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CONTENTS
Medieval pilgrims
• Medieval pilgrims
• Mappa Mundi
• Pilgrim routes
• Saint James – the patron saint of medieval pilgrims
• The pilgrims dress
• The pilgrims badges
The first pilgrims
• The first pilgrims
• Pilgrims flasks, amulets and crosses
The Journey
• River deep, mountain high
• Before you go
• Mini-trips
• A pilgrim´s hostel in Norway
The Sacred
• Saints
• Altar piece fom Onsøy
• 8 stories about saints
• Relics
• Reliquary chests
• Reliquary crosses
• The Røldal cross and votive offerings
The Goal
• Jerusalem
• Santiago de Compostela
• Nidaros
• Rome
From heaven to hell
• The Virgin Mary
• The Crusades
• The Black Death
In the end
• Indulgences
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Medieval pilgrims
Photo: Ellen Holte, Museum of Cultural History
Life in the Middle Ages could be brutal and short. Pestilence, war and famine were constant threats and death was always near. Religious feelings were intense and people believed in an almighty God who actively intervened in their lives. By seeking help from God and his saints, people believed they could protect themselves from evil and gain forgiveness for their sins. Going on a pilgrimage was a way of getting closer to God.
People went on pilgrimages for various reasons. The sick went to be cured, while others made the good journey to thank God for saving them from affliction or sin. Fear of the Day of Judgement weighed heavily on people’s minds and a pilgrimage could be prescribed as a penance or punishment for those who had broken the laws of God or King.
Although travelling was hard in the Middle Ages, a journey over land or sea could also be a welcome break from the dull routine of daily life, and a pilgrim on the road was free from the rigid bonds of local society. Whether they were beggers, nuns, peasants, widows, bishops or kings, pilgrims were part of an international community that transcended social and geographical barriers.
A pilgrimage was the adventure of a lifetime. Pilgrims came back with a new identity and status..
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The animated movie about the four medieval pilgrims Egeria, Niklaus Bergsson, Sigurd Jorsalfare and Pietro Casola.
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