In the Time of Kings (32 page)

The Cathars were a sect of Christianity existing from roughly the mid 12
^th
century to the 14
^th
. Rigorously persecuted by the Catholic Church, they believed the Universe was ruled by two powers: good (God, the spiritual) and evil (Satan, the flesh). One of their primary beliefs was that the Soul would be born again seven times, until spiritual growth and perfection had been achieved. The Cathar Perfects, believed to be closest to the end cycle of reincarnation, often took great pains to offer the
Consolamentum
or Consolation to the dying, which was thought to help purify the Soul and assist it on its journey. Credentes, those just beginning their spiritual journey, were not expected to maintain the severely austere lifestyle that Perfects did.

In 1244, the Cathar stronghold of Montsegur in southwestern France was the site of a siege and the eventual surrender of over two hundred Cathars, who were put to death by fire. Afterwards, the fortress was razed, but rumors that the Holy Grail was once housed there persist to this day, as evidenced by the numerous books and movies containing elements of the siege and the castle’s ties to the sacred relic.

N
. Gemini Sasson holds a M.S. in Biology from Wright State University where she ran cross country on athletic scholarship. She has worked as an aquatic toxicologist, an environmental engineer, a teacher and a cross country coach. A longtime breeder of Australian Shepherds, her articles on bobtail genetics have been translated into seven languages. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband, two nearly grown children and an ever-changing number of animals.

Long after writing about Robert the Bruce and Queen Isabella, Sasson learned she is a descendant of both historical figures.

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H
eartfelt thanks go out to the members of Team ITOK, who helped bring this story to its final stages: Sarah Woodbury, Lisa J. Yarde, Julie Conner, J.S. Colley and Reini Brickson. I am forever indebted to your wisdom, your honesty and your encouragement.