Pilgrimage became a major force in the Middle Ages, as people wanted to cleanse their souls. Dante describes what a pilgrim is in his la Vita Nuova: "'pilgrim' may be understood in two senses, one general, and one special. General, so far as any man may be called a pilgrim who leaveth the places of his birth; whereas, more narrowly speaking, he only is a pilgrim who goeth towards or forwards the House of St. James." The three main pilgrimage sites for Christians were in Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela in Spain. In this quote, Dante is referring to Compostela. The cathedral was built in 1078, and it was made into a metropolitan area by Pope Calixtus II in 1120. St. James was the cult figure attached to the cathedral, and he helped …show more content…
James in Medieval Iberia, Martin of Tours was celebrated in Galicia from the middle of the sixth century under the tutelage of Bishop Gregory of Tours. Gregory of Tours wrote of King Chararic in the sixth century that sought a cure for his ailing child, however, "Chararic was an Arian Christian and it was widely known God did not heal unrepentant heretics, nor could bishops of the Arian church effect cures. [...] so long as Chararic remained an Arian, along with his people, his son would not only remain ill, but the entire region would continue to suffer from leprosy." This story represents how the public would have viewed saints. Saints had the power to cure illnesses and help individuals who prayed to them. This particular story showcases how one could be converted in order to gain the saint's favor. Gregory, nevertheless, wrote this as a propaganda piece to promote the cult of Martin of Tours. Over time, Martin of Tours diminished as a cult figure due to the conquest of Iberia in 711 by the Muslims. The Christians in Medieval Iberia needed "a powerful patron to match the Muslim patron, Muhammad." This starts the beginning of St. James being the Moor Slayer in Medieval Iberia, as he "appeared on earth and helped a Spanish army to win a decisive victory over the Moors," according to the Santiago Creed. While Martin of Tours still acted as a venerable saint for pilgrims, St. James provided more benefits for Christians in Medieval …show more content…
Julie Candy stated that "in the eleventh to twelfth century, it is estimated that between 0.5 and 2 million people were making their way to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela every year... [and] between 1400 to 5500 pilgrims converging upon the shrine per day." Richard Dale and Adrian Bell also discovered that "contemporary chronicles, registers of shrine offerings, testamentary bequests, fragmentary city records, and the extent of the pilgrimage institutions along major pilgrimage routes point to the large numbers involved—up to 500,000 per annum to Compostela alone in the thirteenth/fourteenth centuries according to some estimates." These estimates support one another, and they showcase the significant number of people who traveled to Santiago. Also, these results underline a continued pattern for people in the Middle Ages, as these findings span from the eleventh through the fourteenth centuries. In 1207 Santiago de Compostela was re-consecrated, because "so great was the damage wrought by the press of people to the altar, the chaos and the bloodshed." This statement underscores how the cathedral was overfilled at times with people trying to receive communion. Communion was considered a vital option for pilgrims, as they journeyed to save their souls through remission of their sins. Not all individuals, however, that traveled went for their own benefits. In 1399, "Andrea di Agnolo was
...ligious life of the town of San Miguel and construction of its main temple which from 1872 he was raised to parish. But like everyone, this temple of the Holy Trinity underwent several transformations, for example: in the first decades of the 19th century was built the current altar; and from 1881 to 1897 he received major improvements, like the composure of the entire building, the purchase of pictures, furniture and several sacred ornaments as well as the construction of the chapels of the Tabernacle and Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and the arches of the entrance to the former chapel of the Entombment of Christ and the old sacristy; the most recent improvement was made in the last years of the 20th century, and which involved the National Institute of anthropology and history, the Government of the State and the father Carlos Cabrero, responsible for the parish.
One of the most interesting aspects of Diaz’s narrative is towards the end when Cortés broaches the subject of Christianity with Montezuma. Conversion and missionary work was one of the most important and lasting goals of the conquistadors and other contemporary explorers, they were charged with this duty by the rulers who sent t...
Rituals are held as a very important part of any society, including ours. They go back to ancient times or can be as simple as maintaining one’s hygiene. Non-western societies have rituals that may seem very foreign to us, but they have been engrained in their communities and are essential to their social structure. This interpretation will focus on the Great Pilgrimage, a ritual performed by Quechuan communities. We will be looking specifically at a community in the area of Sonqo.
The Muslims and Jews of Spain during that time did not believe in Christianity. This became a conflict to Isabel uniting Spain. In fear, many Muslims and Jews had converted to Christianity but were suspected to have been practicing their own faith secretly. Isabel felt betrayed and it sparked the start of the Spanish Inquisition. “…establishing an Inquisition, expelling the Jews, converting or expelling the Muslims of Granada and Castile, and sanctioning the Muslims' continued presence in Aragon” (Myerson, 11). Isabel and Ferdinand continued with their plans to unify all of Spain by continuing effort to expel the Moors also known as the Muslims, who held some parts of Spain. In 1492, the Muslim Kingdom of Granada fell to Isabel and Ferdinand. Also, all the Jews in Spain who refused to convert to Christianity were expelled. Isabel felt her religion was the only true one and if she didn't rid them from her country then Spain would be ruined.
For religious Muslim contemporary’s the success of the 711 invasion was attributed to the will of Allah as part of Islam’s rapid expansion. Likewise for the Christian author of the 9th century chronicle of Alfonso III the Visigoths’ defeat had been punishment for disobeying God’s commandments. To the majority of medieval men divine intervention was a valid explanation for occurrences, however even then secular minded writers appreciated more practical explanations; principally the unrest which existed within the Visigothic kingdom. The political and social problems which faced Iberia at the time are seen by many modern historians as vital to the conquest’s success.
One of the most famous pilgrimage churches of the Romanesque period is Saint-Sernin in Toulouse, France. Saint-Sernin was a faithful Christian church and a lot of Christian pilgrims flocked the church to see the site where St. Peter was crucified. The middle ages wasn’t a time of safe and easy travel; therefore, Pilgrims had to deal with harsh storms, thieves, and maybe even travel in groups to lower the chances of trouble. The journey lasted months and a great amount of money had to be devoted into this journey. Those who visited the church during their journey would stop buy for prayer and/or meditation. The church had many significant art styles used, but one of the most important was the ones similar to the Romans, yet their faith was different. Saint-Sernin was getting so many visitors such as painters, sculptures, and even courtiers; this led to a new and bigger church.
If you are ready to leave father and mother, and brother and sister, and wife and child and friend, and never see them again… then you are ready for a walk. -Henry David Thoreau (Haberman 12)
He claims the transformation from reconquest and crusade came about do to the opening of the Iberian Peninsula to French and Papal influences. A big step in this evolution was Pope Alexander II recognizing the sins of those fighting in the Iberian Peninsula would be remitted. This declaration illustrates one of the characteristics of “crusade” in Medieval Spain. The indulgence of sins proved to be a valuable recruiting pitch, as it lured in knights from several French and Italian groups. These knights helped evolve the reconquest with their fanaticism towards Muslims, whom Iberian Christians had grown accustomed to over the centuries. This was expanded on by following Popes like Gregory VII, Urban II, and Paschal II whose liberal usage of papal bulls showcased the equal importance of campaigns in the Middle East to those in Spain. These Pope’s not only continued to grant the remission of sins to crusaders, they also allowed for partial remission to be granted to those who donated money to the campaigns instead of serving in person. This was important as the expenses of the campaigns in Spain were not likely to be covered by booty alone; yet the Christian Kings were able to wage war with help from the papacy. In addition, the papacy allowed various spanish rulers access to “tercias” (one third of tithes used for the upkeep of the
The crusades began to stir up after the death of Charlemagne, king of the Franks, in 814. After his death Christian Europe was under attack and weak. “Magyars, nomadic people from Asia, pillaged eastern and central Europe until the 10th century.” (Encarta “Crusades”). Starting in the year 800, Viking raids interrupted life in northern Europe and even Mediterranean cities. But the greatest threat came from the forces of Islam. This was in consequence to Muhammad their notorious leader dying, in 632. “By the 8th century, Islamic forces had conquered North Africa, the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, and most of Spain.” (Mayer, 3...
A pilgrimage is a journey that one takes to a land of special significance for self-discovery. Yet in The Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian’s expedition would have been cut short had it not been for those few who decided to aid him along the way. The moment he begins his journey, Evangelist greeted him and directed, then encouraged him towards the Celestial City. As he continued, he met Prudence, Piety and Charity, who provided him with some necessities that he would need for his continued travel. Finally, Christian, along with Hopeful, arrived at to the land of the shepherds. Here, they were both told of “secrets” that would guide them on their way to the Celestial City. Thus, John Bunyan shows that although Christian’s pilgrimage is an individual voyage for his own satisfaction, it’s success could not have been possible without the assistance of others.
A Christian Pilgrimage Pilgrimage is a journey that that many Christians take. It is a journey a physical place of importance; this could be somewhere, which an important event in Christianity happened. However pilgrimage is also a more inward, spiritual journey as well. It is an important part of Christian life, and many Christians go on pilgrimage to various places. At different centres of pilgrimage vastly different approaches are taken on the role of pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage Introduction This is coursework is about Pilgrimage. The coursework is divided into three parts. I am going to talk about what happens at pilgrimage, why people go and reasons why/why not are these places becoming too commercialised. But what is a pilgrimage? A Christian Pilgrimage is a journey undertaken, by believers to a place, which is, for some reason, considered to be holy.
The Spiritual and Moral Journeys in The Quest of the Holy Grail. The Quest of the Holy Grail is an exciting tale that follows the adventures of King Arthur's knights as they scour the countryside for the legendary Holy Grail. Throughout their journeys, the knights engage in many exciting jousts and sword fights with a variety of enemies. The author of The Quest of the Holy Grail intends for the story to be more than just entertainment: the knights' search for the Holy Grail is analogous to the pursuit of morality and spiritual chivalry, showing success through asceticism, confession, chastity, and faith.
The Prophet Muhammad died in 632 CE. He was believed to be the Seal of the Prophets, meaning the last prophet; therefore his grave is a very sacred place (A Concise Introduction to World religions, 210-215). Visiting the Prophet’s grave is a controversial issue. Scholars have different perspectives on traveling to his grave, each based on the Islamic Law, shari’ah. Al-Nawawi and Bin Baz each have differing yet similar rulings on the proper way of Pilgrimaging to the Prophets place of burial.