A denomination given to a Cagot, however, in the record of a deed of gift, mentioned by Marca, gives rise to other conjectures, involving still more interesting inquiries.

It is there stated, that with a "_nasse_" was given a _Chretien_, named Auriot Donat; that is to say, the _house_ of a Cagot and himself with it.
In the cartulary of the _ci-devant_ Abbey of Luc, in the year 1000, and in the _Fors de Bearn_, they are designated as _Chrestias_, and the term _Cagot_, we are informed by Marca, was first employed in acts relative to them in the year 1551.

They are called _gaffos_ in an ancient _Fors_ of Navarre, in 1074; and the term _Chrestiaas_ even now is used to denote the villages where the Cagots reside.
It appears that the Cagots of the present day are ordinarily denominated _Agotacs_ and _Cascarotacs_, by the peasants of Bearn and the Basque country: that of _Chretiens_ seemed affixed to them formerly, but was equally so to the lepers who were obliged to live isolated, and their abodes were called _chrestianeries_.
As the serfs became emancipated, the Cagots, who had been slaves peculiarly appropriated by the Church, and called by them, it seems, _Chrestias_, were allowed similar privileges: added to which, from having belonged to the ecclesiastics, and from not enjoying the rights of citizens, they were exempt from taxes.

In later times, this led to innovations by these very Cagots, who, becoming rich, endeavoured to usurp the prerogatives of nobility.

The Etats of Bearn, issued a command to the "_Cagot d'Oloron_,"-- who appears to have been a powerful person--to prevent him from building a _dovecote_, and to another to forbid him the use of arms and the costume of a gentleman.
At the church of St.Croix at Oloron is still to be seen a _benitier_, set apart for the use of this race; and at the old fortified church of Luz, was a little door, now closed up, by which they entered to perform their devotions.
The prohibition to carry arms, which never extended to _lepers_, would seem to indicate that the Cagots, always separately mentioned in all the public acts, were persons who might be dangerous to public tranquillity.
And this, together with the appellation of _Christians_, may give colour to another opinion, entertained by those who reject the idea of their being descendants of those Goths who took refuge in the mountains after the defeat of Alaric by Clovis.
The opinion to which I allude, and which is adopted by Palassou, is that they come from those Saracens who fled from Charles Martel in the eighth century, after the defeat of their chief, Abderraman, near Tours: these Saracens are supposed to have sheltered themselves from pursuit in the mountains, where, being prevented by the snows from going further, they remained hemmed in, and by degrees established themselves here, and conformed to Christianity; but does this account for the contempt and hatred which they had to endure for so many centuries after?
for no race of people, once converted, were any longer held accursed in the country where they lived.