After recently reading the bible in its entirety, I was deeply struck by Paul's harsh position calling for the silencing of women in the church.
Searching for answers, I was led to inquire about the origins of the Cathars, and I also wondered if there were any connections to the Arthurian legends.
I find the connection of Guinevere and Sophie, and its implications for the holy grail to be fascinating. Because of the inquisition, many people silenced their beliefs and opinions and much of the teachings of the faithful was imparted through story and allegory and myth; peeling back the layers to find the truth is an impossible task, yet it is something I feel compelled to do.
The following image and italicized text has been excerpted today, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, from http://www.askwhy.co.uk/christianheresy/0828CatharCinders.php.
The askwhy.co.uk site writer says that Layamon (c. 1200), describes the birth of Merlin as follows:
Then came before me the fairest thing that ever was born, as if he were a tall knight, arraigned all in gold. This I saw in a dream each night in sleep. This thing glided before me, and glistened of gold. Oft me it kissed, and oft embraced. Oft it approached me, and oft it came to me very nigh. When I at length looked at myself--strange this seemed to me--my flesh to me was loathsome, my limbs unusual.
Again, referring to Layamon's works (c. 1200), the askwhy.co.uk site writer posits:
This is plainly enough meant to be the Cathar Christ, the archangel Michael:
There dwell in the sky many kinds of beings that there shall remain until Domesday arrive. Some are good and work well. Therein is a race very numerous that come among men. They are called Incubae Daemones. They do not do much harm but deceive folk. Many a man in dream oft they delude, and many a fair woman through their craft have no children, and many a good man's child they beguile through magic.
image copied from: http://www.askwhy.co.uk/christianheresy/0828CatharCinders.php
Why the Catholic church perceived Cathars to be such a threat to the extent that they essentially killed all the Cathars is of great concern.
Who were the earliest Cathars? Could Joseph, husband of Mary mother of Christ, and Mary Magdalene have been some of the earliest pre-cursors of the Cathars? Did Paul aim to silence Mary Magdalene? Why do we have so little information about Joseph? Who was Sophie and how was she significant to the Cathars? These are some of the many burning questions I have yet to explore and discover answers.
Do you think God would want women to be silenced in the church? Cathar women were not silenced. Cathars rejected the materialism of Catholicism. They were simple, good people. Regarding Joseph, husband of Mary, mother of Christ, of the very little known of him, one thing we have for certain is that it is repeatedly stated, he was a very good man. This is the definitive quality noted of the Cathars, which leads me to wonder about many things. Mary Magdalene is the first person to whom the risen Christ presented himself. She was the first to proclaim his resurrection. Surely God would not have wanted her to be silenced. Why did the Catholic church exclude her gospel from the bible? Surely she was one of Christ's closest companions. Her insight is invaluable! Why has the Catholic church kept her gospel from us?
So much to do and so little time!
Reading the bible in its entirety has been truly transformational. Cathartic.
I will leave you with one final lingering thought from my reading of the askwhy site this morning...
Reflecting on greatest tragedy, in honor of all the beautiful souls who were tortured through the inquisition: all renews, save the lover.
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