Pilgrimage is a practice considered devotional, carried out by foot or on a horse headed towards a particular direction for a specific reason. There is a need for a motive when an individual undertakes this journey, and this is because it is a journey that requires a person to be highly motivated. An individual taking part in a pilgrimage gets away from their home region. The reasons for an individual to engage in a pilgrimage may vary according to the needs and wants of a person. However, the main reasons that prompt an individual to engage in a pilgrimage are to bring together an individual’s physical and spiritual experiences into one. Some pilgrims take place without a particular destination in mind, often resulting in them connecting to an already existing place with a specific spiritual impact. Pilgrimage is usually directed towards an area with a holy personage or a divine connection. Pilgrimage is essential, visible from its presence in the different regions of the world; it is further said to have been practiced in Greece and Rome.
History of Pilgrimage
Over the years, the terms pilgrimage and pilgrim have been known to carry a lot of meaning and importance in society. Pilgrim is a word of Italian origin, and it was used to refer to an individual who was in transit or on a journey (Reinburg, 2019). It refers to a person on a temporary journey or even in transit. The pilgrimage was used to define a person that was on a brief journey headed in a particular direction. The term was also used to define an individual’s journey to a foreign land. In the translation, the Vulgate version of the Bible occurred between the Hebrew sojourner and the Greek temporary resident (Bowman et al., 2020). These terms were used as a tool for defining and explaining the nature of the lives that Christian individuals were living. Christians were considered to have a temporary home on earth as heaven was their final home. In the initial development of the church, the pilgrimage was used as a term to describe the state that Christians were in, which was on a journey to heaven.
Christianity constitutes a long tradition defining pilgrimages. The different definitions present to define pilgrimages are associated with the New Testament and scenarios associated with the different saints and even the miracles that occurred during the time. The ministry of Jesus was the first occurrence that was associated with the term pilgrimages. An example of a pilgrimage that was made by an individual who was in search of any traces of Jesus was made by Origen. Origen was on a journey to find any traces of Jesus, his disciples, and any of his ministries that were present. The mother to Constantine the Great, Helena, and the priests were also examples of individuals who advocated for pilgrimages. Pilgrimages to Rome became a standard feature for pilgrims affected by Western Christianity during the medieval period (Luz, 2020). Through pilgrimages, important sites where documentation of places was done, and an example of this is Mirabilia Urbis Romae that occurred during the 12th century.
The holy land was taken over by the Muslim conquests, which occurred in the 7th century and resulted in the European Christians being unable to get to the holy land. This resulted in more pilgrimage sites developing in Western Europe. To conquer the holy land, which Muslim conquests had now taken over, the Christians began journeys to ensure they recaptured this already lost land (Luz, 2020). They began hosting crusades aimed at getting to Jerusalem, which the Muslims now controlled. Jerusalem was one of the states at the forefront of ensuring they could successfully recapture the holy land (Bowman et al., 2020). The Ayyubids eventually recaptured the holy land.
Significance of Pilgrimage
Different individuals undertook pilgrimages for various reasons. Believers undertook pilgrimages to fulfill a vow, while others did it to have their sins forgiven. Other individuals did it intending to be thankful for good gestures that had happened in their lives. Before Europe had been fully explored, pilgrimages were used to ensure that the people involved in it engaged in travel and adventure (Luz, 2020). The individuals got an opportunity of viewing and interact with new places. Before the exploration of Europe, most individuals considered non-elite took up the pilgrimage activity to venture and discover new places that they were previously unaware of or conversant with (Reinburg, 2019). Pilgrimage involves the movement of people from one area to another, and it contributed to the transmission of ideas and culture, which resulted in the development of some areas. The movement of people resulted in some areas receiving exposure, resulting in the places undergoing tremendous growth.
The traditional Christian pilgrimage practice revolved around visiting places considered significant according to the Bible. The areas that saw many people visiting included Rome, Jerusalem, and Santiago de Compostela (Luz, 2020). The visit to these three places saw individuals spike an interest in visiting more places, and this saw the invention of smaller places, which saw people begin visiting. This saw the introduction of places such as Canterbury Cathedral in England and The Holy House of Loreto in Italy; the new and smaller regions gained popularity, which saw them begin to attract a new type of audience. The places also encouraged individuals not interested in the pilgrimage to develop an interest (Bowman et al., 2020). The growth and development of pilgrimage characterized the 12th century, which is often seen as the golden era.
Pilgrimage in the 12th century saw the church encourage individuals to visit shrines to ensure that they grew their spiritual side. The people grew their spiritual side as they were made to believe that if they visited the shrines and offered their prayers, this gave them a chance to go to heaven. At a time when medicine had not been entirely invented, the priests encouraged their congregation to visit the shrines to have them offer prayers to cure illnesses they were suffering from and were yet to receive healing. In the shrines people visited, they saw essential body parts and items symbolic of saints who were once in existence (Reinburg, 2019). An identification was given to individuals who visited the shrine, and this was done to ensure that various individuals were made aware of the presence of these shrines. Traveling alone during this period was dangerous, and this saw various pilgrims travel in groups to guarantee their security. There were numerous outlaws and a need to be protected against them.
Conclusively, A pilgrimage is a journey on foot or horseback with a specific destination in mind. It is seen as a devotional activity. An individual needs a reason for going on this journey because it calls for much motivation from the person going on it. Anyone who participates in a pilgrimage has the chance to travel outside of their own country. Pilgrimage is frequently made to a location associated with a sacred figure or the divine. The importance of pilgrimage is demonstrated by its prevalence in various parts of the world. It is also believed to have originated in ancient Greece and Rome. The words “pilgrimage” and “pilgrim” have come to mean much in society throughout the years. The word “pilgrim” has Italian origins and was once used to describe someone traveling or in transit. It was also used to describe someone on a transit or short journey. Regarding pilgrimage in the 12th century, the church encouraged people to go to shrines to help them develop their spiritual side. People developed their spiritual side due to being led to believe that by making pilgrimages to the shrines and praying, they would have a better chance of entering paradise.
References
Bowman, M., Johannsen, D., & Ohrvik, A. (2020). Reframing Pilgrimage in Northern Europe: Introduction to the Special Issue. Numen, 67(5-6), 439-452. https://brill.com/view/journals/nu/67/5-6/article-p439_1.xml
Reinburg, V. (2019). Storied places: pilgrim shrines, nature, and history in early modern France. Cambridge University Press.
Luz, N. (2020). Pilgrimage and religious tourism in Islam. Annals of Tourism Research, p. 82, 102915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.102915
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