Pilgrimages

In the medieval age

 Keywords – write these down
• Pilgrimage – a special and holy journey
• Pilgrim – a person who goes on a
pilgrimage
• Shrine – a place of worship
• Martyr – one who dies for what they
believe
• Rome – where the Pope lives
• Jerusalem – important place in the life of
Jesus
A reminder – Medieval Kings
Harold 1066

William I (1066-1087)

William Rufus ( 1087 – 1100)

Henry I (1100 – 1135)

Stephen ( 1135 – 1154)

Henry II ( 1154 – 1189)

Richard I ( 1189 – 1199)

 Who is King at the Moment?
Henry II 1164-1189

• Henry was worried that the barons

owned more castles than he did
so he either took them or demolished them!

• Henry was also anxious to improve the law

of the land.
 Henry II might be king of England
but who had the power?
• What do you think
• The Pope was the Henry II would have
ruler of the Roman thought of this?
Catholic Church and
he lived in Rome. • Right! He wasn’t
• He controlled all the happy so he made his
bishops and priests friend Thomas Becket
and churches. Archbishop of
Canterbury in 1162.
 So who do you obey?
• The people had to • Becket made the king
decide who to obey. angry when he asked
What if the pope the pope to
disagreed with the excommunicate the
king? Archbishop of York
• The king decided that for supporting the
he wanted all people king!!
including the priests
to be under the law of
the king, but Becket
disagreed.
When Henry heard of this he was at a feast
and was furious!!

“…will no one
rid me of this
troublesome
priest?”

Four knights slipped away.

Uhh ohh! Becket was in trouble now!
 4 of the kings knights took swords
and killed Thomas Becket (1170).

People soon heard

what had happened
and came and tore
bits of his clothing
and dipped it in blood
and took it away.
They thought these
were holy RELICS.
 Thomas Becket – R I P
• After Becket was killed on
the alter of his cathedral,
he was almost immediately
named a saint.
• Church believed his body
and blood were sacred and
how the power to cure.
• People went to Becket’s
shrine to be healed.
Canterbury Tales
• Canterbury Tales
is a collection of
stories where all
characters are on a
pilgrimage.

– Pilgrimage- a
religious journey
made to a shrine or
holy place.
So what about the Pilgrimage ?
• Canterbury Cathedral became a centre for
pilgrimages because of Thomas Becket
becoming a martyr.

• Pilgrims though they could be healed

there.
 For you to do.
• You are a medieval travel agent and are
designing an advert to get pilgrims to go
on a pilgrimage.
– You can decide where to e.g. Canterbury,
Rome, Jerusalem.
– How will they get there?
– What will they bring?
– Remember it is the medieval age so no trains,
planes or automobiles!
 Plenary
• Put up – Jerusalem, Rome, Canterbury
around the room. You then give a
statement about going on a pilgrimage
there are students have to get to the right
place in 5 seconds. Eg. I am going to see
the pope.
• Those in the wrong place can be sent to a
corner, marked ‘hell’!
• Make sure the chairs are under.