[Gocamino] Camino topics....

[Richard Ferguson <peregrino@att.net.]

One question that keeps coming up is how many people went on pilgrimage at any given era.  Not sure how much information there is out there, but I think that would be interesting.  It might also reveal something about the times, when the camino was popular and when it fell out of fashion.   Or when wars or plagues reduced pilgrimage traffic.

Another thing that I keep thinking about is the claim that the era around the 1200s in Europe was the high point of civilization in Europe, with the amazing churches a legacy we can see today.  I have even heard the claim that this era was superior to our own era, in that there was prosperity, beautiful art, as well as an active religious life.  These same folks would say that the low rates of church attendance in Europe today are evidence of cultural and moral decay.  My understanding is that the church was in a period of reform as well, with Francis of Assisi only one of the great religious figures of that era.  The camino was also a manifestation of the era.

Anyway, a couple of suggestions.

Richard

 
-------------- Original message from "Kathy Gower" <kathygower at hotmail.com>: -------------- 


> On Santiagobis, another list serve for those of you who haven't had the 
> pleasure, 
> 
> A pilgrim finishing his masters program asked about what to research...what 
> burning questions once and future pilgrims have about the road itself (other 
> than the practical) it seems to me...whether those questions be about some 
> aspect of history, architecture or even personages. 
> 
> I share those questions of what people reading this listserve really are 
> looking to have elaborated upon: 
> 
> Is it questions about medieval confraternities, histories of the alberques, 
> the alchemical or early Christian motivations and evidence on the routes, 
> hospitality, food, music...what is it that gets you all excited about the 
> Camino other than the journey itself, which is highly personal, if 
> archetypal... 
> 
> Two-fold reasoning....perhaps a future lecture, or perhaps another way to 
> understand the enormity of the pilgrimage itself... 
> 
> 
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