Pilgrimage and Pilgrim Hierarchies in Vernacular Discourse: Comparative Notes from the Camino de Santiago and Glastonbury
Abstract
This article is based on my fieldwork conducted in two important destinations in the spiritual landscape of European vernacular religion – the Camino de Santiago (pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela) in northern Spain, and Glastonbury in southwest England. In this comparison between modern expressions of pilgrimage, I look into the power relationships that exist on the pilgrimage, describe how hierarchies of pilgrims are created and maintained, and reflect on the meaning of the words pilgrim and pilgrimage. The co-existence of the different belief systems of Christianity and New Age and the conflicts and tension between them will be explored. I will also examine discourse around competing male and female energies.- Photo 1. Glastonbury Tor, December 2011. Photo by Tiina Sepp.
- Photo 2. The author’s pilgrim’s credential of her journey to Santiago de Compostela in November 2004.
- Photo 3. The Compostela awarded to the author after completing the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in June 2010.
- Photo 4. Morgana West in front of the Glastonbury Pilgrim Reception Centre, February 2013. Photo by Tiina Sepp.
- Photo 5. Glastonbury Abbey, February 2014. Photo by Tiina Sepp.
- Photo 6. The book cover of A Pilgrim in Glastonbury by Barry Taylor (2010).
Keywords
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