Transcript A Medieval Pilgrimage

A Medieval Pilgrimage
Your Task
• You will first be going on a virtual
pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
• Take notes on your handout as you find out
what a pilgrimage is and what it was like to
go on one.
• You will then be writing the diary of a
pilgrim.
The Motives Of Pilgrims
• We will be following Count Fulk, a French
Knight. We will also meet Mestre, the Count’s
cleric on this pilgrimage.
• What do you think were Fulk’s and Mestre’s
motives for going on this pilgrimage?
• Count Fulk thinks he is in his late forties, though
he is not exactly sure and he doesn’t really care.
Like any Knight he has fought in several wars
and committed various sins.
• Mestre is pious and looks forward to seeing the
Holy Land but is fearful of the journey. He too
has committed various sins.
Count Fulk
What Is A Pilgrimage?
• A pilgrimage was a special journey to a holy place for the
purpose of penance.
• Penance was the key idea behind pilgrimages. The pilgrim
had to be genuinely sorry, confess his sins and then make a
positive act to ‘pay’ for the sin.
• Penance could just be saying prayers or giving alms, but
for more serious sins it would involve a pilgrimage to a
holy place or even as far away as the Holy Land.
• Because a pilgrimage was a penance, pilgrims could not
just simply set out. Their journey had to be recognised by a
priest.
• Going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem was the greatest of all
pilgrimages for Western Christians.
The Pilgrim’s Vow
• To mark the formal beginning of a
pilgrimage, the pilgrim had to take a public
vow in front of the Bishop.
• Upon the pilgrim’s return the Bishop would
declare the vow fulfilled.
Preparations For A Pilgrimage
• The decision to go on a pilgrimage was not undertaken
lightly.
• What kinds of things do you think you needed to do to
arrange before you went on a pilgrimage?
• Peasants did not often go on pilgrimages, but if they
wanted to they had to get the permission of their Lord.
• If the pilgrim was a landowner he had to make
arrangements for his estate.
• You had to settle outstanding grievances or the penance
would be pointless.
• You had to settle your debts and old arguments.
• You had to make confession.
Departure From Pau
• An important man like Fulk
does not leave town quickly or
quietly.
• What do you think your
departure would be like?
• He would say goodbye to his
family privately.
• Then he would say goodbye to a
larger audience in the town
square.
• Fulk left Pau on foot, with
hundreds joining him for the
first few miles.
The Count’s castle at Pau
Bearne
• Fulk, of course, had no
intention of walking all the
way to Jerusalem on foot.
For a few miles, he and his
companions would walk in
silent contemplation. Then
he would meet up with the
pre-arranged pack
animals and horses.
Pilgrim or not, a nobleman
had to travel as suited his
station.
A farmhouse in Bearne
Toulouse
• People in the Middle Ages
did not venture outside
their villages often. If they
had not been on a
pilgrimage, many people
might never have left their
village.
• Even for a Knight like
Fulk the Holy Land was
very far away.
• How do you think the
pilgrims would have felt as
they set out on their
pilgrimage?
Pont Neuf in Toulouse
Carcassone
• As they travelled, pilgrims relied on the hospitality
of others.
• When thinking about lodgings, pilgrims must
choose between quality and frugality.
Nimes
• Pilgrims visited Holy shrines
but they also went sightseeing.
• Humans have a need for
memorabilia and all pilgrims
collected souvenirs.
• What kinds of things do you
think pilgrims collected as
souvenirs?
• Water from the River Jordan,
cockleshells, pieces of the rock
of Calvary, earth.
The Roman Amphitheatre in Nimes
Arles
• Going on a pilgrimage
was very dangerous.
• Robbers were the
biggest problem
because pilgrims
carried money for
their journey.
Grenoble
La Grande Chartreuse. The liqueur of the
same name was made by the monks at this
monastery.
The Alps
• The Alps presented a
real danger to pilgrims
on the road.
• Mountain passes,
weather, robbers,
winter.
Yes, that’s the road!
Turin
• Once pilgrims left
their own country
they encountered
language problems.
Milan
The Cathedral at Milan
• At this point in the
journey you are joined
by some other
pilgrims. This is a
good thing; safety in
numbers!
• What do you think are
these people’s reasons
for going on a
pilgrimage?
Verona
• The journey to the
Holy Land was very
long, so pilgrims told
each other stories for
entertainment.
Padua
• St Anthony’s Basilica
was an important
shrine for pilgrims. It
contained the bones of
St Anthony.
• There is a lively trade
in relics and souvenirs.
Venice
• Here you are going to have to find passage on a ship.
• Venice is an expensive city and passage on a ship will cost
you, but it is safer than going overland.
• However, travelling by sea is incredibly dangerous, so you
need to choose your captain well.
The Ship
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Your berth on the ship is only about
30inches wide, marked out in chalk.
The smell was terrible.
Seasickness was common. Mass was
therefore dry; to vomit up the Host
is sacrilege.
Toilets were baskets hung over the
side of the ship. Very dangerous!
Life on board was very boring.
Meals were a welcome break from
the boredom but after a few weeks
at sea were pretty unpalatable.
Stopping at ports also relieved the
boredom.
Zara
• The ship berths at the port of Zara as a pilgrim on
board your ship has died.
• Dying en route was not all that unusual. This was
because of the miserable conditions, risk of storm,
poor food and lack of judgment.
• It was believed if you died on a pilgrimage you
were guaranteed salvation, so it was not
uncommon for people to set out to the Holy Land
if they felt they were on their last legs.
Jaffa
• Now that you are in the Middle
East, the term ‘old city’ means
thousands of years old instead
of hundreds.
• You are now under the
authority of the Muslim
governor.
• Pilgrim traffic (Muslim, Jewish
and Christian) is so great that
the authorities have an entire
bureaucracy devoted to dealing
with it.
• The authorities will tell you
where you will be staying and
you are not free to wander at
will.
Jaffa Caves
• Pilgrims must stay in the caves, where they are
guarded over night. Thousands upon thousands of
pilgrims have stayed here over the centuries and
the smell is so bad it makes you physically sick.
• In the morning you must buy a donkey. Be aware,
your transaction will determine the comfort of
your journey to the Holy Land. A good donkey
with a conscientious donkey-boy is a blessing. A
cantankerous donkey is an unending nightmare.
As is the case in all countries and all times, the
ignorant tourist will be at the mercy of traders
and their scams.
Ramleh
• It was difficult for
European nobility to
learn not to be
arrogant toward
people they viewed as
inferior, so make sure
you don’t argue with
your donkey-boy or
your progress will be
extremely slow.
The Abbot’s Instructions At Ramleh
• The Franciscan Abbott gives you
instructions about how to continue on your
journey to Jerusalem.
• Show Christian charity, avoid aggressive
behaviour, do not enter Mosques, do not
step in Muslim graveyards, travel in groups,
do not carve your coat of arms into holy
shrines, do not take away small pieces of
holy sites.
Jerusalem
• The sight of the walled city of
Jerusalem in the distance
caused many pilgrims to break
down in tears. This was the
most sacred place in
Christendom. You are walking
where Jesus and the Apostles
walked.
• Arrival at sunset was common
as it took some hours to travel
from Ramleh.
• You stay the night in the
Hospital of St John in very
humble conditions.
Via Dolorosa
• The Via Dolorosa (the Street of
Sadness) was the road Jesus walked
down on the day of the crucifixion.
• The scene is hardly reverential.
Peddlars called out to tourists and
the pilgrims themselves added to
the noise and confusion. Don’t get
lost in the crowd or you might meet
with a nasty end down a dark alley.
The Holy Sepulchre
• This is the ultimate goal for
every pilgrim. Within this
complex are the sites where
Jesus was crucified and buried.
• The scene outside, where you
must wait to gain entry, is
almost hopeless chaos. Peddlars
work the crowd and people
faint in the heat. You are
worried about foreign doctors,
but actually the Muslim doctors
are far more knowledgeable
than you.
• When the gates are opened
everybody pushes and shoves to
gain entry.
Inside The Holy Sepuchre
Inside The Holy Sepulchre
• The noise
inside of
people
praying
and crying
out in so
many
different
languages
is echoed
off the
vaulted
ceiling.
The Garden of Gethsemane
• This was the place
where Jesus spent the
night before he was
betrayed and
crucified.
• Pilgrims were
sometimes
disappointed with the
Garden of
Gethsemane, as it had
grown unkempt.
Bethlehem
• Bethlehem was never
more than a village.
But as the place where
Jesus was born it was
a common site for
pilgrims to visit.
Your Task
• You will be writing Fulk’s pilgrimage diary. Use
the information on your sheet to describe the
stages of the journey.
• Start by explaining why you are going on a
pilgrimage and describing your preparations and
departure. Then describe the places you stopped
at and what the journey was like. Finish by
explaining what it was like to finally arrive in
Jerusalem and what you did there.