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Religious Sites of Cornwall (Religion/Medieval)
Unit 4 – Going on a pilgrimage Sheet
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Going on a pilgrimage
Cost
A pilgrim who wanted to make a long distance pilgrimage and to travel
comfortably had to expect a very big bill. Many rich pilgrims needed a
year's income and had to sell their land to the church. The church
recommended that real pilgrimage should be undertaken in poverty and on
foot but many richer pilgrims did not do it this way, some travelling in style
but attracting the attention of thieves. Poorer pilgrims would have to live
on the charity of people who provided alms.
The uniform
The distinctive uniform of pilgrims was important because it entitled the
person wearing it to be treated as a pilgrim. This was meant to guarantee
the safety of the pilgrim along the road. It would also give them admission
to the many shelters and hospices along the route. Punishments for
attacking pilgrims were very harsh but this did not stop pilgrims being
attacked by robbers and bandits. Pilgrim uniforms were usually brown or
black, with cloaks, broad hats, satchels (or ‘wallets’) and staffs.
Choosing your travelling companions
For lots of reasons, including safety, pilgrims usually travelled in groups.
Choosing your travelling companions was an important decision. There
were many stories of pilgrims who were robbed or even killed by their
companions.
Long distance travel
By land or sea travel was very difficult in the Middle Ages and could be
dangerous. Pilgrims often went in groups to protect themselves against
outlaws. It was often so dangerous that people who could afford to paid
others to go on a pilgrimage for them. For instance, in 1352 a London
merchant paid a man £20 to go on a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai. Although
the overland route to the Holy Land became possible in the 11th and 12th
centuries as a result of Christian conversion and conquest, it was always
dangerous. An English pilgrim who travelled the route in 1102 described
how the Arabs 'lay hidden in caves and crevices, waiting day and night for
people travelling in small groups or straggling behind their groups. At one
moment they are everywhere, the next they are gone.'
Sorting things out
Before leaving home, a pilgrim would sort out their unsettled business, like
paying all debts, making a will, settling arguments and saying sorry to
everyone he or she might have offended. They did this partly because
there was a real possibility that they would not make it home again.
Seeing the priest
Before leaving, pilgrims made an appointment to see a priest. In front of
the priest they would make a vow to complete his journey and the priest
would give the pilgrim his blessing. Having made the vow the pilgrim had
to make the journey or face being excommunicated. After having made the
vow, the pilgrim was allowed to put on the uniform of the pilgrim.
www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools
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RESOURCES
Religious Sites of Cornwall (Religion/Medieval)
Unit 4 – Going on a pilgrimage Sheet
Travelling by land
One problem was very poor quality paths that were badly signposted, if at
all. Where roads were looked after, you probably had to pay to use them.
On horseback a pilgrim might expect to cover 50 kilometres a day. The
12th century guidebook The Guide for Pilgrims to Santiago listed the
dangers that the pilgrims faced, including: thick forests, mosquito infested
marshes, wild animals, impassable rivers and undrinkable water. In
France thieves dressed as pilgrims would try get the confidence of
genuine pilgrims before stealing everything they had.
Water supply
This was a big problem and pilgrims were advised not to travel at certain
times of year.
Food
This also posed problems, because there was a limit on how much a
pilgrim could carry. In some places visited, hostels provided free food for
the pilgrims, but it depended where you were. In Gascony, in the south of
France food was excellent but Spain it was different: 'if anyone can eat
their fish without being sick, then he must have a stronger constitution
than most of us'.
Accommodation
By custom, pilgrims were entitled free food and a roof over their head.
This was the responsibility of the Church and monasteries. On busy routes
it was impossible to accommodate everyone in the monasteries and
smaller hospices were built and run by small groups of monks. By the
middle of the 12th century there were so many hospices on the routes to
Santiago through France and Spain that you could reach the next one in a
day. Not all of them provided food and there were very few beds so most
pilgrims put up with a straw covered floor. Richer pilgrims might stay at an
inn but even there pilgrims would be expected to share the room with a
number of other paying guests. Pilgrims were often taken advantage of,
being charged high prices for poor quality food and flea-infested beds.
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Travelling by land or by sea
Making yourself understood was always a problem. There were some
expensive guide and phrase books, but often even the most educated
pilgrims could only speak a few words of any language apart from their
own or Latin.
Travel by sea The other way to travel was by sea. This was not an easy
option, because it was dangerous, very uncomfortable, you were often
hungry, could not sleep and it was very boring. The journey from Venice to
the Holy Land would take six weeks or more. There was the danger of
being shipwrecked or attacked by pirates. Pilgrims were often crammed
into boats so small they could hardly turn over in their sleep. The ships
were often infested with rats and fleas. A sleeping place nearest to the
deck was thought to be the best bet. The food was very poor and the
water was stale. The only organised activity was the daily sermon. Some
pilgrims gambled and drank others played chess and kept fit, but many
just sat in bored silence for hours on end.
What did you do when you got there?
When people arrived at the shrine they would pay to be allowed to look at
the relics. Some pilgrims were even allowed to touch and kiss them. The
keeper of the shrine would also give the pilgrim a badge made of pewter
or lead, stamped with the symbol of the shrine. These were often fixed to
the pilgrim's clothing, in particular his or her hat, so that people would
know they had visited the shrine and to prove they had fulfilled their vow.
Many sites soon started selling souvenir badges which usually
represented a famous miracle associated with the patron saint. Some well
travelled pilgrims would have hats covered in the badges from the many
shrines they had visited.
www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools
© University of London
You may photocopy this sheet