The so-called Walesby cistern, one of several late Romano-British lead ceremonial tanks found particularly across the East Midlands and East Anglia, appears to depict the induction into such a congregation of a female catechumen or baptismal candidate, flanked by two other officiating women.3 One of the striking painted figures on a frieze in a pri

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Peyrat’s mythologised, semi-fictional Cathars had a big impact on the likes of the Félibrige, a group of scholars who were keen to preserve works written in Occitan. Underneath this goal lay a separatist movement, who wanted to restore Languedocian independence and identity. Peyrat was regarded as something of a guru, and the group began to produce

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