Isn't the "descendents of Lepers" theory the most commonly accepted one, or has something changed since I last 'studied' the Cagots?
Nope. This is what is most commonly accepted now. "There is one theory however that seems more convincing… That the Cagots were the descendants of a guild of medieval carpenters and artisans.
The red webbed-foot symbol, that Cagots were sometimes forced to wear, may have been the trademark of a carpenters’ guild. Many Cagot communities lay on the
Camino de Santiago, important pilgrimage routes that lead to the shrine of St. James the Apostle.
During the 9th and 10th centuries there was a building boom along the route. These dates coincide with the earliest known records of Cagots. Highly skilled outsiders travelling along the route, would definitely have been viewed suspiciously, or perceived as a threat by the local population. The collapse of the guild would have left behind a cohesive and distinct group of people in the communities in which they worked, which would likely have been a target for discrimination and persecution."
Whend did you study the Cagot's? What did your studies reveal?