Pilegrimage
– in Norway today
Photo: Ellen Holte, Museum of Cultural History
A pilgrim is a person who makes a religious journey to a holy place, leaving everyday life behind. Most religions have sacred places and pilgrims who visit them. Hindus travel to Varansi and the holy Ganges River and millions of Muslims make the journey to Mecca each year during the hadj.
In this exhibition, we follow the paths of pilgrims from today’s Norway. They share their thoughts and experiences, and together create a complex picture of what it means to be a pilgrim today. Deeply felt religious beliefs still lead many pilgrims to old and new destinations. Others find peace and time for reflection while taking a pilgrimage walk in a cultural-historical setting.
Graceland and football
Is visiting Elvis Presley’s grave in Memphis a pilgrimage? And is an ardent Liverpool football supporter who makes the journey from Oslo to Anfield Road a pilgrim? No, if the term “pilgrim” is understood in a strictly religious sense. Yes, if the term is used in a wider sense, as someone searching for meaning in a secular world.
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