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Definition of a Pilgrimage Definition of a Pilgrimage: A Pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place or shrine undertaken as a spiritual quest to obtain supernatural help or as a form of penance for sins. A pilgrim is one who undertakes a pilgrimage. The word 'pilgrimage' is derived from the Latin word peregrinus meaning foreignerand peregri meaning abroad translated as a traveller in foreign lands. The word 'peregrinatio' was used by Augustine of Hippo 354-430AD , who was considered to be the writer of some of greatest theological works of all time, to describe a Christian spiritual journey as a kind of estrangement and exile - a wanderer. The earliest surviving references to Christian pilgrimage date back to the 4th century.

The Concept of Pilgrimage Augustine of Hippo wrote about the concept of the pilgrimage and other religious leaders such as Saint Jerome also encouraged it in their religious writings. The idea or the concept of Pilgrimage was eagerly accepted by Medieval people from all walks of life, young or old, wealthy or poor. The concept of pilgrimage was and important religious belief in the Middle Ages both in terms of religious activity and as a way of Medieval life.

Soon it became common for Medieval people to make a pilgrimage closer to home visiting sites associated with Christian Saints and martyrs, holy relics and to places where there had been apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Pilgrimages were the first holidays enjoyed by Medieval people. Groups of Christians would set off together on a spiritual journey to visit a holy place or shrine where they would pray together.

A holy relic was something that had once belonged to or been touched by Jesus or one of the important Saints

Puss-Drinking and Scab-Eating--The general populace scorned lepers for their appearance and disease. As an act of humility and caring, many female saints such as St. Catherine would care for these "untouchables" by licking away the puss in their wounds then eating the scabs. People considered these saints especially holy.

These men would take a ladder, climb up to the top of a ruined Roman column, sit down, and then kick away the ladder, vowing to remain there contemplating God until they died.

Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture:

Sin, in Christian teaching, consists of disobedience to the known will of God

Medieval Church inherited and taught the doctrine of original sin, the belief that all human beings share in collective guilt as a result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the Fall of Humankind, together with an ongoing predisposition to disobey God

needed to be cleansed through baptism

In 1054 there was a split between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches prompted by arguments over the crusades. This split was called the Great Schism. The Great Western Schism occurred in in Western Christendom from 1378 - 1417. This was caused by an Italian pope called Pope Urban IV being elected and establishing the papal court in Rome. The French disagreed with this and elected a French Pope who was based in Avignon. The schism in western Christendom was finally healed at the Council of Constance and the Catholic religion was referred to as the Roman Catholic Religion.

With it's own laws, lands and taxes The Catholic church was a very powerful institution which had its own laws and lands. The Catholic Church also imposed taxes

In order to prevent the outward collapse of the arches, Gothic architects began using a revolutionary flying buttress system. Freestanding brick or stone supports were attached to the exterior walls by an arch or a half-arch.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus, supported by the Spanish government, undertook a voyage to find a new route to Asia and inadvertently encountered “new” lands in the Americas full of long established communities and cultures.

Jacques Cartier undertook a voyage to present-day Canada for the French government, where they began the settlement of New France, developing the fur industry and fostering a more respectful relationship with many of the inhabitants.

Spanish conquistadors invaded areas of Central and South America looking for riches, ultimately destroying the powerful Aztec and Inca cultures.