Cagot

As Cagots ( French, masculine plural, masc sg: Cagot, fem sg: cagote; fem plur: cagottes ) referred to a group of people that discriminates between the 13th and well into the 19th century in Spain and France been. Numerous, each partly contradictory prejudices surround the Cagots in terms of their physical and mental health, their appearance and ancestry.

Designation

In the area of the Pyrenees for the members of this people, the term Cagots or Cahets was common in Brittany they were called Caqueaux ( they called themselves there Melandrins ), in Asturias Vaqueros, in Aunis and Poitou Colli Berts.

Regional were also the names AgOTs, Capins, Kagnards (because of the duck feet, which she had to wear ), Chretien and Chrestias in use.

Origin

Documentary mentions the Cagots date back at least to the 12th century, there are about their origins but no reliable information. Many thought they were descendants of Arian Visigoths, who had to live apart after their defeat by Clovis (507 ) ( It was passed the word Cagots of chiens Gots cans Gots = "Gothic Dogs " from ).

Others saw them descendants of the Saracens, who had expelled the Goths from Spain and were therefore called chiens and chasseurs of the Goths; as Muslims had to wash several times a day, which they brought to the Entenfuss in combination, had to wear as a badge the Cagots the Saracens.

Still others thought they were descendants of lepers from the time of the Crusades; for descendants of Jews; for descendants of Gehazi mentioned in the Old Testament (because of them rumored guile and of leprosy ); for descendants of people who had a goiter ( goitre ) ( because they took the name Crestinas with cretins in combination ); for descendants of Gnostics or Albigensians (because of the name of Chretien ); or descendants of the Basque Country immigrated Spanish Roma ( Erromintxela ).

Appearance, health

The exclusion of Cagots from social life is justified, inter alia, health reasons: you said after the Cagots that they would suffer from leprosy, of white complexion and swelling of the head and extremities. Since the supposed " leprosy " but was not contagious, people spoke then assume that it would now be an attenuated, inherited form of leprosy.

The Cagots was often said cretinism, on the other hand, there are also reports of doctors already in the 17th century, described in contrast to those prejudices the Cagots than people with a powerful physique, fresh complexion, gray-blue eyes and a little thick, but well-shaped lips. When identifying the physical Cagots the round ears without ear lobes were.

As Cagoutelle or Cagutille were referred the following clinical picture which allegedly occurred frequently in the Cagots: bad smell ( which was then brought by the people coming from the East in connection), pallor, pale eye color, times on the back, cartilage (? Aussatzknoten ) on tongue and face; associated with bouts of madness (similar to both the St. Vitus's dance and the Berserker ) or stupidity especially around the time of full moon and new moon.

Discrimination

The Cagots were excluded from normal social life. Pain -insensitive points on hands and feet (? Due to leprosy ) were kept for devil times; the Cagots were regarded as magicians, pedophiles and cannibals. As a visible sign they had to until the 15th century a Goose or Duck Foot of red cloth pin, regional and eggshells. Until the 18th century someone who married a Cagot, then himself as Cagot and lost his possessions was.

1695 commanded the Spanish government to expel them from the country; because French municipalities refused entry, many had to retreat in the Pyrenees impassable valleys, where most of them to hunger, cold and wild animals were killed. At that time they were forced to cover hands and feet so as not to contaminate the ground or objects.

In Catholic churches, they just bent the were allowed to enter by separate low inputs, they sat through a grid separated from the rest of the people, had to use their own holy water font, the Communion were received only after the other and were not buried in the common cemetery.

In many places, lived in segregated settlements Cagots and practiced the lowest trade off; the carpentry were allowed (which in turn was brought from the people in her supposedly Jewish descent in conjunction ). As carpenters, they had to provide first aid in case of a fire erupting. From the usual taxes and from military service, they were freed. Efforts of individual bishops in the 18th century brought them regional basis to improve their situation; officially they were given by the French Revolution full rights of citizenship. De facto Cagots were, however, often discriminated against for a long time afterwards; particularly from Brittany hiked many of them to America to start a new life there. After all, they were German physicians in the mid- 19th century, even as " not without skills to become useful members of society. " By the end of the 19th century renowned reference books led the Cagots as a distinct ethnic group population in France. Kurt Tucholsky wrote in 1927 in his Pyrenees Book:. . "Valley of Argeles there were many in Luchon and in the District of Ariège Today they are almost extinct, one has to very look for if you want to see they are not actually cretins - it is a general physical stunting, against the consequences of which they have become immune to the part. "

Swell

• Some news from the Cagots in France, in: General geographical ephemeris, Volume 1 5 piece, 1798
• The Cagots in France, in: The Grenzboten, 20.Jg., 1861, S.423 -431