The History of the Albigensian Crusade: Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay's `Historia Albigensis'

by Pierre Vaux de Cernay (Translator), W.A. Sibly

The Historia Albigensis is one of the most important sources for the history of the Cathar heresy and the Albigensian crusade. This new translation makes the work available in English for the first time. The Historiawas written between about 1212 and 1218 by Peter, a young monk at the Cistercian abbey of les Vaux-de-Cernay, where his uncle Guy was abbot. Guy took part in the preaching mission against heresy in 1207 and later played an important part in the crusade and became bishop of Carcassonne. Peter several times accompanied his uncle, and not only met those involved in the crusade, but himself witnessed many episodes. The Historiathus contains a wealth of firsthand detail about the personalities and events of the crusade, and about contemporary warfare. An introduction and extensive notes draw on other contemporary sources and on recent scholarship; nine appendices range from the policies of Innocent III to the technical terms used to describe fortifications, also providing translations of other important contemporary sources. W.A. SIBLY read classics at Balliol College, Oxford; his son M.D. SIBLY read history at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Classics, Medieval

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1218

About the author

Peter of Vaux de Cernay (died c.1218) was a Cistercian monk of Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey, in what is now Yvelines, northern France, and a chronicler of the Albigensian Crusade. His Historia Albigensis is one of the primary sources for the events of that crusade.

The chronicle is thought to have been written from 1212 to 1218, recounting events which were principally those of 1203 to 1208, but also later events, at some of which Peter himself was present as eyewitness. His uncle Guy of Vaux-de-Cernay was his abbot, bishop of Carcassonne for some years from 1212, and a preacher brought in earlier to preach against Catharism by Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester.

Peter had also followed the early Fourth Crusade, with Guy, as far as Zara, Dalmatia. They joined Simon perhaps in 1210, and Peter likely knew Simon personally.

His writing is generally considered partisan, taking the Catholic side, but also to be more objective in reporting Cathar beliefs and actions than some of the hunters of heresy. Steven Runciman gives examples in which Peter's discussion of Cathar theology is presumably accurate, or, exaggerated for propaganda effect. The chronicle was not written after 1218, and it is suggested that Peter’s death shortly after that year may be the reason.

Reviews

[Hayley]

If I could go back in time and slap one chronicler across the face, it would be Peter of Les Vaux-de-Cernay.

Bless the Siblys for their translation and appendices for making my thesis so much easier to write, though.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter of Les Vaux de Cernay was a Cistercian monk who accompanied the Crusaders in their campaigns against the Cathars and their supporters, and his strong pro-Catholic and pro-Crusader bias limits his ability to see clearly or write an even-handed narrative. For example, he often condemns in the harshest of terms barbarities allegedly inflicted by the Cathars on their enemies, but celebrates when the Crusaders do things of comparable savagery. Although the Albigensian Crusade lasted from 1209 until 1229, this book only goes until 1218, meaning that the author probably died at around that time. So this is not in any way a complete history of the crusade.

Despite its shortcomings, there is plenty of important information in this book. This is an excellent translation with many helpful footnotes, maps, and other materials. Sibly also includes an appendix with other primary sources about events of the Crusade that de Cernay describes. de Cernay's chronicle is one of the most important primary sources that we have available for this particular crusade, and is utilized by all secondary histories of the Albigensian Crusade that I have come into contact with. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning in depth about this fascinating subject.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter of Les Vaux-de-Cernay's "Historia Albigensis" details the very fascinating and inspiring exploits of Simon de Montfort. 

Peter's "athlete of Christ" Simon de Montfort struggles and, for the most part, wages war almost single-handedly against the Cathar heresy in the Midi and against the "perfidious" and "wicked" Count of Toulouse, Raymond VI, and other Occitan noblemen such as Raymond-Roger of the Trencavel family. 

The book is full of insights on the Cathar Heresy and Medieval siege-warfare and is very much worth reading for anybody interested in the history of the crusades and Medieval perceptions of the world. 

[Jacob Lehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

George R.R. Martin may have read this... note some of the names used in his works and the insight into medieval warfare.

I read this as part of my project to read one book from every aisle of Olin Library at Cornell; you can read my reactions to other books from the project here: https://jacobklehman.com/

A fuller review/reaction will follow on my website.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale told by a lackey of the Count de Montfort, full of sound and fury, but signifying so many of the actors' motivations between its lines.

Terrific footnotes and supplemental materials by the translators.