Many things had to planned in advance. Massive amounts of food and drink, affordable
lodgings, care of the sick and handicapped had all to be available. Providing
sufficient water safe to drink must have been a challenge. Bridges and ferries that could safely cope
with greatly increased numbers had to be in place. Dante (1265-1321 AD), the greatest Italian
poet of his time, tells us that Rome’s traffic moved on one-way streets. This might have been inspired by the way in
which the movements were regulated in the city’s basilicas, some of which had
five aisles. Businesses, shops and
street-sellers adapted to seasonal peaks in demand and baking ovens were often
mounted on carts.
Keeping the peace was one of the great achievements
for the various places of pilgrimage.
Locals and visitors alike had to be protected against swindlers, thieves
and troublemakers. Natives of different,
often mutually hostile, lands would engage in rivalry for the best places at
inns or at the sacred sites and places of worship. Pilgrims visiting the popular sites of
Canterbury and Compostela helped to link England and Spain more closely with
other areas of Europe. Places of
learning and places of pilgrimage brought Europe together in spite of constant
conflicts tending to sow division.
Craftsmen on pilgrimage learnt about new devices and methods from their
colleagues in other lands and ideas from the fields of poetry and agriculture
and industry spread widely.
Since all travellers suffered from heat and vermin,
dust and disease, social distinction mattered a bit less. In spite of so many hardships, travelling
just grew and grew. Perhaps for people
living in dire conditions the idea of crossing a river or mountain would not
cause too much fear. The prospect of
finding good food in a monastery or hospice might be tempting. Many wanted a change of scene or adventure or
the chance of better prospects. Some
people used the opportunity of going on a crusade or a pilgrimage to look
around them for better living conditions.
Farmers, craftsmen and merchants might undertake an exploratory journey
first, before finally leaving their homeland.
Northern Spain had suffered a big decrease in
population as a result of wars between Christians and Moslems. Many pilgrims to Santiago in the North West
corner of Spain, seeing the opportunities, settled there. Many German families decided to remain in
England after making a pilgrimage to Canterbury. Missionaries were among the most enthusiastic
of travellers. One of the most notable
was St. Boniface who was born in 675 AD in Crediton in Devon and who is known
as the Apostle of Germany. The faith had
been brought long before this to Germany but the so-called ‘Barbarian
Invasions’ wreaked havoc on Church and State.
Ireland and Scotland were saved from these incursions so vast numbers of
Celtic Monks helped to revive Christianity in much of Europe. From 716 AD until his death in 754 AD
Boniface was for almost forty years continually on the road. His life is better documented than most of his
contemporaries. He went to Rome three
times, undertaking his third journey when he was over sixty years old. Going to Rome meant travelling over the Alps
and facing many dangers. Countless
Christian missionaries were killed on the Continent by heathen Teutons – by
reason of their faith or were slain by robbers, as was Boniface. He did not seek out martyrdom but aimed to
carry out his carefully planned and wide ranging missionary work. Before setting out, missionaries would seek
letters of recommendation. Bishop Daniel
of Winchester wrote such a letter for Boniface ‘to the most pious and gracious
kings, to all dukes and most dear and honoured bishops and abbots and priests
in Christ’s name’ ‘asking’ them to fulfil their charitable duty towards travellers
in a work pleasing to God. Pope Gregory
II later wrote another, pleading that Boniface and his missionaries be provided
with food and drink and anything else they might need. But these letters were of limited value. Not everyone could read – or had a knowledge
of Latin. But Boniface was welcomed
because he helped to spread prosperity by founding monasteries and
schools. He sent to England for educated
men to come to spread learning and the faith.
His real name was Wilfred. He was
given the name Boniface – ‘one who does good.’
Registers and the archives of medieval cities are
full of names of those who came there to study or to trade and who stayed on
permanently in their new home. The
Reformation quickly took root in Hungary because there was a continual coming
and going of students and merchants and monks between Germany and lands further
East.
The possibility of travel could help to ease
tensions. Men and women could drop their
work at short notice, perhaps once a year – or more – to go on a pilgrimage and
get out into the world. A conflict
between a father and son might be avoided if the young man went abroad for a
year, even if he intended to return home again.
As well as broadening the mind and getting rid of prejudices, travel
sometimes had the opposite effect. One
of the great western theologians, Bishop Otto of Freising (near Munich) got to
know Hungary in 1147 AD on the Second Crusade.
Looking back ten years later he described what seemed to him to be the
contrast between the country and its inhabitants. Hungary was pleasing, rich and beautiful as a
heavenly paradise. But in his view the
inhabitants were boorish and coarse in their habits with ‘ugly faces, deep-set
eyes, stumpy fingers, barbaric customs and speech.’ He said that one had to blame providence or
rather wonder at God’s tolerance in giving this beautiful country to such human
monsters – for one could hardly call them men’.
Perhaps we learn more about Otto than we do about the Hungarians from
this outburst!
I
am indebted to Norbert Ohler’s ‘The Medieval Traveller’
