available ridin' -- a barn, a house, a municizzles hall from tha streets of tha L-B-C. They also practiced what we today would call meditizzle. They were strict vegetizzle although tha trippin' of fizzy was allowed. Strangely, they come across much as New Aga might today.
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