A Few Links and Comments on Pilgrimage and the Arts

Click for the link to the map of the "route" shown above from Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress .

At http://www.sacred-texts.com one can also download and read the whole text of that document.

Literature and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is a key theme in the literature of the West, and I am not going to  examine any of it in detail, but there are immense and rich resources online for anyone interested in the subject. The discussion below is limited to a handful of works by English writers, works that have been central in development of the literary tradition.

Two of the great works of early literature in English, Piers Plowman and The Canterbury Tales both have direct linkages to pilgimage. Copies of both texts can be obtained by following the links above. In addition to the text of Piers Plowman a site in Charlottesville has other resources about the early work. Likewise, The Canterbury Tales website is but one of a number where the text, in old and modern English versions can be consulted and read.

A little later but crucial in the formation of Protestant thought in England and English-speaking areas is John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Bunyan's work was particularly influential in the development of American theologies. Like most influential works long out of copyright, Pilgrims's Progress is available in various electronic formats at several other websites.

Pilgrimage is an important topic in Shakespeare and various other early writers. A first-rate book on the subject is available from Cambridge University Press.

Comments including some interesting weblinks on Pilgrimage Music

I am not planning to post an outline for Session VI on 30 April as the session will be spent looking at some pictures of architecture and works of art with links to pilgrimage as well as listening to some music related to pilgrimage. There is no didactic goal beyond the recognition that some of the world's greatest works of architecture, art and music were created because of pilgrimage.

There are many way to investigate the topic of pilgrimage and the arts, and there are numerous websites dealing with the various works. I shall post at least two and perhaps three blog entries, beginning with this one on music.

Music:

The Codex Calixtinus housed in the Library of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is a fascinating compendium from the middle ages, a collection of theological texts, a music book, and what is arguably the first travel guide wver written in Western Europe about which we shall have alittle more to say in session VII on the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. We shall listen to a little of the music from the Codex in Session VI, and there is a good website from Vanderbilt University's Music Department on the Codex

Naxos, one of the most successful and innovative publishers of classical music, has a number of CDs with pilgrimage music including a fine recording " The Black Madonna: Pilgrim Songs from the Monastery of Montserrat" based on the Llibre Vermell housed at the Catalan abbey and a collection of pilgrimage music from the route to Jerusalem "On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim)." We shall listen to short excerpts from both of those recordings.

Considered the preeminent interpreters of early music, the Catalan musicians  Jordi Savall (conductor, violist and master of several other instruments) and his wife the soprano Montserrat Figueras have individually and together with their groups including Cappella Reail de Catalunya and Hesperion XXI an unmatched discography. Several of their recordings relate to pilgrimage music, and most of their work is on CDs issued by Alia Vox.

A traditional recording of music from the Codex Calixtinus by the male Ensemble Organum "Compostela ad Vesperas Sancto Iacobi" gives a sense of what it must have been like to hear the music of pilgrimage in one of the great cathedrals or Abbey churches of the Middle Ages. The recording is available from Ambroisie (do not have a website address). The fantastic group has also recorded albums of music from the Church at Rome.

While most music related to pilgrimage was written for and performed by men, several female groups have issued stunning recordings. The now disbanded American quartet Anonymous 4  issued "Miracles of Sant'Iago: Medieval Chant and Polyphony from the Codex Calixtinus"available from  Harmonia Mundi.  The French choral group Ensemble Discantus issued "Compostelle: Le Chant de l'Etoile" one of my favorite recordings and available from Jade. (I had some difficulty pulling up the website). 

Pilgrims came from all over Europe, and a German recording of considerable interest is by the group Ensemble für Fruhe Musik Augsburg "Auf Jakobs Wegen: Medieval Pilgrimage to Santiago" (The website is only available in German).

Various other groups from Spain, France and elsewhere have issued recordings of pilgrimage music. A Microsoft, Yahoo or Google search using words like Compostela, Santiago, and pilgrimage along with "music" will yield a large number of hits. If I can find time toward the end of our term, I will post a column I wrote some time ago and update my recommendations for pilgrimage music,

When Tower went out of business, the best stocked local supplier of such recordings disappeared, but Melody Records just off Dupont Circle in DC is a good place to shop, and they will special order titles not in stock.  They are the only reliable supplier of classical music in the DC area I have been able ot locate. (Please do not buy from Amazon--they are quickly driving all of the good book and record stores in the US out of business! Support local merchants like Melody when possible.)

 

Session V The Socio-Economic Aspects of Pilgrimage 23 April 2009

Sorry that I did not do a post following the last class. This has been a rather hectic week, and I have only just finished doing the outline for tomorrow's session. 

Outline

The Socio-Economic Aspects of Pilgrimage

I. The Infrastructure of Pilgrimage, Pilgrims need:

A. Transportation

B. Food and Lodging

C. Safety

II. Transporting pilgrims

A. Types of Transportation

1. Walking

2. Water

3. Modern (railroad, automobile, airline)

B. Making routes

III. Housing and feeding pilgrims

A. Monasteries and convents

C. Commercial accommodation

IV. Safety on the route

A. Political centralization

B. Monastic orders

1. Orders founded to protect pilgrims (European examples include the Knights Templar and the Knights of St. John also known as the Hospitalliers and Knights of Malta)

2. Orders promoting pilgrimage (European example the Benedictines)

V. The economics of pilgrimage

A. Commerce to serve pilgrims

B. Pilgrimage and economic development

VI. Politics and pilgrimage

A. Pilgrimage and national identity

B. Pilgrimage and cultural "imperialism"

VII. Pilgrimage and cultural change

"Europe was forged on the road to Compostela"

Session IV Christian Pilgrimages 16 April 2009

Pilgrimage is an important aspect of Christianity dating back at least to the Middle Ages, and there are a number of important pilgrimages in the Christian tradition, especially the Roman Catholic tradition. This session examines some aspects of Christian pilgrimages along with some examples of various types of pilgrimages practiced by Roman Catholics at the present time.

Outline: Christian Pilgrimages, Session IV 16 April 2009

Divisions of Christianity

1. Very early groups still extant (Nestorians, Coptics)

2. Eastern Rite (Orthodox)

3. Western Rite (Roman Catholic)

4. Reformation era Protestant Churches (Lutheran, Calvinist, Anglican, Brethren)

4. Post-reformation Christian offshoots (mostly 19th-20th century creations) – Quakers, Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Scientists, Evangelicals (Falwell, Robertson, et al.), Mormons, Unification Church, etc.

Pilgrimage Eras

1. Early Christianity,to about 800 AD mostly to holy land, not a major activity.

2. 800-1500 The great age of pilgrimages

a. The Crusades as pilgrimage?

b. The Reconquista as pilgrimages

c. Anti-heretical pilgrimages

3. 1500-late 19th century, pilgrimage in decline

a. Indulgences.

a. Reformation and dissolution of pilgrimage sites in England and elsewhere

c. Countereformation--Jesuits

d. Internal pilgrimages (Bunyan)

4. Late 19th century to present, revival of pilgrimage.

a. Apparitions

b. Greater ease of travel

Roman Catholic Pilgrimage

The Great Age of Pilgrimage - c. 800 AD-1500 AD

1.The Western Church was united

2. Western Europe was Christianized

3. Devotions were standardized

a. Theology and Liturgy

b. Monasticism

4. Islam was a threat

a. Palestine

b. Iberia

Pilgrimage Cults - Not exclusive for many pilgrimages combine two or more of these devotions.

1. Cult of Saints

2. Cult of Mary

3. Cult of Relics

4. Replica Pilgrimages

Cult of Saints:

1. Martyrs

2. Founders of Church Institutions

a. Popes and princes of the church

b. Emperors, Kings and other secular leaders

c. Founders of monastic orders

3. Others

Marian Devotions

1. Events in the life of Mary

a. Annunciation

b. Childhood of Christ

c. Death of Christ

e. Assumption

2. Apparitions of Mary

Cult of Relics

1. Many Marian and Saint shrines also have relics!

2. Relics related to the Christian story (eg. the Holy Grail)

3. Relics related to early church history

Replica pilgrimages

1. Copies of important places in the Christian story (Walsingham)

2. Copies of relics found elsewhere

3. Stations of the Cross

Some traditional pilgrimage destinations

1. Local saints and the Romeria

2. National saints and shrines

3. The 3 Great pilgrimages

a. Palestine

b. Rome

c. Santiago de Compostela (to be discussed at length in Session VII)

Readings: There is a huge literature on Christian pilgrimage, and it is difficult to know where to start in making reocmmendations for readings. Two general books available at both the GMU and Fairfax County Libraries are:

Sumption, Jonathan. 2003. The Age of Pilgrimage: The Medieval Journey to God. Mahwah, NJ: Hiddenspring. ISBN 1-58768-025-4. Absolutely essential reading for anyone seriously interested in pilgrimage and especially the origins and evolution of Christian pilgrimage.

Ure, John. 2006. Pilgrimage: The Great Adventure of the Middle Ages. London. Constable. ISBN 1-84119-786-9. A most readable summary of medieval pilgrimage.

Response to Question on Ihram clothing used for Hajj

There was a question about the use of the special clothing worn on the Hajj after the pilgrimage has been completed. According to a website I discovered this afternoon:

Definition: Ihram is the state of sacred purity the Muslim faithful must enter before conducting the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Ihram is achieved through ritual cleansing, shaving and manicure for men. Men symbolize their state of Ihram by wearing a white, two-piece, seamless garment--sheets or towels--that covers the upper and lower part of the body.

Women's clothing doesn't have to follow a particular form as long as it is modest. That's not to say that Ihram as it applies to women presumes more freedom for them; rather, it's a reflection of the assumption that women, whether heading for the hajj or the corner market, are dressed more restrictively to begin with.

Ihram's symbolic clothing has two purposes. The first is to reflect a total equality among men, regardless of their backgrounds and station in life. Before God, Islam teaches, all are humble, all are equal, and worldly differences of race, age, nationality, class and culture do not apply.

Ihram's second purpose is a metaphor for how men will present themselves to God on the Day of Judgment. With that in mind, pilgrims often hold on to their ihram in order to be buried in it.

Pasted from <http://middleeast.about.com/od/glossary/g/me080220a.htm>

Session III Pilgrimage in Non-Christian Areas 9 April 2009

As noted earlier in the term, pilgrimage is widspread, and most, if not all, major religious traditions include pilgrimage among their rites and practices. There is far too much material to cover, or even to comprfehend, and as I am not well-versed in non-Christian traditions of pilgrimage, this session will look at only a few cases and traditions. We shall find there is a remarkable similarity of practices.

Outline

I. Some General Observations:A. A huge number of pilgrimages and pilgrimage-like activities even in one religion like Buddhism or Hinduism.

B. Varying importance by religion.

1. Central tenet of religion, ex. Islam and Hajj or Pilgrimage to Mecca.

2. Important, but not a central tenet, as in Buddhism.

3. Peripheral to the overall religion, Jainism and Judaism as examples.

4. Unknown importance in pre-Christian Americas and other areas where older religious traditions have vanished or been merged into newer religions.

C. Involves huge numbers of pilgrims, many millions annually.

D. Pilgrimage destinations.

1. Sites in nature, particularly important for some groups.

2. Key cultural places.

a. Mecca.

b. Varanasi (Benares).

II. Pre-Contact Pilgrimages in the Americas

A. Inca and pre-Inca to Lago Titicaca

1. Tiwanaku culture (about 1000 years from earliest dates to conquest by Inca).

B. Aztec and pre-Aztec in Central Mexico

C. Maya in Yucatan and Guatemala

1. Water and pilgrimages

2. Centers of scholarship (Copan)

3. Pilgrimage and trade -- Highland and lowland Maya contact.

III. East Asian pilgrimages with some Japanese examples.

A. Japanese tradtions Shinto, Buddhist, Combined.

B. Some major pilgrimage destinations and circuits (there are many others)

1. Fuji

2. Toikado

3. Kyoto

4. Shikoku

B. Buddhist

IV. Islam

A. Pilgrimage as Central tenet of religion, required of all believers able to make the trek.

1. 5 Pillars of Islam.

2. Pilgrimage goals.

a. Spiritual

b. Solidarity with other Muslims

B. The pilgrimages of Islam

1. Secondary, to Jerusalem, site of M's ascension.

2. Shia.

3. Minor prophets and saints (not Wahabi!).

C. The Hajj

1. Season for pilgrimage.

2. Preparation and attire.

3. Route.

V. Some Concluding Observations

A. Pilgrims are identified by costumes!

B. Most pilgrimages have a season or specific dates.

C. A huge amount of subsidary activity is attached to pilgrimage.

1. Commercial Enterprise.

2. Government.

A Website on Japanese Pilgrimge and a Book on Islam:

A first rate site with lots of information on pilgrimages, and many other subjects relating to religion in Japan is:

Japanese Pilgrimage:

Hammoudi, Abdellah. 2006. A season in Mecca : narrative of a pilgrimage. New York: Hill and Wang. 293 p. ISBN 0809076098.

Now resident in the US and a professor at Princeton, Moroccan scholar Abdellah Hammoudi takes a pilgrimage to Mecca to observe the Hajj as an anthropologist and as an ordinary pilgrim, and to write about it for both Muslims and non-Muslims. Here is his intimate, intense, and detailed account. The book is available at GMU Libraries and at the Fairfax County Public Library.

"Sacred" Spaces: Comments after 2 April Session

Several people were bothered by the absence of a definition for the term "sacred." After a little digging, I found the definition offered by Wikipedia to be a useful one:

"Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy (perceived by religious individuals as associated with the divine) or sacred (considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspiring awe or reverence among believers in a given set of spiritual ideas). In other contexts, objects are often considered 'holy' or 'sacred' if used for spiritual purposes, such as the worship or service of gods. These terms can also be used in a non-spiritual or semi-spiritual context ("sacred truths" in a constitution). It is often ascribed to people ("a holy man" of religious occupation, "holy prophet" who is venerated by his followers), objects ("sacred artifact" that is worshipped), times ("holy days" of spiritual introspection, such as during winter holidays), or places ("sacred ground", "holy place")."

Interestingly the Catholic Encyclopedia does not offer a definition and uses "sacred" solely as an adjective ("Sacred" heart, "Sacred Office of Propaganda" etc.). Needless to say, the definition offered by Wikipedia is not as precise as those of a purely scientific bent might prefer, and there is a great deal of wiggle room in its usage.

Mircea Eliade was the scholar most closely linked to the study and analysis of sacred spaces and places, although that was far from the only aspect of religion he studied and wrote about.  As is ever more frequently the case, the Wikipedia entry on Eliade is a useful starting point, for his writings, now a little out-of-date, are not easy reading for any but specialists.

As an interesting aside, there is a website called Sacred Space run by Irish Jesuits where the webmasters " invite you to make a 'Sacred Space' in your day, and spend ten minutes, praying here and now, as you sit at your computer, with the help of on-screen guidance and scripture chosen specially every day" a usage of the term  having only a remote connection to the usage in this class!

Session II Sacred Spaces and Places 2 April 2009

Better late than never. Sorry that I did not post this outline yesterday as promised, but here area a few comments along with the outline for the session on 2 April with the topic Sacred Spaces and Sacred Places.

The photo is of Mt. Rainier in Washington State, a volcanic peak, the highest one in the Cascades, said to have been sacred to pre-Contact peoples who lived in sight of it. There is no evidence that any of those peoples ever ascended to the 14,410 (4,392 m) feet peak, said to be one of the most dangerous in the United States. Its danger is both to those who attempt to climb to its summit, several of whom die almost every year, and to those who live in its shadow for it could erupt at any time and cause immense damage and loss of life. Rainier is an example of an dramatic landscape feature and also of a dangerous place, both important types of sacred spaces and places.


Sacred Spaces and Sacred Places 2 April 2009

I. Some general comments:
A. Almost every inhabited place on earth, and many uninhabited ones as well, is sacred to someone!
B. Sacred spaces and places are necessary but not sufficient conditions for pilgrimage.
C. Some sacred spaces do not attract pilgrims.
1. Tabu places
2. Places restricted to small numbers of elite groups.
3. Other places that may be venerated but not visited.
D. Some categories of sacred spaces and places.
1. Natural features like Mt. Rainier.
2. Historically and culturally defined features, places where great people, real or legendary, lived; or great events occurred; or where significant objects may be found.
3. More-or-less arbitrary places.

II. Sacred Spaces defined by natural environments.
A. The dramatic in nature, awesome places.
1. Readily visible high places.
2. Violent environments.
B. Dangerous places.
C. Evocative places.

III. Ecological aspects of sacred spaces.
A. Resource sources.
1. Water.
2. Food supplies.
B. Behavioral constraints.
1. Linked to resources.
2. Linked to human contacts.

IV. Cultural Spaces and Places.
A. Places linked to people, real or legendary.
1. Life-cycle events (birth, marriage, death).
2. Career events.
3. Post-death appearances.
B. Events.
1. War.
2. Events central to foundation stories and myths.
C. Sites of relics
D. Arbitrary choices, no clear reason.
V. All pilgrimages are to sacred spaces and places, but all such sites do not generate pilgrimages.