Pre walk Activities
Getting into Character
Tell your pupils :It is the mid 15th Century…450 years ago….
You are pilgrims and are heading for distant pilgrim sites.
 Decide which character you are, where you come from and
where you’re going on pilgrimage.
Some medieval names – Edward, Malcolm, Robert, William, David,
Walter, Margaret, Marjorie, Isobel, Mary.
Pupils can pick names from their own home town as the place where
they come from or look at a local map around the area of Ceres –
Gollop, Struthers, Craighall, Scotstarvit )
Some medieval occupations – knight, priest, monk, nun, ale wife,
reeve, baron, steward, scribe, barber/ dentist, peasant/serf,
stonemason, tanner, weaver, blacksmith, carter, coachman, miller,
coalminer, woodsman, joiner, carpenter.
They could also be nobility, nobles’ servants and 1 or 2 could be
criminals !!
Some reasons to go on pilgrimage – sickness, injury, penance,
fear of death, punishment for a crime, escaping consequences of a
crime, making sure they get a place in heaven , truly desiring to
honour God and get closer to him, making the journey for a wealthier
person who can’t or won’t do the journey themselves, for adventure ,
to escape a life of drudgery.
Places of Pilgrimage – St Andrew’s shrine ,St Margaret’s shrine in
Dunfermline, Inchcolm island, St Triduana’s well in Restalrigg, St
Cuthbert’s shrine in Durham, Santiago de Compostela in Spain,
Rome, Jerusalem
For example: John of Hie Gait, going on pilgrimage to Dunfermline to escape
a life of drudgery.
 Peggy the pious ale wife from Bow Butts cottage going to pray
for a miracle cure.
Getting ready
What do you need to go on pilgrimage?
 A reason
 Money
 A pilgrim badge
 A letter of commendation ( or permission )
 A staff , scrip, hat
 Travelling companions
How to make a letter of commendation :How to make a pilgrim badge:The pilgrims can practice sharing their pilgrim stories with each other
in character and showing off their pilgrim badges and letters. Their
characters could be developed further by researching life in medieval
times and more props could be made. We would recommend that no
long cloaks be worn, for safety purposes, whilst walking.
Market Place scene
Characters
Pilgrims
Market traders
Locals
The pilgrims will commence their journey on the Waterless Road (
main road to Edinburgh ). Ceres is the last stop for pilgrims heading
to St Andrew’s ( 8 miles away ) and many of you have already been
there but you have seen so many pilgrims from all over Europe pass
through little old Ceres that you want ADVENTURE, just like them !
This may be the only trip out of this part of Fife that you will ever
make.
Before you leave you have to stock up at the market place….
For the next wee while some of you will change character to be
medieval market traders e.g. tinker, hawker, shepherd, baker, scribe,
pilgrim badge sellers, hat & shoe makers, monks selling their brew,
tanners, barber / dentists. …
Position the market traders at their stalls in location {ref?}. Teacher
would be best placed with his/her back to the burn and very clear
boundaries given to ensure that pupils are kept away from the water
and moving cars.
Pilgrims could be positioned over the bridge and walk over in
character, on cue. (point out that medieval pilgrims would have
forded the burn .)in a line carrying the processional cross { see
….}??
Locals often gathered to send off pilgrims , give them money and
bless them
Suggested script.
Market traders busy preparing stalls, pilgrims enter with local priest
carrying the cross. Lots of noise, cheering, singing and bell ringing
from everyone.
Once pilgrims have crossed the bridge
Town Crier :
Hear ye ! Hear ye ! This ____th day of our Lord 14___,
this band of pilgrims are leaving the town of ceres to find favour
with God and the saints.
__________ :
various lines could be added here as the characters express
their thoughts about going off and leaving their families behind
etc
On cue pilgrims will throng to the traders stalls to buy food ( bread ,
fruits, maybe chicken ), hat, , ale to go in their costrel ( liquid holder ),
get a scribe to write a letter to distant family , get teeth pulled , hair
cut, a knife to protect themselves, arrow heads ,leather shoes, scrips
and costrels, trinkets( badge, ampullae ). The pilgrims can also ask
for advice and alms and share their pilgrim stories. A few members
of the criminal element could be picking pockets and getting the
scribe to forge them a letter of commendation.
Lots of noise and activity
Town Crier: (sombre voice ) A knight has been found dying on the
Pilgrim Gait ( Waterless Road ).
The shocking news ripples through the crowd and there is lots of
muttering and whispering – Who is it ?
What could have
happened? ( murder, accident,act of God, plague, wolves, a local,
pilgrim, on the King’s business ???)
What is to be done ? is it still a dangerous situation?
___________ : Let’s go to help ! Remember the Good Samaritan …
our holy intentions are soon tested this day.
The pilgrims say farewell to friends and family – they may never see
each other again – and set off on their journey , hoping to help the
dying knight on the way.
All: Fare well. God speed . Bon aventure. Say a prayer for me . (
each character chose an appropriate phrase)
Murder or what ?
The pilgrims arrive at the place where the knight was found. The
body has been removed but there is evidence…( Props hidden by
someone going ahead ? indicating a brutal end for the knight .... a
red stained cloth, a heraldic flag ripped in shreds, finger, eyeball, hair
, tooth, bone …)
Children can hunt for the evidence and discuss the identity of the
knight. Link to the pictures of the knight’s coffin found in Ceres and
now in the local church.
Could the knight have been heading to St Andrew’s?
Did he live at the castle that can be viewed from this spot?
Was he attacked by robbers and outlaws?
Knights traditionally protected pilgrims from being attacked by
robbers who knew that most pilgrims carried all their worldly goods.
Were they ( the pupil pilgrims ) themselves in danger of being
attacked?
How could they protect themselves?
Processional cross, personal relics, previous visits to shrines – these
could offer divine protection; accompanying knight, travel in a band
or group and carry a staff – could offer practical protection.
The children could wrap up the story of the dead knight by discussion
or drama.
Conclude by deciding to return to Ceres to…. Visit the grave of the
knight, seek out further protection
….
David 2nd – St Monan’s story 1366 / Alex 3rd 1290-ish
Great distances to be travelled on their pilgrimage ( specify
locations and distances in days of walking.
Story how St Andrew’s got its name and became important
Blind activity ( Infirmity / healing / team work !
Alms houses / hospiteums/ statios/ inns / other local services
already touched upon when doing earlier market scene
( Roger say something about the cross – David 1 , Dunfermline,
Leuchars church , Dalmeny ?/ mid 1200s)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Lunch / toilets at Bow Butts / museum / schoo
Walk up the Den head to Lunardi’s memorial stone.
Burn’s Tae a Louse recitation ?
De – brief ( modern day pilgrimage / holidays / reflecting on
meaning of life / Islamic and other religions still do pilgrimages
What have you learned? Best / worst bit
The local priest has agreed to go with them as far as Jedburgh and
has permission to bring the Ceres processional cross
Proud of their saint
Priest / monk bearing the cross /
prayers / singing/ bells / cheering /
candles / looking at crucifix piously (slow ? )
136)?
Post walk activities
Further walks in the area.
Sing( Allelu )
Cheers
Scripture and response ? ( Te Deum/ Psalm
Visit the Museum
Further Research
How did the relics of St Andrew get to St Andrew’s ?
Why did the town become important?
Why was Ceres an important town in medieval times?