Who are the Cagots? A mysterious minority of untouchables in Western Europe

The Cagots, an untouchable caste, were not regarded as people. In Europe, there is a tendency to forget this past and avoid discussing it. This caste persisted until the mid-20th century before gradually disappearing.

It is believed that the term ‘Cagots’ originates from the Greek word κακός, meaning ‘bad’. The enigma lies in why they were deemed bad and leprous, to the extent that they were prohibited from dining with ordinary people, marrying them, or bathing in common areas. They were even barred from entering temples, although some churches had separate entrances for them. As a marginalized group, they were forced to walk barefoot and were not allowed to touch city railings. This discrimination persisted into the 20th century in regions of France and Spain.

The Cagots, known as ‘barestians’—a term linked to peasants and cretins in French—were also called swamp people or ducks, as they had to wear a duck’s foot symbol on their clothing. This group existed for over a millennium in the Pyrenees and was first mentioned in historical records then, but they were not united by religion, ethnicity, or disease, puzzling researchers. They were an inherited caste of untouchables, socially isolated with the mere mention of ‘Cagot’ being self-explanatory.

There are various assumptions about the Cagots’ origins, such as descending from the biblical Judas, being a fallen medieval carpenters’ order, or stemming from the Cathars or Arians, possibly even the earliest Christians. Their exact ethnic group is uncertain; they could be Goths, Arabs, or perhaps Jews. The most noticeable characteristic is their short stature, potentially a result of centuries of oppression and malnutrition. Another distinctive feature is the absence of earlobes, with ears merging directly with the head. Additionally, webbing between the fingers has been noted. In the 16th century, Ambroise Paré, a pioneer in surgery, studied them and noted their small stature, high body temperature, blue blood, and a propensity for mummification and genetic deformities.

The Cagots were only baptized at night, in darkness, and had their own separate burial grounds. They were perceived as descendants of lepers, believed to be carriers of a latent form of the disease.

They were prohibited from any form of agriculture – their roles were confined to being gravediggers, executioners, coffin makers, and other funeral-related jobs. The link between the Cagots and leprosy was deeply ingrained, with a common belief that they suffered from conditions like psoriasis or leukoderma. They were barred from taverns, not allowed to drink from public fountains, handle food, livestock, or enter mills.

The enigma lies in the fact that for centuries, French society could not conclusively identify them: were they mentally challenged, cannibals, lepers, sorcerers, deviants, or heretics? Nineteenth-century French physicians even classified them as a distinct race.

Indeed, the Cagot community persists. They are well aware of their identity, yet it is unlikely that one would learn about them unless they choose to share this information. The sheer scarcity of information and the emergence of numerous conflicting accounts serve as strong indications that there may be deliberate obfuscation at play. This tactic, creating a multitude of outlandish stories to bury the truth, is often employed when something is meant to be concealed.

It is commonly held that during the French Revolution, the Cagots destroyed all records pertaining to their community and assimilated into the general populace. Consequently, nearly all traces of Cagot culture have been eradicated, leaving behind only the legacy of their historical marginalization. The Cagots themselves have not been forthcoming with details about their heritage.

In 1950, a scandal erupted when a woman from a French village attempted to marry a man from the Cagot community. They remain subtly ostracized from society to this day. It’s noteworthy that a symbol resembling a duck’s foot, which looks like a cross with raised bars, was once used to protest mass vaccinations.

The autobiographical tale “The Cagot Hut and the Conscript’s Bride” by Thomas Colley Grattan, who visited those regions in 1852 and chronicled the Cagots’ existence, seems elusive in any language. If anyone succeeds in locating it, please share a link in the comments. It appears that the book has been “sanitized,” leaving only physical copies. When material is sanitized, it often signifies its importance, and many scholars view the enigma of the Cagots as a pivotal piece of alternative history.