The Albigensian Crusade in Occitania (1208-1229), which targeted
the Cathar heretics as well as their orthodox compatriots,
impelled an otherwise disparate set of Occitan noblemen to unite
in opposition to the invasion. This newfound cohesion gave birth
to an Occitan political community whose members were united by
common fears, goals, and virtues. Through my analysis of the
second portion of the chanson de geste, The Song of the Cathar
Wars, authored by an anonymous poet sympathetic to the Occitans,
I suggest the emergence of this Occitan community based upon (1)
the portrayal of the French crusaders as well as the Occitan
resistance fighters, (2) the way the anonymous poet framed the
conflict in terms of conquest rather than crusade and (3) the
characteristics and ideals attributed each side, most notably
paratge. The question of whether an Occitan 'nation' or
community existed during the Albigensian Crusade retains its
relevance today in light of recent Occitan movements whose goals
range from inspiring an