Imagine being born into a group labeled "untouchable," not for your beliefs, actions, or even physical differences. Barred from public spaces, marked as impure, and shunned by society.
This isn’t about Dalits in India. It’s about the Cagots of Europe.
Small🧵
The Cagots were a marginalized group France and Spain, living in ghettos called Cagoteries.
They spoke the same language, practiced the same Christian faith, and looked no different from their neighbors.
Yet, they were treated as spiritually dangerous and morally impure
Their lives were tightly controlled.
They couldn’t own land, rear animals freely, or marry outside their community. They were forced to wear a goose foot emblem in public and report their presence by shaking a wooden rattle.
Society wanted them visible—and humiliated
Even churches segregated them.
Cagots were forced to enter through small, hidden doors at the side of the church. Inside, they sat in designated areas, far from everyone else
Cagots had their own separate holy water fonts at Church, and touching the regular ones was strictly forbidden
In Brittany, a Cagot collecting water from a public fountain had his hand cut off.
This wasn’t centuries ago—it was in the 18th century. Discrimination against Cagots persisted into the French Revolution and beyond, long after medieval times
Who were the Cagots?
No one really knows.
Unlike other marginalized groups, they didn’t differ by religion, language, or ethnicity. They were falsely accused of having webbed fingers, missing earlobes, or being lepers—myths that justified their persecution
Theories about their origins abound:
Descendants of pagans who resisted Christianity, Converts from Islam or Judaism, Lepers labeled for their disease
Victims of a classist system targeting poor laborers
None of these fully explain their treatment.
Despite systemic discrimination, the Cagots were master craftsmen.
They were skilled builders and carpenters, contributing to many of the churches in France.
Ironically, they were forbidden from fully entering or participating in these same structures
Their persecution wasn’t subtle—it was brutal.
In 1927, writer Kurt Tucholsky noted that Cagots had almost disappeared, but traces of prejudice lingered into the 20th century.
Today, little remains of Cagot culture, as most descendants chose to assimilate and leave their history behind.
However, A museums preserve their memory in France.
Interestingly, the red goose foot symbol of the Cagots resurfaced in 2021–2022 during French anti-vaccine protests.
Protestors wore the symbol and distributed cards explaining the historical discrimination against the Cagots, drawing parallels to their own situation.
The French Revolution offered a turning point for the Cagots.
They destroyed records, symbols, and anything that marked them as untouchables. Under Napoleon, discriminatory laws were abolished, and the Cagots faded into history
But why does nobody talk about this today?
While Europe spends millions studying Dalit Studies and untouchability in India, it remains silent about its own history of systemic discrimination, like the Cagots in France, Gypsies or roma people in Europe
It’s time we remember the Cagots and confront the silence around this chapter of European history.
If you found this thread interesting, Please follow our socials, We are producing a detailed documentary on this topic, Subscribe to our Youtube channel for more updates.
follow @itiha29 & our other socials at:
linktr.ee/itiha
@maa_bhaishiiH Did you hear about Cagots in your research?
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.