Gender patterns in medieval heresy incriminations
Examining an extensive register of inquisition from Bologna, 1291-1310, we found that women tended to incriminate other women, while men incriminated across genders.
Dr David Zbíral has been awarded the 2020 Masaryk University Rector's Prize for an exceptional research outcome. The prize has been awarded for his book Baptized by Fire: Cathar Christianity in the Light of the Sources (Praha: Argo 2019), which represents an exceptional synthesis concerning Catharism with a selection of sources translated from Latin and Old Occitan originals.
Examining an extensive register of inquisition from Bologna, 1291-1310, we found that women tended to incriminate other women, while men incriminated across genders.
It is a familiar image: a woman in distress, surrounded by men examining her soul in a dimly lit inquisitorial chamber. In fear of physical torture, she confesses to crimes she never committed. We bring you an online version of our article originally published in History Today.