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CAPUCHE: A Historic Medieval Tale of a Forbidden Love and a Barbaric Church
Capuche never intended to be another Robin Hood story, even as it uncovers origins of this folk hero as he appeared at the dawn of 13th-century England.
The tale opens with a brutal medieval public execution in 1213 England and is the true story of Sir Morvran ab moel Llywarch, a Welsh Noble, and sister Mary -- a medieval saga of a forbidden love, persecuted and crushed by a barbaric Catholic Church.
The narrative follows actual events and personalities, and a tragedy of suffering unfolds, but also of hope and passion -- a mystical journey in search of the beyond and the power of love under the most arduous circumstances.
At the dawn of the 1200s, the well-educated Noble, Sir Morvran Llywarch, loved books and manuscripts and chose an academic life over Knighthood.
As a scholar and archivist, he worked with a female Clergy member on improving manuscript bookmaking. And as they collaborated, they became friends, and their lives turned irreversibly when they fell in love.
Their world was not forgiving about out-of-wedlock relationships, even more so when it involved a Nun, which put their lives at great peril.
At the same time, in his search for knowledge and the mysterious, Morvran embraced the eternal esoteric teachings of the Cathars and became one of their leaders known as Capuche .
In the 13th-century feudal world of corruption and hypocrisy by the Catholic Church, the teachings and lifestyle of the Cathars stood out as a beacon of hope for a tyrannized and abused population.
But they were a thorn in the eyes of the Catholic Church and threatened by their presence and acceptance, the Church regarded them as heretics and religious pagans -- to be pursued, tried by the Inquisition, and burned at the stake.
Witnessing this savage cruelty, Morvran, as Capuche, set out to take from the Church and even the scales, giving relief to the oppressed. He and Mary and the Cathars were loved and lived among the people whom they supported and helped and taught in the arts of healing, medicine, hygiene, literacy, and for those who wanted, the esoteric Cathar teachings.
But their illicit love, Morvran’s Cathar affiliation as Capuche, and his campaigns against the Church attracted attention and ultimately provoked the terrifying wrath of the Religious Clergy.
Relentless in its pursuit Rome declared the Albigensian Crusade (1209 – 1229), targeting the Cathars in France and England. They would not stop hunting down Capuche to eradicate the Cathar heresy and restore the faith and more importantly, the income back into its coffers.
The Cathars, though, were loved and had powerful allies in the Knights Templar who protected and guarded them against the religious fervor.
Exposing them and Capuche’s identity proved difficult -- they were part of the population hidden in plain sight.
But the Catholic Church would not stop.
____________________
The tale opens with a brutal medieval public execution in 1213 England and is the true story of Sir Morvran ab moel Llywarch, a Welsh Noble, and sister Mary -- a medieval saga of a forbidden love, persecuted and crushed by a barbaric Catholic Church.
The narrative follows actual events and personalities, and a tragedy of suffering unfolds, but also of hope and passion -- a mystical journey in search of the beyond and the power of love under the most arduous circumstances.
At the dawn of the 1200s, the well-educated Noble, Sir Morvran Llywarch, loved books and manuscripts and chose an academic life over Knighthood.
As a scholar and archivist, he worked with a female Clergy member on improving manuscript bookmaking. And as they collaborated, they became friends, and their lives turned irreversibly when they fell in love.
Their world was not forgiving about out-of-wedlock relationships, even more so when it involved a Nun, which put their lives at great peril.
At the same time, in his search for knowledge and the mysterious, Morvran embraced the eternal esoteric teachings of the Cathars and became one of their leaders known as Capuche .
In the 13th-century feudal world of corruption and hypocrisy by the Catholic Church, the teachings and lifestyle of the Cathars stood out as a beacon of hope for a tyrannized and abused population.
But they were a thorn in the eyes of the Catholic Church and threatened by their presence and acceptance, the Church regarded them as heretics and religious pagans -- to be pursued, tried by the Inquisition, and burned at the stake.
Witnessing this savage cruelty, Morvran, as Capuche, set out to take from the Church and even the scales, giving relief to the oppressed. He and Mary and the Cathars were loved and lived among the people whom they supported and helped and taught in the arts of healing, medicine, hygiene, literacy, and for those who wanted, the esoteric Cathar teachings.
But their illicit love, Morvran’s Cathar affiliation as Capuche, and his campaigns against the Church attracted attention and ultimately provoked the terrifying wrath of the Religious Clergy.
Relentless in its pursuit Rome declared the Albigensian Crusade (1209 – 1229), targeting the Cathars in France and England. They would not stop hunting down Capuche to eradicate the Cathar heresy and restore the faith and more importantly, the income back into its coffers.
The Cathars, though, were loved and had powerful allies in the Knights Templar who protected and guarded them against the religious fervor.
Exposing them and Capuche’s identity proved difficult -- they were part of the population hidden in plain sight.
But the Catholic Church would not stop.
____________________
369 pages, Hardcover
First published February 24, 2022
89 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 19, 2023
Difficult
This was a very difficult read. So many misspellings, typos, incomplete sentences and lack of punctuation made it incomprehensible at times. I doubt there was a proofreader involved at all. The author must have paid to have this published.
This was a very difficult read. So many misspellings, typos, incomplete sentences and lack of punctuation made it incomprehensible at times. I doubt there was a proofreader involved at all. The author must have paid to have this published.
May 5, 2022
I knew of the Cathars and of the bloody vengeance meted out to them, and later to the Templars, by the “Christian” Church, though few details. This faction novel gives an easily understood overview of the Cathars’ life-ethos while keeping the central thread focused on the two main characters who are both trying to come to terms with betrayal in their earlier lives.
The author does a fine job of portraying an unfolding friendship which morphs into love. In the semi-background of historical events, religious ideology fuels the self-righteousness of leaders who could not be held to account, and who would pardon all atrocities undertaken in its name. Details matter in a novel. The work of the parchmenter I found particularly fascinating. Subsidiary character, Ann, came across as a thoroughly contemptible individual – until what she had endured was revealed, when it all made perfect sense, on the personal level and as a mirror to society.
Although there are some slips in English usage, for the most part these support the ambience of the historical period portrayed, as did the use of early English place names. I applaud the short endnotes, something I didn’t expect to appreciate in a novel. Here they add to the veracity of the text. Some were eye-opening in themselves, others I spent time away from the story chasing down for more depth (hyperlinks would have been useful). What was shown was the collusion between State and Church, and the utter contempt for the lives of the common people.
This is not a novel with an overtly happy ending, but it has a satisfying ending. In trying so hard to crush dissent, the main characters were eulogised by the populace into a legend we know today, and the Catholic Church laid the foundations for the later, well-deserved, Reformation.
Read as an ebook via Kindle Unlimited.
The author does a fine job of portraying an unfolding friendship which morphs into love. In the semi-background of historical events, religious ideology fuels the self-righteousness of leaders who could not be held to account, and who would pardon all atrocities undertaken in its name. Details matter in a novel. The work of the parchmenter I found particularly fascinating. Subsidiary character, Ann, came across as a thoroughly contemptible individual – until what she had endured was revealed, when it all made perfect sense, on the personal level and as a mirror to society.
Although there are some slips in English usage, for the most part these support the ambience of the historical period portrayed, as did the use of early English place names. I applaud the short endnotes, something I didn’t expect to appreciate in a novel. Here they add to the veracity of the text. Some were eye-opening in themselves, others I spent time away from the story chasing down for more depth (hyperlinks would have been useful). What was shown was the collusion between State and Church, and the utter contempt for the lives of the common people.
This is not a novel with an overtly happy ending, but it has a satisfying ending. In trying so hard to crush dissent, the main characters were eulogised by the populace into a legend we know today, and the Catholic Church laid the foundations for the later, well-deserved, Reformation.
Read as an ebook via Kindle Unlimited.
June 23, 2022
This book grew on me the more that I read. The plot improved and the characters took shape. But three things really bothered me. One was the use of modern terms for characters living in the 12thC. The Cathars engaging in "outreach" is a bit far fetched, as is describing the air filled with "cannabis". Second, the language used by characters of low IQ sounded more like broken Italian than Middle English. Finally, the book's Cathars began to take on a psychological dimension that I'm not convinced was resident at that time.
Despite the problems described above, Capuche was an engaging book. The story line was plausible, and took some very interesting turns.
Despite the problems described above, Capuche was an engaging book. The story line was plausible, and took some very interesting turns.
April 21, 2022
Capuche - Worth Your Read
While the text requires editing, i found the story to be excellent. Well done. Intriguing description of the Catharsis and their trials at the hands of the Catholic Church in Medieval times.
While the text requires editing, i found the story to be excellent. Well done. Intriguing description of the Catharsis and their trials at the hands of the Catholic Church in Medieval times.
February 9, 2024
Difficult writing style to keep track of. Was it a history or historical fiction? Hard to discern. Came to the conclusion that even though it was a story about the Cathars it read like a Robin Hood Maid Marion story.
July 20, 2024
I really enjoyed this book!
Thank you for this...I almost could not put it down. You brought to life a time of hope and dispair, like few books I have read. Bringing history to life is a gift.
Thank you for this...I almost could not put it down. You brought to life a time of hope and dispair, like few books I have read. Bringing history to life is a gift.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews