The fate of a witch (a brief story of marginality from a 13th century Provençal text)

Marginality in the Middle Ages is a fascinating issue involving the lives, perceptions, and societal roles of individuals or groups that existed on the fringes of medieval society. Thesegroupsoftenfelloutsidethemainstreamsocial,religious,orlegalnormsand were marginalized as a result. The marginalized included religious minorities, vagrant, women who challenged traditional roles, including prostitutes, of course. Prostitutes were often likened to witches: both groups were viewed as threats to the moral or social order. What is proposed here is the analysis of a short history of marginality from a 13th-century Provençal text. This text concerns a young woman who was the victim of sexual violence. In response to the adverse circumstances that she has experienced in her youth, she elects to adopt the roles of prostitute and witch.