The practice of pilgrimage during medieval times Essay Example for Free

The practice of pilgrimage during medieval times Essay Examine and Comment on the practice of pilgrimage during medieval times and its significance in the medieval church As pilgrimage in medieval times is a very large topic to explore, I have decided to use Canterbury as my focus. Canterbury was and is still seen as a very important place for pilgrimage and was the main reason why pilgrims from other parts of England, Europe and all over the world have come to venerate St Thomas Becket. I want to examine how pilgrimage at Canterbury developed and evolved from Beckets death in 1170 to the Reformation in the 1500s. What kind of an effect did this have on the Cathedrals revenue; surely the Cathedral saw a large profit? Even though people had been visiting Canterbury for centuries in small groups so that they could respect and honour saints like Augustine, Dunstan and Alphege, however, was it pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Becket, the murdered Archbishop, which made most the money for Canterbury?Did pilgrimage to his shrine help to make a very wide impact on pilgrimage in England as it brung the majority of pilgrims to Canterbury Cathedral? During the medieval ages Canterbury Cathedral saw its peak years in terms of the number of visitors and revenue generated as well as its downfalls which I would like to explore along with the common criticisms of pilgrimage. R.Finucane begins his book Miracles and Pilgrims by asking why pilgrims in the early middle ages would be drawn to the mouldering remains of a saint. The answer is most likely to be because they wanted a cure for their illnesses. Finucane describes cripples writhing on the floor of Beckets simple tomb1Thomas Beckets death in 1170 had a massive effect on the number of pilgrims that came to Canterbury. After he died in 1170 news of miracles spread almost immediately, not just in Canterbury but in other places around England. For example two days after the killing a Gloucester girl was cured of a head complaint after praying to the martyr2 A monk called Benedict who was responsible for the relics recorded the first set of miracles. The following year another Canterbury monk, William recorded 483 miracles. Between the two monks the total which was recorded was 703 miracles in the first ten years after the Archbishops death. From these results we can see that William recorded a larger number of miracles than Benedict which shows that the news of miracles at Canterbury had spread widely even between the early years of 1171 and 11723. Sarah Hopper also tells us that it is estimate that almost a third of visitors to the shrine were foreign and it is also interesting to note that his shrinew received more foreign pilgrims than any other. This large number of miracles that occurred would have encouraged more pilgrims to gradually come to worship at the shrine of St Thomas Becket and when pilgrims first started to visit the Cathedral to venerate Thomas Becket their experience would be a very ordered process. When they got there, there would be welcomed by a monk who would act as their guide and lead them on a tour which was very well structured. Monks would lead the pilgrims to the North transept which was the first pilgrimage station where Becket was murdered. From here the pilgrim would see a column removed and an altar in it place to mark the spot, they would see two broken pieces of steel that had shattered Richard le Brets swords. This reminds pilgrims of the horrendous nature of Beckets death. However what was achieved by Beckets martyrdom was a better understanding and appreciation of what Becket suffered for his beliefs. Some pilgrims might also go up the stairs, on their knees if they wished to the high altar where Beckets body was left the night of his murder. Ascending this path towards the shrine would have been very symbolic for the pilgrim. The quality of the shrines location was of a very high quality as it was at the highest end of Canterbury Cathedral. This was because by following this course the pilgrims would be enacting not only the last steps taken by Thomas Becket but they would be also on a spiritual journey themselves. The next station they may visit is the crypt where the atmosphere was very different, more sombre and still. There they would see Beckets tomb raised and there would be two oval holes where pilgrims placed their heads or their hand against the stone coffin. In John Adairs book The Pilgrims Way he notes that a foreign pilgrim once wrote that church seemed to be piled on church, a new temple entered as soon as one ended4. This implies that the Cathedral was slightly overwhelming for many pilgrims going from station to station, all of which having their own significance. When they had seen scenes of Beckets miracles in the stained glass windows this would encourage many to filled their lead ampullae at the Wall of St Thomas. This water which could be brought at Canterbury was said to contain some of the saints blood. When Becket died the monks used cloth to salvage some of the blood from the saint. This water was also given to many churches in England. This would also see the spreading of the message about Beckets divine healing power. Was this water effective in miraculously curing diseases? Adair also mentions John who was a chaplain to the Archdeacon of Salop was bothered by an unlpeasant polypus in his nose. It started to cause paralysis he described the sensation of the water as cold as ice, chasing the disease through his body and almost freezing his brain5 after a large sneeze he came across a cherry stone in his mouth. He was healed and walked home and he would not leave the cherry-stone behind as it was his evidence of a divine intervention On 21st Febraury 1172, Becket was canonised by Pope Alexander III which brought a larger number of pilgrims to Canterbury. By making someone a saint this would increase their popularity and make them better known. The cult of Thomas Becket had now officially began and thus leading to more people wanting to make their pilgrimage to Canterbury.One can only assume that Pope Alexander heard about Thomas Becket through news of him spreading because of pilgrims. Pilgrims also came to Canterbury to seek penance from St Thomas Becket. Penace was a common reason for many pilgrims to go on a pilgrimage. This was the idea that if you commited a sin you would carry out a pilgrimage to beg forgiveness at the shrine of a saint such as Thomas Becket. Chaucer (c1340 -1400) described, when a man has sinned openly, of which sin the fame is openly spoken in the countryCommon penance is that priests enjoin men commonly in certain cases, as for to go, peradventue, naked in pilgrimages or barefoot One example of a pilgrim who walked in a sackcloth among pilgrims and also barefoot was Henry II, who was also the most famous pilgrim who sought forgiveness Furthermore he was also the most famous royal pilgrim who sought redemption at Beckets shrine after his men murdered the Archbishop. He walked barefoot from the West gate of the city to Beckets tomb. He allowed himself here to be scourged. This was not an unknown act amongst pilgrims. It was a frequent practice and seen as a punishment for those who were making a penance at Canterbury. The pilgrims would be beaten with rods by the clergy. Pilgrimage can also be seen as a spiritual journey as Langland describes that You must travel , both men and women, through Humility, until you arrive at Conscience: there Christ may know for certain that you love God above all else6. So, this highlights the religious importance behind doing a penance as well. It was mainly local people who would come to visit Beckets tomb up to 1220 when his bones were translated to the new Trinity Chapel which stood on the site of the old Trinity Chapel. However, why did they choose to move his body there? a Canterbury monk explains that it stands on the site of the old Trinity Chapel, where he celebrated his first mass, where he was wont to prostrate himself with tears and prayers, under whose crypt for so many years he was buried, where God for his merits had performed so many miracles, where poor and rich, kings and princes, had worshipped him, and whence the sound of his praises had gone forth into all lands7. These associations with the Archbishop was why they chose to translate his body to the new Trinity Chapel Festivals Celebrated at Canterbury Festivals celebrated at Canterbury would also attract more pilgrims to Canterbury. People would crowd around the doors outside the Cathedral on the vigils of the Translation and of saints Martyrdom. Here pilgrims may spend the night. Examples of activities that pilgrims would do include prayers, devotions, games and music. However, this would also give the opportunity for many thieves to steal from the pilgrims as they would often wander around the large crowds. Beckets translation led to the annual Canterbury fair on the 7th July which was The Feast of the Translation. Many booths and stalls would be opened making a lot of money from visitors. As the Feast of the Translation was set in the summer and not the winter like The Feast of St Thomas of Canterbury has attracted a larger number of pilgrims from further away. It is said that the first jubilee in 1220 gained a sum of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,142 5s 8. This sum was mainly made up of the offering to the saints shrine and also the site of t he martyrdom There were also other factors which affected the revenue which were of a more social and political nature. For example when the Cathedral hosted the Black Princes funeral in 1376 and the crowning of King George and Queen Isabella in Canterbury Cathedral this saw extremely high amounts in these years. The Customary and revenue at Canterbury It was very important for the shrine to be well guarded every day and night because they had many important tasks to carry out. There was a guide of the custodians duties called the Customary which was written by two monks. There were two guards in the Trinity Chapel one was temporal and the other spiritual. In the summer they would get up at five and it would be six in the winter. They would celebrate a daily Mass in honour of Becket at his shrine and the spiritual guard was responsible for this as well as ringing a bell to gather the pilgrims . These guards also had to ensure that the pilgrims were well looked after because many would be exhausted so they would be offered food and refreshments. Before the Feast of the Translation they had to prepare the shrine for the festivities which were about to take place. The Customary also lists the expenditures from the coins that were offered at the shrine. We assume that because of the many people that visited the shrine the Cathedral generated a great amount of revenue. However, Woodruff calculate that even though there were large some of money received by the Cathedral on both of its own Jubilee years of 1320 and 1370 the cellarers expenditures were extremely large and the accounts show an unfavourable balance9. In other words, this emans that more money had been spent than generated at Canterbury Cathedral at this time. The Corona Beyond the Trinity Chapel at the very eastern end of the Cathedral a special unique chapel was added to protect the Corona or Beckets Crown which was a thin saucer of bone that had been sliced from the Saints skull. This would have also brought more pilgrims because it was a holy relic. Pilgrims would venerate the segment of skull that had been set in a golden likeness of his head encrusted with gold. The Black Death (1349 -51) in the fourteenth century also had its impact on the practice of pilgrimage in Canterbury. The potbreak in 1348-9 led to the shrine of St Thomas Becket benfiting finacialy through generous offerings. Around this time many may have gone to Canterbury in the hope that they would be healed. At this time when the Black Death was at its worse St Thomas saw some very generous offerings as well as St Mary who was in the undercroft However, in the 1400s how did the practice of pilgrimage develop? Offerings from pilgrims would add up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½700 at the shrine alone itself. Was the practice of pilgrimage at Canterbury any different at all from its earlier stages ? It wasnt an ordered process anymore. It would be a much noisier atmosphere compared to the early stages of pilgrimage at Canterbury. Many pilgrims would visit Beckets shrine at the apex of steps and altars. For a few coins pilgrims had the opportunity to see the canopy of Beckets shrine raised up and this would reveal gold and silver ornaments and gems and rubies. After the pilgrims had seen the sights at Canterbury and spent a night perhaps at Eastbridge Hospital they would leave the next day with phials of Canterbury water. This was their proof to their neighbours that they had seen he famous tomb of Thomas Becket. However criticisms of pilgrimage to Canterbury soon developed and it is becoming more and more evident that people were lavishly spending their money on souvenirs. William Thorpe was charged with heresy by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1407 because he expressed his views of how he believed that it was a disservice to God by wasting money and forming rleations with lascivious women in places such as Canterbury as well as Walsingham10 . Did the medieval pilgrims actually abuse pilgrimage or was their behaviour natural because of society at the time. This is certainly the reason as People in medieval times were eager to travel to new places and were probably overwhelmed by the sights and wanted to purchase items as proof that they had seen the famous tomb. However, the more people that came to Canterbury Cathedral the more revenue that was gained Diana Webb notes that in 1370 Simon Sudbury, bishop of London told a group of pilgrims that were on their way to Canterbury for the Jubilee indulgence that they would receive no benefit from it11. The group of pilgrims who had heard this accused the bishop of criticising the merits of Thomas Becket. They prophesised that the bishop would meet an evil end and he was killed by the rebels from Watt Tylers rebellion in 1381.It was also commonly believed that as saints were able to leave their graves so a man didnt have to come in contact with a relic to invoke them or even punished by them. Then when a woman called Aliza heard that a woman had lost their sight after visiting Beckets tomb she burst out laughing, saying, Others whom the Martyr receives in sickness, he sends back healed, you, however, went there well, and now return blind. While dissolved in laughter, Aliza was suddenly blinded, and eventually only partially cured12. Others may citicise motive such as going on pilgrimage for casual sexual experiences and some may use the journey in order to commit adultery. Is there any evidence however that pilgrimage was abused in this manner? Sarah hopper tells us that most of Chaucers pilgrims show to a certain degree their lack of moral values and spiritual discipline. This In 1500 a Venetian described how he saw the shrine the magnificence of the tomb of St Thomas the martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury, is which surpasses all belief13. This was certainly the case until the Reformation where it is written that twenty -six wagons were required to transport all the trasures away from Beckets shrine when Henry VIII destroyed it. After 1538 when Henry VIII destroyed Beckets shrine and his bones there was no longer the amazing shrine for pilgrims to see. However, pilgrimage had again changed before Henry VIII destroyed the shrine . In 1532 there was evidence in a decrease of revenue. In one of the sacristys books a note that the combined offerings at the cathedral added up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 13 13s 3d and this about thirty times less than received at the shrine when pilgrimage activity at Canterbury was at its highest. After the Reformation, Canterbury saw a significant decrease in pilgrims visiting the Cathedral. In 1538 when Henry VIII destroyed Beckets shrine and his bones there was no longer the amazing shrine for pilgrims to see. Overall, pilgrimage to Canterbury had developed greatly in medieval times from Beckets martyrdom in 1170 to the Reformation in 1538. Early key episodes such as Beckets murder in 1170, his canonization in 1173 and his translation have seen a significant increase in pilgrims coming to Canterbury. The main motive seems to be in order to get healed because it is was news of his miracles spreading further that more people visited the tomb and then the shrine. Its most significant increase as suggested my most scholars such as Dianan Webb, was in 1220 when his bones were translated because of what medieval life was like this would have been a breathtaking and an amazing sight to behold. As time goes on motives may have been more based on seeing and just as an opportunity to travel. There are criticisms that have developed and even though we assume because of the large number of pilgrims that visited Canterbury and even though large sums were offered, it seems that because of large expenditures this did not make the cathedral much of a profit. When Henry VIII destroyed the shrine this meant that there wasnt much for people to see anymore seeing what seemed to be an end to pilgrimage at Canterbury. Overall, I believe it was Thomas Becket who William Langland describes a symbol of resistance to oppression of the Church by the secular power of his day14 which was the main reson that pilgrims ventured to Canterbury. 1 R. Finucane Miracles and Pilgrims- Introduction page 9 2 William Purcell- Pilgrims England Chapter 7 Canterbury and St Thomas p.167 3 Sarah Hopper- To be a Pilgrim The Medieval Pilgrimage Experience Chapter 5 p.60 4 The Pilgrims Way- John Adair page 68 5 The Pilgrims Way- John Adair page 40 6 Piers Plowman- William Langland passus V page 61 7 The Pilgrims Way- John Adair page 68 8 To be a pilgrim- Gods Magic Shrines and Miracles Sarah Hopper p.127 9 European Pilgrimage- Indulgences and Jubilees pg 73 10 To be a Pilgrim chapter Oppositions to Pilgrimage- Sarah Hopper page 162 11 Pilgrims and Pilgrimage Diana Webb- page 72 12 R. Finucane Miracles and Pilgrims- p.34-5 13 Pilgrims England Chapter 7 Canterbury and Thomas William Purcell page183

Analysis of Marks Gospel Essay -- essays research papers fc

This research assignment aims to analyse and interpret an influential part of the New Testament – Mark’s Gospel. An analysis of Mark and his community will be discussed as well as interpreting Jesus’ teachings and his significant theme of Discipleship as it was then and in present society. A Gospel in general, is a textual document written in narrative form of the good news and teachings proclaimed by Jesus to announce the power of God. Mark’s Gospel is one of four others (Matthew, Luke and John), where each Gospel has its differences in structure, language and theological slants. Mark’s Gospel is divided into three main sections: The Ministry of Jesus, Jesus’ prologue of foretelling his Passion, and his Passion and Death. Mark set out on a mission of God to carry on the word of Jesus with Paul, where Mark was traditionally known to be closely linked to one of Jesus’ disciples – Peter, which many of the stories in the Gospel relate to his perspective and point of view. Much of Mark’s stories may have originated from Peter through oral transfer (as it was common in those times) and discussions with Paul, as well as accounts from the Old Testament. Mark’s community mainly consisted of Gentiles who lived in Rome as opposed to Jesus followers in Israel who were Jews. Gentiles are classified as people of any religion that are not Jewish, and of non-Jewish origins such as the Romans. In particular the Roman Centurion (army officer) who professed that Jesus was truly the Son of God (15:39), is one of many reasons that suggest Mark’s community to be Gentile. This is a significant part in the Passion narrative, as the Centurion – being a Gentile is one of the first people to have faith and believe in Jesus after his death, which is relevant to the Kingdom of God. Also, many of Jewish customs are explained for non-Jewish followers as well as Mark’s translation of Latin words written in Greek (Mark: A Gospel for Today, 1989). Mark’s community endured much suffering under the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero that was persecuting Christians for practicing their Monotheistic faith and preaching the word of Jesus. For Mark’s community, in continuing the word of Jesus and to spread the good news, the people faced many difficulties as to convert to Christianity. These barriers included the geographical differences of Rome and Jerusalem as well as having their own opinions... ...l their possessions behind to follow Jesus. Though Discipleship does not result in poverty, but living a true live in accordance with God, and the Messiah. However, recontextualised in modern contexts - priests have also undergone this concept and discarded monetary values to serve under the authority of Jesus and to spread the good news and give guidance to those who are lost, just as Jesus’ disciples did. Nevertheless, this does not stipulate the right for people in such high ranks of ‘Holiness’ to exclude or criticize others’ views, and to make unaccountable judgments on the behalf of God. We should persist on the tolerance and respect of other’s viewpoints. This theme also gives hope to ‘Jesus Followers’ that it is not the end for God’s people. Written By: Marcus Huynh Copyright Bibliography: Danes, Christopher & Simon. (1989) Mark: A Gospel for Today. Lion Publishing, England. Geddes, Gordon & Griffiths, June. (2001) St. Mark’s Gospel. Heinemann Publishing, Melbourne. Cooper, Robin. (1970) Mark’s Gospel: An Interpretation for Today. Hodder & Stoughton, Abington. Available: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rsposse/marcanpassrb.htm. Last Accessed 22/05/05

Preliminary Studies of Religion Depth Course: Christianity Essay

Christianity is more than a belief in one God. It isn’t just something a person is baptised into to. Christianity is a source of hope for those who doubt, it is a guide for those who are lost and it provides answers for those who wonder. Christianity is the belief in one true God and from there come various interpretations that religions such as Anglicanism, Christianity and Lutheranism have taken and formed a more specific faith. In this preliminary year we will explore the beliefs, values, ethics, rituals and practices of Christianity. The course will open your mind to enlighten and enrich your knowledge on what is, the worlds most dominated religion. We just have to look over history to see the impact that one man has made on a society. Today characteristics of Christianity stem from the major events of Christ’s life and various interpretations of his predecessors. Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem in approximately 4 BCE. Up until age 30 we are unaware of the occurrences in Jesus’ life. Christians believe that God sent Jesus to preach God’s word and demonstrate the morals, values and ethics, through which Jesus lived. Christianity evolved around the first century AD, branching off from Judaism, Christianity shared the ethical teachings of Christ. Christians have faith in Jesus as the model of Christianity through the way he lived his life; preaching, healing and humbling the supreme presence of God. Jesus conveyed his unheard of message through parables to the outcasts of society; prostitutes, the disabled etc. were his followers. Faith came from the divine actions of healing, commanding the forces of nature and the forgiving of sins. So what do Christians believe? There are several principle beliefs of Christianity that share a commonness that dominates the foundations of Christianity. First of all they believe in the divinity as well as the humanity of Jesus Christ. This means that Christians take Jesus a legit being but that he is also one with God – divine. This leads on to the core belief of the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. This belief in itself forms the foundation of all Christian beliefs which this event solidifies the dominance of Christ within Christianity. From this divine event, there is a core belief in the trinity, a belief that God exists as 3 beings Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So another legacy of Jesus Christ is evident in Christian ethics based from the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes as well. The Ten Commandments are viewed as the Law of God, his divine message conveyed through the way one should live their life. The greatest commandment is found in Matthew 22:36-40 where he is asked what is the greatest commandment? He replies quite simply â€Å"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind† Jesus also then goes on to emphasise the importance of the 2nd greatest commandment; â€Å"love your neighbor as yourself†. The Beatitudes laid down by Matthew and Luke are expressed as teachings through the blessings of various virtues of Christians. The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments are focused on Humility, Love and Compassion and are heavily practiced today through the interpretations of Christians. Christian practices refer to the way one practices their religion. In todays society Christian practices vary depending on the interpretations of Christian variants which include rituals and sacraments for example prayer, communion and baptism. Prayer is used as a spiritual connection to God and is highly encouraged throughout the bible. Communion and Baptism are both sacraments that again interpreted accordingly express ones faith and dedication to God. Baptism is the first initial step towards a relationship to God and following his Laws and the teachings of Jesus. Communion on the other hand relates back to the belief in the death and resurrection of Christ, it establishes belief and a relationship between human, Jesus and God. All of these Christian practices are fully implemented in the Churches of today’s Christian societies and have been practiced as a part of this religion for thousands of years. So where to from now? Year 11 is a year of growth and learning. We will look at these aspects in further detail to obtain the fullest knowledge of Christian practices beliefs and ethics and the impact these have through the legacy of Jesus Christ. Since the birth of Christ his legacy whilst yes wasn’t embraced completely throughout his lifetime has had a huge impact on the modern society, over approximately 2.1 billion people world wide follow the faith that was built from one man, one belief and one teaching that went against everything that society knew. The legacy of Jesus Christ is everlasting, a continuous evolution of the interpretation of the core values, teachings and beliefs of Christianity. Good luck for your journey that you will all take for year 11 and thank you for attentively listening to the legacy of Jesus Christ.

Microbial Control Free Essay Example, 2250 words

The skin is the plethora of microbial population. The population varies at different parts, from one side of the body to another. This variation is due to the moisture content of the skin that varies throughout the body. High moisture content displays the higher population of normal microflora (Wylie et al, 2008). The oral cavity also, considered as the suitable location for the growth of normal microflora. The second part of the experiment examines the characteristics of bacteria taken from the surface of human skin and the inner side of the oral cavity especially from the surface of cheeks. The skin specimen was taken from behind of the ear and found to be gram-positive, coccus shaped and staphylo or cluster arrangement. This result was recorded in Report Form 4. While the specimen from the buccal cavity also display the presence of gram-positive organisms. However, it has different cell arrangement called as the step to or chain. These results reported in Report Form 4 with colo ny morphology as well. This section of the experiment approved that the human body has several microorganisms growing on the surface of the body and even inside our mouth. We will write a custom essay sample on Microbial Control or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now However, the availability of microorganisms is different from one site to another. For example, the temperature of the oral cavity and the presence of the food particle supports a different group of the microbial population as compared to the population present outside the oral cavity. Next aspect determines the effectiveness of some disinfectants on microbial growth. The test was applied for unwashed and washed hands. However, the unwashed hand proved to have some microorganism and this was expected. These results applied for individual and for all class average and recorded in Report Form 5. It is observed that microorganisms that appeared in unwashed hand were removed during hand washing with both soap and Antibacterial hand-wash. While the result obtained from using normal hand soap was significant because even after washing the hand with normal soap the growth of colonies was identified.