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Exploring Margery Kempe’s Pilgrimage: Mapping the Travels of a Medieval Mystic

By Happy Sharer

Introduction

Margery Kempe (c. 1373–1438) is an important figure in the history of Christian mysticism. As the author of The Book of Margery Kempe, she left behind a vivid account of her spiritual journey. During her lifetime, Margery traveled extensively throughout Europe, visiting holy sites and seeking spiritual guidance. This article will explore the motivations behind her travels and trace the route of her pilgrimage.

Exploring the Spiritual Pilgrimage of Margery Kempe

Throughout her life, Margery experienced visions of God and Christ and was determined to live a life devoted to piety. She was deeply committed to her faith and believed that through prayer and meditation she could experience a closer relationship with God. Her spiritual journey began when she decided to embark on a pilgrimage to sacred sites throughout Europe.

What motivated Margery to take her pilgrimage? According to her autobiography, she was driven by a deep desire for a direct experience of God. In her own words, “I had a great longing to seek out holy places and to visit them, that I might there offer up my prayers and petitions to Almighty God.”

How did her faith shape her travels? Margery saw her pilgrimage as a way to deepen her spiritual connection with God. She believed that by visiting holy sites she would be able to draw closer to God and receive his divine grace. For Margery, traveling was an act of devotion, and she was determined to honor each place she visited with reverence and humility.

The Itinerary: A Look at Where Margery Kempe Traveled

During her lifetime, Margery traveled to numerous countries and cities throughout Europe. She visited England, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. In England, she visited London, Norwich, and many other cities. She also made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

On her journey, Margery encountered many religious sites. She visited cathedrals and churches, shrines and monasteries, and other places of worship. She venerated relics and icons, and sought counsel from priests and monks. Throughout her travels, she kept a journal of her experiences, which she later compiled into The Book of Margery Kempe.

Mapping a Medieval Mystic: Tracing Margery Kempe’s Journeys

To understand the significance of Margery’s travels, it is important to consider each place she visited. Her pilgrimage took her to some of the most important religious sites of the time. She visited the tombs of saints, prayed in ancient chapels, and sought solace in the homes of mystics. By tracing her steps, we can gain insight into the spiritual importance of her journey.

At each stop along her pilgrimage, Margery sought to deepen her connection with God. She offered up prayers, meditated on Scripture, and sought counsel from spiritual leaders. Through her visits to these sacred sites, she was able to strengthen her faith and gain spiritual insight. Ultimately, her journey was a quest for knowledge and understanding of the divine.

Following in the Footsteps of Margery Kempe

Today, it is possible to retrace many of the routes of Margery’s pilgrimage. Many of the sites she visited are still open to visitors, and there are resources available to help those who wish to follow in her footsteps. For example, The Margery Kempe Society offers guided tours of some of the sites associated with Margery’s journey, as well as educational materials about her life and legacy.

In addition to organized tours, there are other ways to explore the places associated with Margery’s pilgrimage. Visitors can use online maps to find the locations of the sites she visited, or they can research the history of each place to gain a better understanding of its significance to Margery’s journey.

From England to Jerusalem: Margery Kempe’s Epic Travels

One of the most remarkable aspects of Margery’s pilgrimage was her journey from England to Jerusalem. This was an incredibly long and difficult journey, but Margery was determined to make it. She endured many hardships along the way, but she was sustained by her faith and her commitment to her mission.

By making this journey, Margery was able to experience some of the most important religious sites of the time. She visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the birthplace of Jesus, and the Mount of Olives. She also witnessed the miracles and marvels of Jerusalem, and gained a deeper understanding of her faith.

A Journey of Faith: Margery Kempe’s Travels Across Europe

Through her travels, Margery gained insight into her faith and a greater understanding of the world. Her pilgrimage was an act of devotion, and she sought to honor each place she visited with reverence and humility. By exploring the motivations behind her travels and tracing her route, we can gain insight into the spiritual significance of her journey.

Margery’s pilgrimage was an epic journey of faith and discovery. Through her travels, she was able to deepen her connection with God and gain spiritual insight. Her journey serves as an inspiration to those who seek to deepen their own faith, and provides a unique window into the life of a medieval mystic.

Margery Kempe’s spiritual journey is a remarkable example of faith and devotion. Through her travels, she was able to deepen her connection with God and gain spiritual insight. Her pilgrimage is an inspiring example of how faith can lead us on a journey of discovery and transformation. Today, it is possible to follow in her footsteps and explore the places she visited on her pilgrimage.

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Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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School of Divinity Aspects of the High Middle Ages

• Introduction
• Monasteries
• Pilgrimages

Margery Kempe

These maps show the pilgrimages of one woman who was able to travel widely in 15th century Europe. Margery Kempe is unusual not only for the extent of her journeys but also for  her mysticism and the fact that she used a scribe to whom she dictated a book leaving us a record of her experience. Her travels reveal the importance of pilgrimage, both local and international, in Medieval devotion.

First Great Pilgrimage 1413-1415

Pilgrimage to santiago de compostela 1417-1418, pilgrimage to prussia 1433-1434.

This map shows the pilgrimage of Margery Kempe to Jerusalem begun when she was 40 years old. From her hometown of King’s Lynn she travelled via Norwich to Great Yarmouth sailing to Zierikzee. She continued on to Constance and Bologna then sailed from Venice to the Holy Land. Returning via Venice she visited further pilgrimage sites at Assisi, Rome, Middleburg and Norwich.

On her second journey Margery travelled via Bristol to the important shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. She returned visiting English centres of pilgrimage at Hailes Abbey, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, York, Bridlington, Hull, Hessle, Beverley, Lincoln, West Lynn, London and Ely before she returned to her home in King’s Lynn.

Margery’s last journey took her via Norwich and Ipswich to Norway. She visited shrines in Danzig, Stralsund, Bad Wilsnack and Aachen before sailing from Calais to Dover. On her way home she continued her pilgrimage in Canterbury, London and at Syon Abbey.

  Last updated March 13, 2009  

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The Mysticism and Madness of Margery Kempe

Margery Kempe must have cut quite a figure on the pilgrimage circuits of Medieval Europe: a married woman dressed in white, weeping incessantly, and holding court with some of the greatest religious figures of her time. She leaves her life story with us in “The Book”, often thought of as the oldest example of an autobiography in the English language.

Lucy Johnston

Margery Kempe must have cut quite a figure on the pilgrimage circuits of Medieval Europe: a married woman dressed in white, weeping incessantly, and holding court with some of the greatest religious figures of her time along the way. She leaves the tales of her life as a mystic with us in the form of her autobiography, “The Book”. This work gives us an insight into the way in which she regarded her mental anguish as a trial sent to her by God, and leaves modern readers contemplating the line between mysticism and madness.

Margery Kempe was born in Bishop’s Lynn (now known as King’s Lynn), around 1373. She came from a family of wealthy merchants, with her father an influential member of the community.

At twenty years old, she married John Kempe – another respectable inhabitant of her town; although not, in her opinion, a citizen up to the standards of her family. She fell pregnant shortly after her marriage and, after the birth of her first child, experienced a period of mental torment which culminated in a vision of Christ.

Shortly afterwards, Margery’s business endeavours failed and Margery began to turn more heavily towards religion. It was at this point she took on many of the traits that we now associate with her today – inexorable weeping, visions, and the desire to live a chaste life.

It was not until later in life – after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, multiple arrests for heresy, and at least fourteen pregnancies – that Margery decided to write “The Book”. This is often thought of as the oldest example of an autobiography in the English language, and was indeed not written by Margery herself, but rather dictated – like most women in her time, she was illiterate.

It can be tempting for the modern reader to view Margery’s experiences through the lens of our modern understanding of mental illness, and to cast aside her experiences as those of someone suffering from “madness” in a world in which there was no way to understand this. However, this one dimensional view robs the reader of a chance to explore what religion, mysticism, and madness meant to those living in the medieval period.

Margery tells us her mental torment begins following the birth of her first child. This could indicate she suffered from postpartum psychosis – a rare but severe mental illness which first appears after the birth of a child.

Indeed, many elements of Margery’s account match with symptoms experienced with postpartum psychosis. Margery describes terrifying visions of fire-breathing demons, who goad her to take her own life. She tells us how she rips at her flesh, leaving a lifelong scar on her wrist. She also sees Christ, who rescues her from these demons and gives her comfort. In modern times, these would be described as hallucinations – the perception of a sight, sound or smell which is not present.

Another common feature of postpartum psychosis is tearfulness. Tearfulness was one of Margery’s “trademark” features. She recounts stories of uncontrollable bouts of weeping which land her in trouble – her neighbours accuse her of crying for attention, and her weeping leads to friction with her fellow travellers during pilgrimages.

Delusions can be another symptom of postpartum psychosis. A delusion is a strongly held thought or belief which is not in keeping with a person’s social or cultural norms. Did Margery Kempe experience delusions? There can be no doubt that visions of Christ speaking to you would be considered a delusion in Western society today.

This, though, was not the case in the 14th century. Margery was one of several notable female mystics in the late medieval period. The most well-known example at the time would have been St Bridget of Sweden, a noblewoman who dedicated her life to becoming a visionary and pilgrim following the death of her husband.

Given that Margery’s experience echoed that of others in contemporary society, it is difficult to say that these were delusions – they were a belief in keeping with the social norms of the day.

Although Margery may not have been alone in her experience of mysticism, she was sufficiently unique to cause concern within the Church that she was a Lollard (an early form of proto-Protestant), although each time she had a run-in with the church she was able to convince them this was not the case. It is clear though, that a woman claiming to have had visions of Christ and embarking on pilgrimages was sufficiently unusual to arouse suspicion in clerics of the time.

For her own part, Margery spent a great deal of time worried that her visions may have been sent by demons rather than by God, seeking advice from religious figures, including Julian of Norwich (a famous anchoress of this period). However, at no point does she appear to consider that her visions may be the result of mental illness. Since mental illness in this period was often thought of as a spiritual affliction, perhaps this fear that her visions may have been demonic in origin was Margery’s way of expressing this thought.

When considering the context in which Margery would have viewed her experience of mysticism, it is vital to remember the role of the Church in medieval society. The establishment of the medieval church was powerful to an extent almost incomprehensible to the modern reader. Priests and other religious figures held authority equitable to temporal lords and so, if priests were convinced Margery’s visions came from God, this would have been viewed as an undeniable fact.

Further to this, in the medieval period there was a strong belief that God was a direct force on everyday life – for example, when the plague first fell on the shores of England it was generally accepted by society that this was God’s will. By contrast, when Spanish influenza swept Europe in 1918 “Germ Theory” was used to explain the spread of disease, in place of a spiritual explanation. It is very possible that Margery genuinely never considered that these visions were anything other than a religious experience.

Margery’s book is a fascinating read for many reasons. It allows the reader an intimate glimpse into the everyday life of an “ordinary” woman of this time – ordinary insofar as Margery was not born into nobility. It can be rare to hear a woman’s voice in this time period, but Margery’s own words come through loud and clear, written though they were by another’s hand. The writing is also unselfconscious and brutally honest, leading the reader to feel intimately involved in Margery’s story.

However, the book can be problematic for modern readers to understand. It can be very difficult to take a step away from our modern perceptions of mental health and to immerse ourselves in the medieval experience of unquestioning acceptance of mysticism.

In the end, over six hundred years after Margery first documented her life, it does not really matter what the real cause of Margery’s experience was. What matters is the way she, and the society around her, interpreted her experience, and the way this can aid the modern reader’s understanding of perceptions of religion and health in this period.

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Margery Kempe

Margery Kempe was a medieval mystic and pilgrim born in Bishop’s Lynn in 1373. The church of St Margaret, St Mary Magdalene and All the Virgin Saints (today known as King’s Lynn Minster) was her parish church. Here, Margery spent many hours in prayer and contemplation.

Margery came from a wealthy and influential family of merchants. Her father was John Brunham, five times mayor of Lynn, MP, and alderman of the Holy Trinity Guild. She married John Kempe, a burgess of Lynn, in 1393. Their marriage produced 14 children although it is unclear how many of them survived into adulthood. As a medieval woman from Bishop’s Lynn, Margery was accustomed to a life of wealth as evident from her fashionable outfits with gold pipes in her hair, and slit dresses displaying colourful and expensive fabrics. To supplement her household income, she set up a brewing business and took to milling, but all her ventures eventually failed.

Margery’s first pregnancy resulted in a difficult birth and an episode of mental distress which many modern scholars have diagnosed as postpartum psychosis. She was plagued by terrifying visions of demons and had to be restrained in her bedchamber so as to not cause harm to herself and others. The torments were all lifted when she saw a vision of Christ at her bedside, who spoke to her “Daughter, why have you forsaken me, and I never forsook you?”

This vision and the ones that followed caused a shift in Margery’s life. She desired to dedicate her life to Christ and spent many hours at prayer in St Margaret’s Church. She wore a hairshirt underneath her clothes and fasted on bread and water. She also desired chastity and pleaded with her husband that they should take a vow of chastity together. One of the key manifestations of Margery’s faith were her uncontrollable bouts of weeping.

Margery was moved to visit holy shrines so that she could understand God’s message better. Her early pilgrimages were undertaken in the company of her husband. She travelled to shrines across England, often seeking validation for her visions and experiences. She visited Julian of Norwich in 1413 to seek her guidance and reassurance. Julian confirmed that Margery’s visions came from God and that her tears are physical evidence of the Holy Spirit in her soul.

Whilst she was generally welcomed on her travels abroad, in England she found many were against her. But it was in her home town of Lynn that Margery found the most opposition and criticism. During her travels across the country, she was accused of heresy on multiple occasions. All the evidence suggests that she was in fact faithful to the belief of the Church. Her prosecution, however, could have been a hook on which to hang other fears and objections to Margery. Whilst Margery challenges Bishops, and ecclesiastical authorities, they supported and encouraged her more than the ordinary people.

The Book of Margery Kempe

The Book of Margery Kempe, is known as the first spiritual autobiography in English.

Margery claims she was illiterate and ‘not lettryd’, so she dictated her book to scribes. It is not a chronological account of her life, but a fascinating dialogue between Margery and visions of God, Christ and the saints about faith and the meaning of a good Christian life. The Book ignores anything that is not primarily the story of Margery’s relationship with God and her spiritual journey. The purpose of her work is to reveal and authorise the meaning and truth she believes God had called her to follow.

The Book is divided into two parts. The first part in many ways follows the format of similar devotional texts of the period, particularly those by women mystics and visionaries. Through various experiences, childbirth, madness and her first vision of Christ, Margery narrates her spiritual journey which leads to her travels, and the ’gift of tears’. Margery recalls accusations of Lollardy made against her, as well as her travels to the Holy Land, Assisi, Rome and Santiago. She also details two great fires in Lynn.

The second part resembles a travel journal, or memoir. It features the death of Margery’s husband, John Kempe, as well as her son. Margery accompanies her daughter-in law back to Prussia and travels on to Danzig and Aachen, finally returning to Syon Abbey.

It is clear from her Book that Margery not only has an extremely retentive memory, but that she is very familiar with other books of devotion and spirituality, the Liturgy of the Church, as well as the Bible.

Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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Category: Margery Kempe (Page 3 of 6)

Margery kempe travel map.

Here is the link to my map…hopefully it works:)

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1OykCfQCFzd65TWqB7HK56qSYMHOG3aSo&ll=42.9459972686511%2C18.257065000000004&z=4

{google_map}https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1OykCfQCFzd65TWqB7HK56qSYMHOG3aSo&ll=42.9459972686511%2C18.257065000000004&z=4{/google_map}

caspersen 2

The Book of Margery Kempe by Margery Kempe (trans. BA Windeatt) going to Jermusalem, at Jerusalem, and after Kempe’s Reflections on Jerusalem and What It took Her to get there

Kempe is still focused on the mistreatment she receives from the men in her travelling group and the consequences of how she deals with her emotions. She discusses her helplessness in stopping her tantrums during this chapter also (Kempe 102-107). As for the bullying she has to deal with,  she claims to have gotten banned from eating dinner with those she is traveling with and that they refused to buy her the bedding she required for the ship ride to Jerusalem (Kempe 102); in defiance of this message telling her to depart from their group, Kempe buys her own bedding and tells the group plainly that she will join them (Kempe 102) Adding to that, she is very focused on God and doesn’t miss his message to not take the ship to Jerusalm that she was scheduled to (Kempe 102). Kempe documents that she was riding a donkey when she caught sight of Jerusalem. Kempe does not fail to give two pilgrims from Germany credit for helping her make sure that she didn’t fall off her donkey when her emotions took over.  During her time in Jerusalem, Kempe took a 24-hour trip to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Kempe 103-104. 102-107). At the end of Chapter 28, Kempe mocks people who judge her harshly for the way she cries because of her sadness for Christ. She refers to her bullies as not  religious and therefore horrible .Her account of whom she is referring to is so specific that it makes me wonder if she was describing someone she knew without naming them. She also implies that it is okay for people to die after being accussed of crimes that they did not commit because of their wongdoings, which I find very disturbing. Kempe seems to only have empathy for Christ. (Kempe 106-107)

I believe that we can infer that Kempe’s medieval culture did not place the emphasis of treating people well that ours does. I believe this really stands out when Kempe doesn’t describe anyone coming to her defense and sticking up for her when her sheet is stollen or when the whole group refuses to get her sheets (Kempe 102, 102-107). It’s actually quite ironic because her companions are supposed to be going on a trip in order to celebrate and practice a religion that demands kindness.Travelling by donkey sounds awesome to me given the adorable donkey I meet at farm camp one summer. Getting to ride a donkey is not something I would consider usual today; however, it would be hard to imagine that Kempe was surprised by her opportunity to ride a donkey (Kempe 103). I am struggling to understand how Kempe’s religious feelings when she got back to England grew stronger over time. It seems like it would have been the other way around as more time since the pilgrimage would make the memories more vague (Kempe 105, 103-105). I believe that Kempe’s purpose for recording this piece of writing is to use it as a way of interacting with her own thoughts and feelings. This is because of the anger and resentment her tone gives off. This would mean that she was not necessarily writing to anybody, but rather for herself. (Kempe 107, 102-107)

Margery Kempe, The Book of Margery Kempe, trans. BA Windeatt. Chapter 28. Penguin Books, 1985, 102-107.

The Book of Margery Kempe: Constance

The next destination Margery Kempe travels to is Constance (most likely the town of Konstanz, Germany) which is en route to her journey to Bologna, where she ends up at the end of this chapter.  Similar to her last destination, Margery’s travel companions are not very friendly to her. She spends time talking to an English Friar, giving him a summary of her life, including her struggles with her unfriendly travel companions. After they all ate dinner, the rest of the party went to the legate and told him that Margery could not continue with them on their journey because they were so annoyed with her constant weeping, eating habits, and constant talking about God. The legate refused to make her eat meat and they leave without her. Margery goes to a church to pray for someone to accompany her on her journey . She meets William Wever and they decide to travel together. Margery prays for the travels and they leave. At the end of the chapter, they end up in Bologna.

Similar to the last destination, a majority of what is written about Margery’s stay in Constance is about her and her travel companions. No one wants to travel with her because she refuses to eat meat, drink wine and she constantly weeps and talks about God’s goodness. She is very concerned about chastity, praying for the Lord to not let her be defiled. This is interesting because she left her husband to begin her journey. They also don’t seem to be staying very long wherever they go. Like I said before, most of what is talked about at each location is how difficult Margery is as a travel companion. I find it interesting how Margery is not portrayed as very likeable in her own book. It is almost comical how the she describes herself praying and weeping all the time, as if she is making fun of herself. It makes me wonder about how mystics were viewed among the the general population. Based on my reading of these first two chapters and locations, I would say that people were incredibly skeptical and just thought that Margery, and possibly other mystics, were annoying. Their extreme devotion was bothersome, strange, and annoying to other people to the point where is was unbearable for people to travel with her. I could extend this to wonder about what that says about Christianity at this time. There isn’t a lot of sympathy for Margery except from the friar and the legate. Everyone else that is mentioned finds her to be a nuisance. The fact that this work is autobiographical complicates this a little bit because its so ironic that she doesn’t even defend herself. She is very matter of fact about her position in her travel group and how annoying she is to them, without trying to cultivate much pity for herself. I wonder if she is just used to being laughed at or if she is so matter of fact because she believes that she is so pious and she is actually making fun of them for not being as devout as she is.

Emily Caspersen Blog Post 1

Emily Caspersen February 16, 2022 The Book of Margery Kempe: Compostella, Bologna, and Venice  

Kempe recorded her time travelling through Compostella, Bologna, and Venice as a period in her life that was mostly hellish and lonely (Kempe, 99-102). She was more concerned with the measures the pilgrims in her group took against her, such as stealing a huge percentage of her money, than with the local populations (Kempe, 100, 99-102) However, she described the locales as doing the best they could for her in terms of comfort (Kempe, 101). Kempe does not provide the dates she was in Compostella, Bologna, or Venice, but she does note that she stayed in Venice for thirteen weeks (Kempe 101, 99-102). She was frustrated with the language barrier keeping her from communicating with the local people, which is very understandable (Kempe, 101). Something that seems odd to me in 2022 but likely would not be surprising to travelers in the Medieval era is that her hostesses often gave up their beds for her (Kempe, 101). Another part of this account that sticks out to me is Kempe’s emphasis on how difficult this pilgrimage was for her mental health, yet she agrees to continue travelling with those who made the journey harder for her than it had to be (Kempe, 101, 99-102).  

Kempe’s expression of her annoyance at the woman she brought along as her maid suggests that women of her culture expected each other to have their backs. Kempe states, “And all the time her maidservant left her alone and prepared the company’s food and washed their clothes, and to her mistress, whom she had promised to serve, she would in no way attend.” (Kempe, 102) In this short quote, Kempe makes two references to what she perceived to be abandonment and states her needs were ignored. This shows that the way her maid treated her is something that greatly affected her emotionally despite having described her maid’s service to her already once having been terminated by their group (Kempe 100). Regardless of how the maid views Kempe, the other pilgrims likely influenced her actions (Kempe 100-102). Kempe must realize this as well, showing that she expects the maid to voluntarily suffer any consequences that serving her would bring. (Kempe, 99-102) The punishments inflicted on Kempe demonstrate a large emphasis on her culture’s value in blending in with people you spend your time with; this is shown because she is punished due to what the group views as inappropriate behavior (Kempe 100,101-102) Hopefully, today she would not have been so mistreated, but her companions would not to travel with her if she was making no effort fit in (Kempe 100-102).  I believe that Kempe wrote Chapter 27 for readers who want something raw and honest to help them deal with their own emotions. This is because of her use of the word “creature” (Kempe 99) to describe herself and the detailed account of all the unfortunate things that happened to her, paints her in a very vulnerable light (Kempe 99-102) Kempe also casts the majority of her companions in a bad light, so maybe she is trying to process her own anger by acknowledging what happened to her. (Kempe 99-102)    

Kempe, Margery c.1373-c.1439, and B. A. Windeatt. The Book of Margery Kempe , Chapters 26-27, Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1987, https://lms.dickinson.edu/pluginfile.php/1699754/mod_resource/content/0/MargeryKempeJerusalem.pdf  

The Book of Margery Kempe: Zierikzee

In this section of Margery Kempe’s travel narrative, she travels to Zierikee after leaving her husband in England and receiving a blessing from Master Robert. While in this town, Margery wept for her sins, the sins of others, and in compassion for the Lord’s Passion. She went to church to receive communion every Sunday, overcome by weeping and wailing each time. The people of the town noticed her constant wailing and wondered how God was acting though her. She was commanded to eat meat by her confessor even though she had not eaten meat or drank wine for four years before she left England. She ate meat and drank wine for a while but then refused. Her confessor became angry and chided her to which she replied with proclamations of how great the Lord is. Her companions abandon her and only one returns in the morning to invite her on pilgrimage with him and a few others to Constance. Her new fellow travelers still treated her poorly on their journey. In a church, she wept and prayed and the Lord spoke to her letting her know that no harm would come to her or her companions while she was with them.

There is an overwhelming amount of religion in this section of the Book of Margery Kempe . Clearly, the most important aspect and purpose of her travels are for religious purposes. The author describes Margery’s weeping and praying and how other people treat her because of her actions. She refused to eat meat and drink wine which caused trouble for her in this town. Her companions become annoyed with her because she refuses to eat the food and because she constantly weeps and speaks of the goodness of the Lord. The most we learn about her travel is that Margery is essentially bullied and made fun of constantly by her companions because of her weeping and constant proclamations.

There is not much detail about the actual location in this chapter. We learn a little bit about a few people, but only how annoyed they became with Margery. The author is very focused on Margery’s weeping and praying and how it affects her relationship with other people. This shows a fascination with Margery’s life as a mystic. If I remember correctly from my religion class freshman year, Margery was a mystic and these mystics were known for their weeping and public displays of compassion for the Lord’s passion. This book is autobiographical, so, Margery did not write it herself. The author’s concern for how mysticism affects Margery’s relationship with others potentially shows an “otherness” or a fascination with Margery as a mystic. Clearly, the people she interacts with are not big fans of her. Yet, there is a constant return to Margery’s relationship with God. When Margery struggles, she is said to turn to God and listen to him and he grants her safety. I wouldn’t say that this shows a particularly devout author however, I would say that the author has an interest in religion, as it is basically the only thing talked about in this section of the book. It is also interesting how Margery is referred  to as a “creature,” dehumanizing her. This is interesting because Margery is alienated from everyone else anyways because of her mysticism and the language used to describe her only alienates her more, making her seem less human.

• Benjamin of Tudela
• Felix Fabri
• Ibn Battutah
• John Mandeville
• Margery Kempe
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