History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 145, the Crusade against the Cathars, the Battle of Muray Part 1.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the rebels score a rare military victory at Pujol, their first successful

siege of the entire campaign.

And we also saw Simon de Monfour move his headquarters to the little inconsequential town of Muray.

Muray may have been inconsequential prior to September 1213, but after that date, the name

Muray will be stamped in the history books as the scene of the showdown between

Simon's Crusader forces and the combined rebel forces of the counts of Toulouse

Fwa and Camage led by King Peter the second of Aragon.

In fact, so firmly will the name Muray be stamped in the history books that Lawrence Marvin in his book

the Occiton War names it as one of the most important battles of the high Middle Ages

including it in the same sentence as the Battle of Hastings and

Lusna-Tilosa.

But back in mid-1213, Muray was not yet a household name.

The town itself was located about 18 kilometers south of the city of Toulouse, around a two-hour rideaway on horseback, and

was situated on the banks of the river Gouron, on a triangular piece of land where another much smaller river met the impressively large river Garon.

The river Garon also flows through the city of Toulouse, meaning that supplies to Muray can reach the town via barges

sent from Toulouse.

The town of Muray itself was fortified and within its walls it contained a

marketplace a church a few streets and dwellings and a 200 foot high castle keep which according to Stephen O'Shea in his book

The Perfect Heresi was so high that it could be seen from the city of Toulouse if the weather was kind. The castle at Muray may have been tall and

...