Emma I, 1317(?)-1330

                Emma shared two histories leading up to her unfortunate early death, her simple personal history, and the accused history in which the church had imposed upon her.  Her personal history, although tragic, lacked the deviancy of her accusations.  At the age of eight Emma, who was the daughter of a poor family in Toulouse, was sent to the Recordi family living within the walls of Carcassonne.  It was soon discovered that Emma lacked some basic mental faculties.  She could answer simple, questions and worked hard, but was very shy and easy to startle.  Often, the Recordi family would have her working their small field and gathering wood as she seemed most content working outside.  By 1329, Peter Recordi was accused and arrested for sorcery; shortly thereafter he would contract a high fever and die while imprisoned.  His family, frightened of further repercussions from the church, fled north to Bordeaux and abandoned Emma to her own devices in Carcassonne.  It would be weeks before stories of a cursed creature would wail at night, waiting for the return of Peter Recordi.  In mid-October, a cold and hungry girl will be caught stealing food from the church store house.  Eyewitnesses swore that she had left with the rest of the family months ago, and most came to the conclusion that she must’ve come back for the love of her diabolical master, Peter.

                In the hands of the Dominican Inquisitors, questions proved to be elusive and difficult.  Emma couldn’t understand much of it, though she understood to pray when she heard the lord’s name.  It seemed frustrating to everyone when she did, she would hear his name and would fall to her knees, eyes squeezed shut and hands clamped together, but then she would be forced back to her feet and scolded her for her actions.  Her general refusal to cooperate, the frequent though silent prayers, and the recent news from Corbieres concerning the execution of yet another Albigensian, led the Inquisition to fear a Cathar revival.  It seemed obvious to them that the girl was a stubborn heretic and perhaps even a lost daughter of the man named Guillaume Balibaste, the man that was executed.