Developing New Routes across North Europe: Walking in the Baltic States and England (original) (raw)
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Reframing Pilgrimage in Northern Europe: Introduction to the Special Issue
Numen, 2020
Largely inspired by the success of the Camino of Santiago de Compostela, pilgrimage is currently being rediscovered and re-presented even in areas where it was long discredited and discontinued for both theological and political reasons. This special issue of Numen is devoted to studies that show how pilgrimage is currently being reframed in various parts of Northern Europe where the physical and institutional infrastructure as well as the vernacular traditions of pilgrimage were interrupted, fragmented, or had disappeared altogether until recently. Today, diverse histories of disruption influence and inform the presentation, representation, and re-presentation of pilgrimage in these countries. Tracing an arc from Ireland via Scotland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland to Estonia, the contributors to this special issue study how diverse groups of pilgrims and stakeholders operationalize history and heritage in relation to pilgrimage. Travelers with varied backgrounds and motivations, loca...
Reframing Pilgrimage in Northern Europe: Introduction to the Special Issue (open access)
Numen, 2020
Largely inspired by the success of the Camino of Santiago de Compostela, pilgrimage is currently being rediscovered and re-presented even in areas where it was long discredited and discontinued for both theological and political reasons. This special issue of Numen is devoted to studies that show how pilgrimage is currently being reframed in various parts of Northern Europe where the physical and institutional infrastructure as well as the vernacular traditions of pilgrimage were interrupted, fragmented, or had disappeared altogether until recently. Today, diverse histories of disruption influence and inform the presentation, representation, and re-presentation of pilgrimage in these countries. Tracing an arc from Ireland via Scotland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland to Estonia, the contributors to this special issue study how diverse groups of pilgrims and stakeholders operationalize history and heritage in relation to pilgrimage. Travelers with varied backgrounds and motivations, local and regional administrations and associations, minority groups and spiritual movements, the churches, and national initiatives create traditions and address contemporary concerns, adapt imported practices to local material culture, negotiate physical and metaphorical borders, and translate the past into heritage.
The Pilgrimage Landscape in Contemporary Estonia: New Routes, Narratives, and Re-Christianization
2020
This article is the first attempt at mapping the pilgrimage landscape in contemporary Estonia, reputedly one of the most secularized countries in Europe. Based on fieldwork on three case studies — the Estonian Society of the Friends of the Camino de Santiago, the Pirita-Vastseliina pilgrim trail, and the “Mobile Congregation” — we have identified three distinctive features that shape the Estonian pilgrimage scene. The processes of Caminoization and heritagization characterize pilgrimage on a European scale, while the phenomenon that we call “bridging” has a more local flavor. Bridging refers to using pilgrimage to create connections between the Church (of any Christian denomination) and “secular” people. Historically a Christian practice, pilgrimage has transformed into something much more ambiguous. Thus, people often perceive pilgrimage as religion-related but still inherently secular. As the relationships between institutionalized religion and the vernacular world of beliefs and ...
Peregrinus Cracoviensis, 2016
In the Middle Ages the idea of pilgrimage reached Scandinavia, for a long time regarded as a permanent mainstay of pagan beliefs associated mainly with the traditions and culture of Nordic warriors-the Vikings. The prolonged and filled with many difficulties process of Christianization of northern Europe, over time developed a rapidly growing cult of St. Olav-a warrior, king and martyr of the Christian faith. Over nearly four hundred years, thousands of pilgrims embarked on pilgrimages to the tomb of the saint in Trondheim, making the Nidaros Cathedral the most important pilgrimage center in this part of Europe. In 1997, the first section of the St. Olav's Way between Oslo and Trondheim was officially reopened. After it has been signposted, described and promoted, as well as after it has been awarded with the title of European Cultural Route by the European Council in 2010, the St. Olav's Way has become one of the largest and most important pilgrimage routes in Europe. The present study is based on preliminary research conducted by the author on the St. Olav's Way in the last couple of years. Analysis of the available statistical data, as well as the opinions of the trail users themselves and its organizers as obtained by the author through social studies (surveys and direct interviews) allowed, however, to develop some preliminary research on the size and nature of pilgrimage movement along the routes of the St. Olav's Way.
The Revitalisation of a medieval pilgrim route in the federal states of Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt (Germany) give the concerned regions new touristic opportunities. Based on a planned special exhibition from a museum raised the idea of recreate an old pilgrim path which was long time not used. With historical research, a public survey, economic strategies and cooperation's with related scientific and touristic Institutions it is possible to create a sustainable touristic niche segment of religious tourism along a short route. The researches show that medieval pilgrims had to use the route from Berlin and Potsdam over Brandenburg a.d. Havel to the hanseatic town of Tangermünde and, furthermore, as a connection to other regional sacred sites in Germany and Europe. The key result of the project is a wide step to bringing local economy together with European wide tourism on the basis of a short pilgrim route through the landscape of eastern Germany. 1. NEEDS AND METHOD Since the Reformation and the " spring of pilgrimage " in the 20 th and 21 th exist a more and more raising stream of modern pilgrims which want to take the old routes back to themselves or to the Destinations of Christianity. It is exact this massive expansion of people who want to walk which gives ancient routes the possibility of being revitalised and researched. Based on the higher amount of pilgrims on the ways and of the reinvention of the routes it is necessary to work while discovering the routes with more precious methods of research. There are different ways and local initiatives which give an example of what could be done. There are also a lot of ideas to realise such revitalisations of old ways with scientific methods which are only showing, example by example, one idea for a modern research method. The idea behind revitalise old pilgrim paths is to show the normal walker that there is something ancient on their ways to their final destinations. It should be shown to modern walker that there is an old motivation structure which is present in modern times by each person who is going on a pilgrimage. For that it is necessary to use a stable academic basis which gives walkers the possibility to experience the way which they walk in combination with a modern geographic and historic basic knowledge. There will be pilgrims which see their way as something from god given without the need of any scientific guidance. On the other hand there are people who want to go on a pilgrimage one day but not without any good guidance and comfort for walking the way. In order to looking on that fact and on the opportunities which could be given by a sustainable touristic pilgrim offer it is the best practice to combine different methods to bring together the pilgrims
The Motivations of Pilgrimage Walking the St.Olav Way in Norway
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, 2020
Walking pilgrimages are experiencing a revival, while at the same time a change of character in light of our changing times. Pilgrimage walking is increasingly taking on non-religious dimensions, related to a person's self and health as seen on long-distance walking pilgrimages such as the Camino routes to Santiago. Long-range walking pilgrimages seem to offer a promise and space for 'personal fixing' / 'self-healing', thus attracting people with a variety of motives. This article is based on an empirical study consisting of qualitative open-ended questionnaires with 53 respondents from 13 countries. It aims to shed light on the motives, expectations and hopes that make people walk the less known and studied Norwegian St. Olav Way and what motivational trends prevail there, compared to others pilgrimage routes such as the more popular Camino de Santiago de Compostela and Japanese Shikoku Henro trail. Motivational categories were generated through an inductive thematic analysis of their answers and explanations were sought, drawing on existing literature as well as meaning-making and motivational theories. Results indicate that religious motives were not predominant in people's quest with the journey. Instead, contemplation, health, social / solitary, pilgrimage walking / repeating, and nature motives stood out as the most significant, followed by less mentioned motives such as historical / cultural / travel interests, spiritual / religious reasons, a more present / simple / slow life, and life celebrations / crossroads / transitions. These findings challenge popular assumptions about why people undertake long-term walking pilgrimages. Further research is needed given the emerging trend to seek long-distance pilgrimage walking for self-discovery / development / therapy. This is largely uncovered ground in health care / science, despite the fact that pilgrimages have, throughout time, been sought for betterment and wellbeing.
Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and Tourist Paradigms of Modern Pilgrimage
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE "Modern Paradigms in the Development of the National and World Economy", 17th Edition, 2024
The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme, launched in 1987, aims to promote intercultural dialogue and highlight a shared European heritage through various routes that span across Europe and beyond. To date, it includes 48 certified networks, each with diverse themes and modes of engagement. With this respect, in addition to contextualising the European Cultural Routes programme, the paper seeks to address a theme particularly relevant to it, namely that of pilgrimage, which has evolved into a secular form embodied by slow tourism, a growing trend in the tourism industry. By combining both quantitative and qualitative research, the aim is to provide insights into the phenomenon from both user and insider perspectives. In doing so, it will address how this trend offers significant opportunities for a more responsible and sustainable form of tourism while also presenting notable challenges. Lastly, the paper will discuss how this phenomenon could lead to new paradigmatic considerations in the tourism sector.
Youth pilgrimages along pilgrimage routes in Europe
The conducted research leads to the conclusions that the beginning of the twenty‑first century is a period of the renaissance of pilgrimage and hiking trails in Europe. On the trails, young people constitute a significant group. The increasing growth of the secularization processes in the world does not affect the popularity of religious travelling. Is the phenomenon of youth pilgrimage going to survive in the coming decades full of demographic, cultural and socio‑economic challenges? However, the current demographic situation in developed countries, particularly the increasing proportion of older people living in society, as well as the rapidly growing number of young people departing from faith and a lack of stable geopolitical situation will be important factors contributing to a decline of pilgrimages among the young. A distortion of their meaning and treating them exclusively as routes of active tourism and culture is also a threat. It must be emphasized that pilgrimage routes will attract a new crowd of young pilgrims only if they remain the ways of faith, prayer, conversion and Christian love.
Though religious tourism has posed as one of the main attraction in tourism industry worldwide, nowadays a lack of a serious debate respecting to commonalities between tourism and pilgrimage still exists. To fulfill such a gap, this book, which is edited by Katic, Klarin and McDonald, presents the outcome of a previous event: Pilgrimage and Sacred Places in Central and Eastern Europe, place, politics and religious tourism. Understanding pilgrimage as an act of faith, which results in devotion, redemption and penitence, it is interesting to discuss to what extent the term “religious tourism” is acceptable. Of course, we start from the premise this type of tourism has religion as it primary criterion of attraction. Among the strengths of this book, we find a finely-ingrained debate respecting to the role of mobile factor, which is present in pilgrimage and tourism, to offer a homogenized product of consumption that at the bottom it is based on different goals