Nine new studies address the phenomenon of the medieval pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, the legendary burying place of St. James.

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

There has been a tremendous resurgence of interest in pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. In this book the author reveals a story of a much longer connection between Ireland and the pilgrimage than previously thought. Stories of men and women who went from Ireland to Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages tell of Irish involvement in one of the major pilgrimages of the medieval Christian world. The long and hazardous journey by land and sea to the shrine of St James in Galicia was not undertaken lightly. This innovative book explores the varied influences on and motivations of the pilgrims, as well as the nature of medieval travel, in order to understand when, why and how pilgrims from Ireland went toSantiago in the heyday of the pilgrimage, between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries. It draws on official documents, historical chronicles, literary texts, saints¿ Lives and archaeological finds to uncover stories of those Anglo-Norman and Gaelic pilgrims who ventured beyond the confines of their local communities in search of salvation and perhaps a little adventure.

Pilgrimage inspired and shaped the distinct experiences of commoners and nobles, men and women, clergy and laity for over a thousand years. Pilgrimage in the Middle Ages: A Reader is a rich collection of primary sources for the history of Christian pilgrimage in Europe and the Mediterranean world from the fourth through the sixteenth centuries. The collection illustrates the far-reaching significance and consequences of pilgrimage for the culture, society, economics, politics, and spirituality of the Middle Ages. Brett Edward Whalen focuses on sites within Europe and beyond its borders, including the holy places of Jerusalem, and provides documents that shed light upon Eastern Christian, Jewish, and Islamic pilgrimages. The result is an innovative sourcebook that offers a window into broader trends, shifts, and transformations in the Middle Ages.

A 200-page introduction to pilgrimage in the Middle Ages and its study, is followed by a thoroughly annotated bibliography of over 1000 primary and secondary, scholarly and popular, works on such aspects of the subject as the medieval concept of pilgrimage, specific sites, and its manifestation in literature, music, art, architecture, and political and religious history. Each topical section notes important primary sources and key scholarly works that provide an opening for research. Focuses on the period from the 4th century to the Renaissance, but also notes works describing pre-Christian and 20th-century pilgrimages. Includes an outline for beginning scholars. No index. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Nine new studies address the phenomenon that sent Europe walking in the Middle Ages along the arduous road to Santiago de Compostela, the legendary burying place of St. James. This is the first U.S.-published essay collection devoted to the Santiago Pilgrimage that draws on multiple disciplines-music, history, art, religious history. The introduction examines the bibliography on the subject, which is almost as old as the pilgrimage itself. It is followed by three broad-ranging articles on religious history, life in the 12th century, and the music of the medieval cult of the saint. The final five studies each focus on one aspect of the pilgrimage and its manifestations throughout Europe.