Pilgrimage

The peregrinations of the saints are but one example of the pervasiveness of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages.

Pilgrimages were difficult journeys, as one can see from this stone dedicated to a pilgrim to Clonmacnois in Ireland who died while still on his journey.

This statue dedicated to the pilgrim at Clonmacnois is a reminder of everyone's life journey. Life itself is a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a physical journey which is a metaphor for a spiritual journey; the conversion it represents is a never-ending one. This pilgrim reminds us that reaching the physical goal of a pilgrimage is not necessarily reaching the end of one's spiritual pilgrimage. This statue also reminds us of the difficult nature of the journey within. As one enters more deeply into the inner journey and become closer to one's own self, one will face monsters, trials and tribulations as did St. Kevin at Glendalough; one will, however, also come closer to the true meaning of life -- to live in the spiritual desert and to be face to face with one's maker. One who has achieved such a transformation dies to the past and to all but the eternal present, living in harmony with the Divine. In this statue, we are reminded of the heart of the monastic tradition: one must die in order truly to live on the pilgrimage of life.

There are many great centers of pilgrimage in the Celtic tradition, including Clonmacnois, the home of Kieran, St. David's in Wales, Lindisfarne in Northumbria (England), Iona in Scotland, and Glendalough in Ireland. At these places, there are many poignant traces of the medieval past and of the countless numbers of pilgrims which speak to us in the present.

The pilgrim's road at Clonmacnois, along with other images of the monastic city.

The Pilgrim's Road at Lindisfarne is a treacherous path across quicksands, where pilgrims must plan their journey around the tides.

The Pilgrim's Road to St. David's in Wales.

This is all that remains of the pilgrim's road to Glendalough. Pilgrims traveled over the rough hills, and withstood the bitter cold and strong winds.

Imagine the relief and joy pilgrims felt when they would finally see the Bell Tower of the monastery and know that sanctuary was near. Seven pilgrimages to Glendalough was equal to one to Rome.

Thousands and thousands of pilgrims past and present trod these and many other roads. These pilgrims and their journeys need not be things of the past; they continue to live in all of us. We are all peregrini in this world, and the Celtic saints and their journeys remind us that each place we are in calls us to be transformed, while each journey we make takes us deeper into that one special place where we are most at home. Although it seems that the Celtic saints wandered in an aimless way, they believed that in the end their goal would be found -- finding their place of resurrection, that place where they would cross from this world to the next.

In Celtic monasticism, the notion of boundaries becomes all important, and the architecture of the monastery was designed to mark off the boundaries between this world and the next. Thus, a physical location itself, a place, could mark out for one a spiritual journey or transformation. Just as the continuous wandering of the saints was literally a physical journey of movement symbolizing the immobile stability of the journey within, a physical place was metaphorically a spiritual journey.

Celtic Monasteries: Centers of Pilgrimage and Places of Sanctuary

Celtic monasteries were built on holy ground. Often, these monasteries were built on sites that were holy in ancient, pre-Christian traditions.

Wells

In Celtic tradition, wells were very significant and many important monasteries were associated with wells.

This is St. Bridgit's well, near the location of her double monastery once stood in Kildare. The well is still a popular place of pilgrimage where healing liturgies are often held. To take a more complete tour of the site, you can click here to watch a quicktime slide-show video.

There were also wells at Glendalough in honor of St. Kevin, at St. David's in Wales, and in many other Celtic holy places. To explore other Celtic holy wells, click here.

Many aspects of the cult of Bridgit reflect the Christianizing of pagan deities which was common in the Middle Ages as Christianity spread. To explore further the grounds of Kildare and especially Bridgit's Fire Temple, click here.

Burial Grounds

Sometimes monasteries were built on ancient burial grounds.

Even in the pre-Christian Celtic world, burial grounds were often round in shape, such as Newgrange. Every year at the Winter Solstice, the sun would shine into the building, symbolizing rebirth. The tomb chamber itself is in the shape of a womb.

The circular or spiral shape is very common in Celtic art, such as on these triglyphs at the entrance to Newgrange, or on the Tara broach .

Continue to the next page: Place and Journey: Virtual Tour of Glendalough

Return to the Index of Celtic Monasticism

copyright © Dr. Deborah Vess 1999. All rights reserved. Photographs by Dr. Deborah Vess. Visitors to this site are welcome to use the photos and other information for educational purposes provided that user acknowledges the source.