Unterwegssein im späten Mittelalter : als Pilger im Heiligen Land und im Michaelsheiligtum auf dem Monte Gargano

Abstract

In a contribution to the Festschrift for Knut Schulz on his 65th birthday (2002), the article examines long-distance travel and pilgrimages in the later Middle Ages on the basis of heraldic graffiti and written evidence. Its focus is on Jakobus Wyde of Mainz and his traces on Monte Gargano, as well as possible parallels in the Holy Land and at Sinai. Through this case, it shows how graffiti, coats of arms, and regional historical sources can be combined to reconstruct mobility, social affiliation, and self-representation. It also demonstrates that long-distance pilgrimages and the conferment of knighthood should be understood primarily as forms of prestige and status maintenance, whose social effects depended strongly on the local and social context. The study thus highlights both the possibilities and the limits of heraldry and historical transmission for the study of medieval mobility.