PILGRIM (OF. palcgrin, prIerin, percgrin, Fr. mIcria, pilgrim, f rum Lat. per( grin118, foreigner, pilgrim, from Kreger, tieing in foreign lands. from per, through -(- (trier, field). One who visits sonic distant place for a religious purpose. The notion that particular localities possess special sanctity is widespread. The gods of primitive religions are local and can only be approached within their proper boundaries or at their peculiar sanctuaries. Hence, when their worshipers become scattered. a journey is neces sary to offer devotion or ask for favors. A place where a theophany is supposed to have oecurred is naturally considered as eonseerated by the divine presence and particularly favorable for answer to prayer. Localities of importance in the history of a religion or in the lives of persons specially reverenced attract the interest and de votion of the faithful. In religions where self mortification is eonsidlered meritorious or obliga tory, the trouble and pains involved in a journey, particularly in times and places where travel is neither easy nor secure, have made of pilgrimage a meritorious diet and pious duty. On the other hand, the journey affords opportunity to see the world, satisfies the love of adventure. and provides an outing, and this element is not to be overlooked in tracing the history of pil grimage.
Pilgrimages are characteristic of many relig ions, as those of ancient Egypt, Persia in the 3lithraic period, Syria, Mexieo, and Peru, India, China, and Japan. The Greek and Roman custom of consulting the gods at local oracles, like Dodo na and Delphi. is well known. In the early period of Ilebrew history there were many local sanctu aries, and pilgrimages to some of them are clearly indicated, as Shiloh (T. Sam. i. 4), Ophrah (Judges viii. 27), Dan and Bethel (1. Kings xii. 30-33). The great Mohammedan pilgrimage to Mecca (see ITAJJ; MonAmmEtuNism) is a Sur rival of pagan times. Besides this, which is obligatory on every Mussulman. there are numer OUR devotional pilgrimages, particularly to the tombs of saints. Kairwan (q.v.) in Tunis, Kazan in Morocco. Kerbela (q.v.) in Mesopo tamia, and Masjid Ali in Irak are sacred cities, the last two in the estimation of the Shiites hardly second to The early Christian, regarded certain places with special religious interest; above all. the Holy Land. and particularly the scenes of the passion of the Lord at .lerusalmn. Other sacred places. too, were held to be lit objects of the same visits of religion: veneration. The tomhs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and of the mar tyrs in the catacombs at are so described! by Saint Jerome (Contnicntary on. I:zekirl I. The pilgrimage, however, preeminently so called, was that to the Holy Land; and even after Jerusalem had been occupied by the Mohammedans, the lib erty of pilgrimage, on payment of a tax, was formally secured by treaty; and it was from the necessity of protecting pilgrims from outrage that the well-known military orders (see OttnEas) had their origin. The Crusades (q.v.) may be
regarded as a pilgrimage on a great scale, the direct object hying to secure for the Latin Chris tians immunity of pilgrimage. On the other hand, the final ahandonment of the Crusades led to a great extension of what may he called do mestic pilgrimage, and drew into religious notice and veneration many shrines in Europe, which, after the lapse of time, became celebrated places of pious resort. The chief places of pilgrimage in the West were: in Italy—Rome, Loreto (q.v.), Genazzano. Assisi; in Spain—Compostela, Gua dalupe, Montserrat ; in France—Fourvieres, Puy, Saint-Denis: in Germany—Oetting, Zell, Cologne, Trews; in Switzerland—Einsiedeln; in England —Walsingliam, Canterbury, and many others of minor note. The pilgrim commonly bound him self only by a temporary vow of chastity and other ascetic observances, terminating with the actual visit to the place of pilgrimage, or at least with the return home. He wore a broad hat, a blaek or gray cloak, girt with a cineture, and carried a long stair. Those who had completed the pilgrimage to the Holy Land brought away a palm leaf and hence were called palmers. A string of seam) shells was the badge of a pilgrim from Corn postela. a bottle or hell from Canterbury. Pil grims had many privileges. They were consid ered holy men whose person was sacred. and were entitled to entertainment and assistance on their way. Hospices for their aecommodation were established in many places. notably in Rome. and are a prominent feature of Jerusalem at the present day. In the course of time many un worthy persons joined the number and brought pilgrimages into disrepute. They have always been maintained in Italy. Spain, Southern Ger many. and Switzerland ; in France they fell into disfavor during and after the Revolution. In late years. however, pilgrimages on a very large scale, even from the United States, have visited the sanctuaries of Lourdes (q.v.). La Salette. and Paray-le-Monial (q.v.). Another popular Euro pean place of pilgrimage is Czenstoehowa. in Russian Poland. A famous shrine of the New World is Saint Anne de Beaupre. near Quebec; and large numbers annually visit the place con secrated by the death of the Jesuit nm:r•tyrs Father Jogues (q.v.) and his companions at Auriesville. V. The Holy Land is visited still by many pilgrims from the Eastern churches, par ticularly Russian peasants. and a smaller number from Western Europe. For the history of Chris tian pilgrimages, consult Marx, Das liallfahren in der katholischen irche I142) ; and for some of the most famous shrines, Northcote. febru e! Sanctuaries of the .11 adon na (London. 1S6S).