To the waterfalls: Pilgrimage in Haiti

Thousands of pilgrims have made their annual journey to the waterfalls of Haiti. This is a blend of Christian and Voodoo tradition, with a dose of partying thrown into the mix. People bring candles and offerings to the 100-foot high waterfalls. Some pray for luck and cures, others for a good harvest or political stability, and yet others enjoy shots of homemade moonshine. The waters impart good fortune to those who journey there.

This is pilgrimage connected to the seasons and politics of Haiti, as well as a place shared by multiple traditions. The activity at the waterfalls, as varied as it is, relates to both Voodoo and Christian divine female figures:

In the nearby town of Saut d’Eau, pilgrims converged on the local church to pray to the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, closely associated with the Voodoo goddess of Erzulie. Saut d’Eau’s mystique owes to a 19th century legend that an image of the virgin appeared in the waterfalls.

Another source says that on July 16, 1847, the Virgen del Carmen appeared atop a palm tree, and pilgrims gather each July 16 to pray for healing and blessings.

This image of the offerings is very interesting — money, candles, photos, aromatic leaves:

 

LGBT Catholic pilgrims to Rome

Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives in the popemobile for his Inauguration Mass in St Peter’s Square on March 19, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. The mass is being held in front of an expected crowd of up to one million pilgrims and faithful who have filled the square and the surrounding streets to see the former Cardinal of Buenos Aires officially take up his role as pontiff. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The Advocate reports that for the first time, a group of LGBT Catholics on pilgrimage to Rome were given VIP seats near Pope Francis for his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square. The group is about 50 LGBT Catholics from the New Ways ministry in Maryland — about twice as many as have journeyed to Rome in past years.

See the full story at the Advocate’s website.

Stunning photo of Kaaba

Pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba during Haaj in Mecca. Credit: Jennifer Nkem-Eneanya, konnectafrica.net

An amazing shot of the Kaaba from Jennifer Nkem-Eneanya at konnectafrica.net.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11757499

Millions of Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba during Hajj, a major pilgrimage to Mecca that serves as one of the five pillars of Islam.  Hajj is required for all Muslims capable of making the journey during their lifetimes.  The ritual circumambulation is called the Tawaf, and pilgrims walk seven times around the Kaaba, the central structure in the Grand Mosque of Mecca.  There are some nice shots of the Kaaba in the video here, which discusses the design of the door.  The Kaaba is 60 feet square, made of stone, with its walls covered in black cloth — the building is believed to have been constructed by Ibrahim.

Roundup of pilgrimage stories in the news

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  Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

  Conflicts in Iraq and Israel have affected not only access to pilgrimage sites, but also have affected people’s desire to visit sites.  I’ve said previously that pilgrimage is a barometer of political stability and pluralism, as well as an economic force in various communities (for good or for ill).  Now, pilgrimage sites and agencies struggle to convince visitors that the destinations are safe.

• The Hajj pilgrimage this coming October is a large one — with an estimated 3% increase in numbers to almost 2 million Muslim pilgrims to the Saudi city of Mecca, earning Saudi Arabia US$8.5 billion dollars.
• In Madhya Pradesh, India, 10 Hindu pilgrims were killed and dozens injured in a stampede at a temple.  The stampeded occurred when rope barriers sectioning off thousands of pilgrims gave way.  According to the New York Times, some estimates were as high as half a million pilgrims at the site — the NYT sets the death toll in the dozens, some jumping off a crowded bridge.  The accident happened during the Parikrama or circumambulation of a hill on a particular time of the Hindu calendar — the hill is believed to be the abode of Hindu deities.

Pilgrimage in the news

Here’s a roundup of some pilgrimage headlines from around the world.

The Uttarakhand government in India is ordering repair on the Char Dham Yatra route in preparation for the annual pilgrimage for Hindus this May. Uttarakhand was heavily hit by devastating floods last year, hurting local communities, extensively damaging infrastructure, and stranding thousands of pilgrims — here’s some coverage on the floods from last year.  The Uttarakhand government is assuring safety for pilgrims this year. 

Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand. Source: Wikipedia

In related news, the Uttarakhand government is regulating pilgrimage to Kedarnath, at the center of the disastrous floods last year — only 1000 pilgrims per day will be allowed on the Kedarnath yatra.  Pilgrims who want to visit Kedarnath must have government-issued passes and arrive at the abode of Lord Shiva by helicopter or trek.  The Uttarakhand government is trying to both manage the pilgrimage and launch a global campaign to attract pilgrims and tourists for the Char Dham Yatra beginning in May.

Pilgrims gather in front of Sant’Agnese in Agone church at Piazza Navona on April 26, 2014, in Rome during a vigil on the eve of the canonisation of late Pope John Paul II and John XXIII (AFP Photo/Guiseppe Cacace)

Pilgrims and dignitaries are flocking to Rome for the canonization of former Roman Catholic popes John XXIII and John Paul II as saints.  It’s estimated that 800,000 pilgrims will arrive in Rome to mark the occasion.

In search of the Holy Grail

Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland. Dan Brown likes it but don’t let that put you off — word is, you may even spot the Holy Grail here. Image: Wikipedia.

Here’s a slideshow of various sites with claims as the place housing the Holy Grail.  The Holy Grail is, according to Christian legend, is the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper.  I think my favorite is Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland — this 15th century chapel was included in the novel The Da Vinci Code, and visitors doubled immediately following the book’s release. Here’s some background on Rosslyn Chapel and the Grail.

The place is truly cluttered, like a person who’s completely slathered with incongruous tattoos. Eight Nordic dragons form a ring around the base of one ornate pillar, while dozens of sylvan pagan deities known as Green Men peer out from the stone foliage. One arch depicts a richly detailed Danse Macabre, in which figures waltz with their future skeletons. A double-humped camel makes a curious appearance, even though such an animal was rare in Scotland at the time… Rosslyn Chapel is a trove of mismatched puzzle pieces. The odds that you can find one to fit into whatever legend you’re trying to sell are exceedingly high.

Check out one of the chapel’s many Green Man carvings, courtesy of the Timberbush Tour Company — because often, it’s hard to figure out where pilgrimage ends and tourism begins.  Clearly, many of these destinations have deployed the Holy Grail mythology as a point of interest to attract curious visitors.

So, plenty of options for your next Holy Grail pilgrimage, from Petra, Jordan (according to Indiana Jones) to the hills of Andalusia in Spain.  I can’t resist: