The Camisards
Well, not all the time.
Consider the French Protestant dissenters known as the Camisards.
I learned about this historical incident from reading Robert Louis Stevenson's Travels with a Donkey. (You can find the entire text of the book here.) Stevenson traveled through the region once ruled by the Camisards, and evoked the romance of their rebellion.
There, a hundred and eighty years ago, was the chivalrous Roland, "Count and Lord Roland, generalissimo of the Protestants in France," grave, silent, imperious, pock-marked ex-dragoon, whom a lady followed in his wanderings out of love. There was Cavalier, a baker's apprentice with a genius for war, elected brigadier of Camisards at seventeen, to die at fifty-five the English governor of Jersey. There again was Castanet, a partisan in a voluminous peruke and with a taste for divinity. Strange generals who moved apart to take counsel with the God of Hosts, and fled or offered battle, set sentinels or slept in an unguarded camp, as the Spirit whispered to their hearts! And to follow these and other leaders was the rank file of prophets and disciples, bold, patient, hardy to run upon the mountains, cheering their rough life with psalms, eager to fight, eager to pray, listening devoutly to the oracles of brainsick children, and mystically putting a grain of wheat among the pewter balls with which they charged their muskets.
Pretty weird, huh? And right in Europe, not all that long ago.
The last sentence from Stevenson is particularly intriguing, since it conjures up comparisons to the Mai-Mai rebels in the Congo today, who believe that certain magical charms protect them against bullets; that their own bullets are invulnerable to counter charms; and that ritual cannibalism of their enemies is still a grand idea.
Once Europe had its own Mai-Mai's. Perhaps someday Africa will be rid of theirs.
Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Camisards = Retards in Camisoles?
Posted by AGFH on 01/22 at 09:21 AM
Na.. it's French for "Religious fanatic with mystical beliefs".
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 01/22 at 09:46 AM
Actually, it comes from "camise", smock or dress, which was typical peasant wear at the time.
They were admittedly pretty strange French Protestants, operating a rather rigorous "school for prophets" which hyped themselves into some sort of trance. They were, of course, "heretics", but were reasonably harmless. When the Edict of Nantes was revoked, the Camisards were pushed to convert or emigrate. They pushed back.
They were admittedly pretty strange French Protestants, operating a rather rigorous "school for prophets" which hyped themselves into some sort of trance. They were, of course, "heretics", but were reasonably harmless. When the Edict of Nantes was revoked, the Camisards were pushed to convert or emigrate. They pushed back.
Posted by Jeff in KY on 01/22 at 10:24 AM
So AGFH and I weren't too far off the mark. 
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 01/22 at 10:41 AM
over the course of history didn't just about every religion and race get their turn at being both the oppressed and the oppressor? heretic or devout it depends whether or not the believers are in power. a veriation on the idea that the history books are written by the victor.
Posted by patty in ohio on 01/22 at 11:36 AM
The word "fanatic" rolls so easily off the tongue, and we use it to describe practically anyone who takes their faith to an extreme, as though skepticism were a supreme virtue.
The Dragoons who went about the countryside attempting to force Huguenots, Albegensian holdouts, Camisards, and any other Protestants to either come back to the fold (at least on paper) or leave the country would seem to me to be the terrorists, rather than the ones who "took arms against a sea of troubles".
These old boys were just standing up for themselves, as hill folk are often known to do.
Today, they'd just be another Pentecostal group.
The Dragoons who went about the countryside attempting to force Huguenots, Albegensian holdouts, Camisards, and any other Protestants to either come back to the fold (at least on paper) or leave the country would seem to me to be the terrorists, rather than the ones who "took arms against a sea of troubles".
These old boys were just standing up for themselves, as hill folk are often known to do.
Today, they'd just be another Pentecostal group.
Posted by Jeff in KY on 01/22 at 12:39 PM
Okay, complete thread jack here, but this is the only place on the Internet where I may find an answer for which I've been searching for many years. I'll even give out my email address if this is not appropriate for here, because I'd really like to learn what others have to say. Belief/knowing. Belief is an attitude one has learned from outside. Knowing goes one step farther; experiential knowledge of that belief that cements that it's true. If one lives her/his life only believing, it appears to me that they will go to their graves never having proved the very thing they've made a fundamental part of their lives. Sort of incomplete, imo. Then... (get the popcorn) free will. We're supposed to follow our dreams with all of our hearts, but in any book I've read about praying, visualization, etc., it ALWAYS ends with the caveat that maybe the Universe has a different plan. So, how can one be totally devoted to a dream if we're not sure that's the one we're supposed to be having? Hope this offends no one. Thanks.
Posted by lostinthevalleygirl on 01/22 at 02:06 PM
Valleygirl-- I guess if you try something and fail, or are just unhappy with the outcome, you can call your endevor free will and try something different. But, if you succeed and are happy, I guess you could say that you are fulfilling your destiny, or fulfilling the universe's plan.
Posted by Maggie in Alabama on 01/22 at 02:27 PM
why do you assume the universe wants you to be happy? Maybe it's your destiny to be miserable.......
Posted by kezatwork on 01/22 at 05:07 PM
Maggie: Thank you.
kezatwork: ha. ha. ha. Don't believe it for a second. (Or, do I...? Nah)
kezatwork: ha. ha. ha. Don't believe it for a second. (Or, do I...? Nah)
Posted by lostinthevalleygirl on 01/22 at 05:59 PM
OPINION HERE: what you are talking about is faith, not just belief. beliefs are of this world and can be proven or disproven, they then become knowledge, one way or the other. faith is a belief that can not be proven, atleast not on this plane of exsistence. it's only incomplete here. those who have faith don't believe the grave is the end. the proof comes on the next plane, after death. as far as dreams, sometimes it's the journey that counts. as you change and grow so do your dreams. did you have the same aspirations at 10 as at 20 or now? if the journey fulfills you, if you are happy then that's the important thing. don't worry about commiting to the 'wrong' dream, if you end up somewhere else then that was just a necessary detour along the way. every thing we experience, good or bad, has a hand in making us who we are. use you intellegence, use your talents, do what you know is right and you'll end up where you need to be. 'to thine own self be true' atleast that's what i think anyway. i hope this makes some sense to you lostinthevalleygirl.
Posted by patty in ohio on 01/22 at 06:01 PM
all right come and get me! who thinks i'm full of sh!t? 
Posted by patty in ohio on 01/22 at 06:04 PM
Thanks, Patty. I was actually hoping you would respond. I so enjoy your earthy humor, but your wisdom has blown me away at times, also. Good food for thought.
Posted by lostinthevalleygirl on 01/22 at 06:16 PM
thank you so much for your kind words, they warm my heart.
Posted by patty in ohio on 01/22 at 06:23 PM
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing...
and my revision: The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing, and you never can (thats why Im no socrates)
and my revision: The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing, and you never can (thats why Im no socrates)
Posted by Enlightened on 01/22 at 06:42 PM
Until I read this post I thought that "Travels with a Donkey" was set in Tijuana. You learn something new every day.
Valley Girl- I have found that those who find the courage to follow their heart's desire, even if they don't obtain the dream they are chasing, usually end up in a pretty good place. Follow your heart, but just remember what John Lennon said "Life is what happens when you're making other plans." (The quote may be a bit off, but the spirit is there)
Valley Girl- I have found that those who find the courage to follow their heart's desire, even if they don't obtain the dream they are chasing, usually end up in a pretty good place. Follow your heart, but just remember what John Lennon said "Life is what happens when you're making other plans." (The quote may be a bit off, but the spirit is there)
Posted by CanUKgirl on 01/22 at 08:02 PM
I feel like we should all hold hands and sing kumbya (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) now
Posted by Jules in Connecticut on 01/23 at 06:36 AM
Yeah, really! All of this sentimental crap makes me want to barf.
Posted by Madd Maxx on 01/23 at 06:43 AM
I say - Whatever works to give you peace of mind and comfort about your life, you go for it - just don't try to tell me you're right an I'm wrong. Then I'll get angry and defensive. My personal choice is to be a bit pessimistic, that way I'm not dissapointed so often, and to believe that the actions we choose to take affect our future in a slighty karmic sort of way. I don't believe in an omnipitant higher power, and I don't presume to have any clue what goes on after we die.
That's my bit, thank you and good morning
That's my bit, thank you and good morning
Posted by Jules in Connecticut on 01/23 at 06:48 AM
Posted by kingmonkey in Athens, Ontario on 01/23 at 10:52 AM
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