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  • Medieval European Pilgrimage, c.700-c.1500
  • Mary Lee Nolan
Medieval European Pilgrimage, c.700-c.1500. By Diana Webb. [European Culture and Society.] (New York: Palgrave. 2002. Pp. xvii, 185. $69.95.)

Pilgrimage, defined as a religiously motivated journey to a sacred place, is practiced in most of the world's religious traditions. Diana Webb's book on Medieval European Pilgrimage deals with a particularly important period of pilgrimage in the Christian tradition. The book, which is sparsely referenced and intended primarily for students, follows Webb's more comprehensive study on Pilgrims and Pilgrimage in the Medieval West (1999).

An introduction places Europe's medieval pilgrimage tradition in context and introduces some of the problems with interpreting a complex phenomenon taking place over the approximate twelve hundred years between the Emperor Constantine and Martin Luther. Chapter One outlines the evidence for changes in shrines and objects of pilgrim devotion that took place during broadly defined historical periods. Motives for making pilgrimage are dealt with in the second chapter. Some pilgrimages were purely penitential whereas others were devotional. Seeking a cure or fulfilling a vow were common reasons for traveling to a shrine, as indeed they still are. The section on indulgences sheds light on a reason for pilgrimage that was probably more significant in medieval times than at present. Then, as now, critics suspected that some people traveled in the guise of pilgrims for reasons not especially religious in nature. In an age when there were relatively few opportunities for travel, especially for women, it seems likely that vows to make pilgrimage were sometimes made to justify a desired trip.

Chapter Three explores the variety of pilgrims. There is ample evidence that people of all social classes made pilgrimages, although relatively more is know about journeys made by churchmen and members of the nobility, including kings and queens. The section on female pilgrims is especially interesting and provides insights into the extensive mobility of at least some European women of the times.

The geography of pilgrimage provides a theme for Chapter Four. The author uses pilgrim accounts, court records of pilgrimages imposed as sentences, guide books, itinerary lists, miracle records kept at shrines, letters of recommendation, wills, and collections of souvenirs to reconstruct a rough idea of the network of shrines and pilgrim routes. Far more is known about pilgrimage to such major destinations as Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela than to the many regional and district shrines scattered throughout Europe. A series of maps, in addition to the map provided on page vii, would have made a useful addition to this chapter. [End Page 899]

The final chapter explores the impact of pilgrimage on the evolution of European culture. These journeys played an important role in the spread of music, dance, art, and architectural traditions throughout Europe. Images became increasingly important after about 1300 and were important in the shift toward increasing proportions of shrines dedicated primarily to Christ and the Virgin Mary rather than to the saints. The section on pilgrimage narratives and the growing popularity of travel writing provides insights into the impact of pilgrimage on literature.

In general, this book provides a good overview of the significance of medieval European pilgrimage and the kinds of sources that scholars use to gain insights into the phenomenon. In some sections the text seems more like a literature review than an interpretive account of the theme under discussion. However, each chapter includes many interesting details about particular shrines and pilgrims and should encourage further reading and research.

Mary Lee Nolan
Oregon State University, Corvallis (Emerita)
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