PILGRIMAGE

An integral part of the Celtic belief system. The seemingly endless journeying described in some of the late romances is often a kind of pilgrimage. The Grail Quest in particular shows the medieval approach to pilgrimage: the long, difficult journey toward a climax of spiritual revelation. There were real international pilgrimages of this kind, notably to the shrines of St. James at Santiago de Compostela in Galicia and St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury in England.

This was in the Middle Ages. But there is increasing archeological evidence that

ReKgious pilgrimages, on a similar scale, went on as much as 3,000 years earlier. Some high-status graves near Stonehenge have yielded unexpected forensic results: one man was a visitor from Switzerland. Nor was this an isolated link with mainland Europe. At Stonehenge, a piece of lava was found that can only have come from the Rhineland. In a sense, even the stones were pilgrims. The very big sarsen stones at Stonehenge came from the Marlborough Downs, 20 miles (30km) away, and were probably dragged laboriously on sledges to get them to Stonehenge. More surprisingly, the smaller stones at Stonehenge, the bluestones, were ferried from south-west Wales, 135 miles (220km) away as the crow flies.

Pilgrims brought wealth with them, and left it in the form of gifts and offerings, and services purchased. Certainly by the Middle Ages, some saints’ relics had become valuable commodities, simply because of their commercial potential. Often, the relics were forgeries. The monks at Glastonbury developed an entire mythology surrounding their abbey, concocting elaborate stories about Joseph of Arimathea and the grave of King Arthur—all to generate revenue to pay for repairing the abbey.

PRIESTS

There is very little archeological evidence of the priests who officiated at religious ceremonies, beyond the shrines themselves. But there are a few inscriptions referring to priests and there is some priestly regalia.

Crowns and headdresses found in East Anglia, at Hockwold and Cavenham, show the sort of garb that priests wore. Possibly the gold chains with sun and moon symbols found at Backworth in Durham and Dolaucothi in Pembrokeshire were chains of priestly office. A strange object found at Milton in Cambridgeshire may have been used in ceremonies. It is a flat oval made of bronze and has two perforations that were probably attachments for bells. It was probably carried in procession and shaken to rattle the bells. Another, similar object was found not far away in a Norfolk hoard of religious bronze objects. This was shaped like a spearhead and was evidently mounted on top of a pole. It too had a couple of perforations, this time with surviving rings. This too probably had bells attached.

Metal face masks found at Bath and Tarbes may have been used by priests during ceremonies. Conceivably there were moments in rituals when the priest’s mortal face had to be hidden: moments when it was forbidden to look at the priest’s face. Or perhaps the priest was protecting himself from the presence of the god. The Tarbes mask dates from the third century BC. Another mask, a gold mask that is believed to have come from East Anglia, was nailed up on a wall or a post and probably represented the face of the god (see Druids).

PREVCESA MOURA

A Galician fairy appearing as a snake with long, blonde hair.