You'd Never Survive a Medieval Pilgrimage

Think walking 500 miles for spiritual salvation was a peaceful stroll? Think again. In this deep dive into medieval Catholic history, we explore the brutal realities of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages: the physical agony, the spiritual warfare, the scammers, the bandits, and the undying faith of those who walked anyway. Whether you’re into Catholic Church history, medieval travel, or just want to feel better about your morning commute, this video uncovers the true cost of salvation in the medieval world. Timestamps: 0:00 – Why medieval Catholics walked for salvation 0:49 – Bandits, scammers, and fake relics 4:18 – The spiritual meaning of suffering 4:52 – Hardcore penance: crawling, fasting, badger fur 5:44 – Miracles, demons, and Margery Kempe’s visions 7:03 – What pilgrims ate (or didn’t), where they slept 8:48 – Walking 30 miles a day on shredded feet 9:10 – Why the hardship was the whole point 10:08 – Is modern faith missing something? Works Cited: Duffy, Eamon. The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England, 1400–1580. Yale University Press, 2005. Kempe, Margery. The Book of Margery Kempe. Translated by Barry Windeatt, Penguin Classics, 2004. Sumption, Jonathan. Pilgrimage: An Image of Mediaeval Religion. Faber and Faber, 2003. Webb, Diana. Medieval European Pilgrimage, c.700–c.1500. Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. Vauchez, André. The Laity in the Middle Ages: Religious Beliefs and Devotional Practices. Translated by Margery J. Schneider, University of Notre Dame Press, 1993.