Excerpt from Celtic Britain and the Pilgrim Movement The growth Of religious thought, Ethnic, Hebrew, or Christian, besides being Of supreme moment, is Of an interest so perennial that no apology should be needed for presenting any evidence not hitherto easily accessible. It has been my custom for some years, whilst occupied with the study Of ecclesiastical history, to jot down, or at least to make a mental note of anything that seemed speciallv to bear upon Wales, Cornwall, Ireland, or Scot land and as I pursued my investigations (begun solely for the satisfaction Of my own curiosity) the cultural Significance Of the pilgrim movement was strongly borne in upon my mind. Whether we consider its many-sided character, its human elements, its doctrinal import, its intellectual fertility, or the tenacity Of this irrepressible instinct throughout the ages, it appears to challenge comparison with any other field Of enquiry; and after a considerable amount Of material had accumulated, it was more than once pointed out to me that the publica tion Of what I had garnered might serve a useful pur pose; a suggestion in which the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion readily acquiesced. The pleasure which the preparation of the work has afforded me, during years of enforced exile, will be enhanced tenfold, if it proves that my expatriation has not prevented me from rendering Wales some service by throwing light upon an Obscure and neglected phase Of her religious and mental evolution. Whilst the work was being shaped, the question Of method cost me much thought. Assuming that manyreaders would be unfamiliar with both the Celtic and the ecclesiological aspects of the subject, I was obliged to steer between the Scylla of redundance and _the Charybdis of compression and baldness. Just as I was speculating how to escape-from this dilemma, I had an opportunity-oi discussing the main lines Of procedure with an historian and literary critic, on whose long ex perience I could confidently rely, and he confirmed my views. When the work had been revised, he was kind enough to read through portions of the manu script which might still be in doubt, and, as the follow ing letter shows, saw no reason to change his Opinion Upon every occasion your method of proceeding has been fully justified on two grounds. The contents of the book are, in many cases, such as to require a careful pre liminary preparation for what is to follow, and the work contains hardly anything that could be spared without detriment to the whole. You are obliged to give in formation for want of which the work would be positively unintelligible to most people. Though I am not unac quainted with ecclesiastical history, Often found the sort of focussing of general principles, before adducing the new evidence in which the work abounds, of great assistance in forming a comprehension of the fresh material. On the other hand, it is certain that among those whose keenest attention will be directed to its Celtic features, there will be many as ignorant of ecclesiology as others are of Celtic history. The Celtic scholar's need of some guidance, when ecclesiastical history is put before him, is in fact not only excusable, but a phenomenon that will appear natural to anyone who has ever seriously studied anything. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

Medieval Welsh Pilgrimage, c.1100–1500 examines one of the most popular expressions of religious belief in medieval Europe—from the promotion of particular sites for political, religious, and financial reasons to the experience of pilgrims and their impact on the Welsh landscape. Addressing a major gap in Welsh Studies, Kathryn Hurlock peels back the historical and religious layers of these holy pilgrimage sites to explore what motivated pilgrims to visit these particular sites, how family and locality drove the development of certain destinations, what pilgrims expected from their experience, how they engaged with pilgrimage in person or virtually, and what they saw, smelled, heard, and did when they reached their ultimate goal.

A comprehensive 1956 study of French and Provençal literature of the medieval period in terms of its connections with the British Isles.

This is a study of the landed gentry of north Wales from the Edwardian conquest in the thirteenth century to the incorporation of Wales in the Tudor state in the sixteenth. The limitation of the discussion to north Wales is deliberate; there has often been a tendency to treat Wales as a single region, but it is important to stress that, like any other country, it is itself made up of regions and that a uniformity based on generalisation cannot be imposed. This book describes the development of the gentry in one part of Wales from an earlier social structure and an earlier pattern of land tenure, and how the gentry came to rule their localities. There have been a number of studies of the medieval English gentry, usually based on individual counties, but the emphasis in a Welsh study is not necessarily the same as that in one relating to England. The rich corpus of medieval poetry addressed to the leaders of native society and the wealth of genealogical material and its potential are two examples of this difference in emphasis.

Julia Bolton Holloway's The Pilgrim and the Book: A Study of Dante, Langland and Chaucer investigates major fourteenth-century texts, the Commedia, Piers Plowman and The Canterbury Tales, in the light of the medieval theory and practice of pilgrimage, especially concentrating on Emmaus and Exodus paradigms. Holloway's analysis draws extensively on iconography, musicology, typology and anthropology. The concluding chapter explains why each poet places himself within his poem - in his own image - as a pilgrim.

Pilgrimage-going to ancient holy sites in search of God-has become increasingly popular for people seeking to deepen their relationship with the Holy. Sister Cintra Pemberton seeks to enrich the experiences of today's pilgrims by helping them draw on the history of pilgrimage itself, as well as by suggesting particularly rich sites to visit. Part One of Soulfaring explores the history of pilgrimage, beginning in Celtic times, and moving through the early Christian period, the Middle Ages, and even the revival of pilgrimage today. Part Two explores fifteen sites in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Each of the descriptions of the various sites includes not only suggestions of what may be seen there, but the author's personal meditations on the experience of the Holy in each place.

Ranging from devotional poetry to confessional history, across the span of competing religious traditions, this volume addresses the lived faith of diverse communities during the turmoil of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Together, they provide a textured understanding of the complexities in religious belief, practice and organization.