A Study Of Pilgrimage In England In The Late Middle Ages

In the Late Middle Ages,pilgrimage activities became more and more popular and became a religious activity with the participation of the whole people.This is inseparable from the the social background and social conditions of England in the Late Middle Ages.A study of the pilgrimage activities in England in the Late Middle Ages will help deepen the understanding of the English society in this period,so as to better link the pilgrimage activities with the social background,and to grasp the characteristics of the English social in this period more clearly.In this paper,the author discusses the pilgrim's composition,motivation and impact of pilgrimage in the Late Middle ages.The article is consisted of four parts:the first part examines the pilgrimage England in the Late Middle ages and traces back to the background of pilgrimage activities.Middle England was a fully Christian society,which was deeply imprinted with Christianity in both the feudal and political system and the economic system,and even in people's daily life.It define s the Pilgrim and analyses the purpose of medieval pilgrimage,which can be simply divided into three aspects:penitential pilgrimage,devotion pilgrimage and curing pilgrimage.The second part discusses the worship of the shrines in England in the Late Middle ages and the composition of the group,including native pilgrimages in England,pilgrimages abroad to Scotland,Rome and Jerusalem,and tries to analyze the influence of geographical location on people's choice of holy land.Through the three representative classes of kings,merchants and women,which shows that pilgrimage activities become more and more popular in the Late Middle Ages.The third part discusses the arduous journey of the shrines and attempts to analyze the pilgrim's departure time,travel mode,accommodation conditions and travel dangers,to shows that the pilgrims experienced various difficulties and came to the shrines because of religious piety.The fourth section summarizes the impact of pilgrimage to shrines and the relationship between pilgrimage and economy and culture,so as to analyze the social changes in England in the late middle ages.