The Pilgrims’ Way (also Pilgrim’s Way or Pilgrims Way) is the historical route supposedly taken by pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire, England, to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury in Kent.
Where does the journey start and end in The Canterbury Tales?
What is The Canterbury Tales about? Chaucer’s long poem follows the journey of a group of pilgrims, 31 including Chaucer himself, from the Tabard Inn in Southwark to St Thomas à Becket’s shrine at Canterbury Cathedral.
Where does The Canterbury Tales journey start?
London
The action begins at a tavern just outside of London, circa 1390, where a group of pilgrims have gathered in preparation for their journey to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The narrator, Chaucer, encounters them there and becomes one of their company.
How long is The Canterbury Tales journey?
The Canterbury Tales and Pilgrimages
Another popular pilgrimage site for English Christians was Canterbury, about sixty miles southeast of London, or about a week-long journey.
Where does the Pilgrims Way start and finish?
The Pilgrims’ Way is an ancient 141-mile route from Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire to Canterbury Cathedral in Kent.
When did The Canterbury Tales start and finish?
The Canterbury Tales was one of the first major works in literature written in English. Chaucer began the tales in 1387 and continued until his death in 1400. No text in his own hand still exists, but a surprising number of copies survive from the 1500s – more than 80.
How did the pilgrims travel to Canterbury?
Some would come on foot, while those who could afford it might ride on horseback. Travellers would often pass through Canterbury on business or on their way to or from the Continent, and it was normal to pray or give thanks at the shrine of Thomas Becket for a safe journey.
Where did the Canterbury pilgrims meet and begin their journey?
The framing device for the collection of stories is a pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, Kent. The 30 pilgrims who undertake the journey gather at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, across the Thames from London.
How far is it from London to Canterbury in The Canterbury Tales?
about fifty-five miles
In The Canterbury Tales, the pilgrims are meant to travel from London to Canterbury. This is a distance of about fifty-five miles; if their horses could walk eight hours a day at about four miles per hour, the pilgrims could reach their destination in two days.
How does The Canterbury Tales begin?
The Canterbury Tales begins with a Prologue (which means “a few words to begin”). In the prologue Chaucer describes the time of year, which is April, when the weather begins to get warmer after winter. He says that it is at this time that people begin to go on pilgrimage.
What is the journey like in The Canterbury Tales?
They are well-off and seem to be traveling for pleasure, not necessarily piety. We assume that they are riding and walking as they tell stories, but we are not told. The journey from London to Canterbury Cathedral is not very difficult, and not incredibly long, so we can assume it goes easily.
How long did it take the pilgrims to walk to Canterbury?
The long route might take two weeks whereas the 85-mile way from London Bridge would require about a week, and pilgrims starting at Rochester could reach the 34 miles to Canterbury in just three days.
Who are the 31 pilgrims in Canterbury Tales?
The Pilgrims
- The Narrator. The narrator makes it quite clear that he is also a character in his book.
- The Knight. The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale.
- The Wife of Bath.
- The Pardoner.
- The Miller.
- The Prioress.
- The Monk.
- The Friar.
What was the route the Pilgrims sailed?
Where did the Mayflower set sail from for its voyage to Plymouth? The Mayflower set sail from Southampton, England, for North America on August 15, 1620. The ship carried Pilgrims from England to Plymouth, in modern-day Massachusetts, where they established the first permanent European settlement in 1620.
What journey did the Pilgrims take?
From Two Ships to One. Pilgrims boarding the Mayflower for their voyage to America. The Pilgrim’s arduous journey to the New World technically began on July 22, 1620, when a large group of colonists boarded a ship called the Speedwell in the Dutch port city of Delfshaven.
How long is the Pilgrims path?
about three miles long
Advice for walking the Pilgrim’s Route safely:
Ideally set off two hours before low tide – walking with the outgoing tide rather the rising tide. The Pilgrims route is about three miles long.
What is the most famous Canterbury tale?
Perhaps the most famous – and best-loved – of all of the tales in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, ‘The Miller’s Tale‘ is told as a comic corrective following the sonorous seriousness of the Knight’s tale.
How many tales from The Canterbury Tales still exist today?
Whereas Chaucer’s original plan presumably envisaged over 100 stories, only 24 survive. The Canterbury Tales is traditionally dated to 1387 (although some tales appear to have been written before then). The poem survives in 92 manuscripts, but no manuscript of the work dates from Chaucer’s lifetime.
What is the final section of Canterbury Tales?
At the end of the tale, the Pardoner invites the pilgrims to buy relics and pardons from him and suggests that the Host should begin because he is the most sinful. This comment infuriates the Host; the Knight intercedes between the Host and the Pardoner and restores peace.
How did the journey of the pilgrims begin?
But for many of its influential passengers the historic voyage actually began several weeks before – on July 22, 1620, from a port in Holland. In a moving ceremony on that day, many of the Pilgrims boarded a ship known as the Speedwell in Delfshaven harbour, meeting up with the Mayflower in Southampton.
How far did the pilgrims travel to reach Canterbury?
Click here to learn more about the history of The Pilgrims’ Way in England. One of two prominent starting points, the Pilgrims’ Way from Winchester to Canterbury follows 15 stages (as described in Cicerone’s guide book) over 133 miles, with stages broken into lengths of 5 – 14 miles.