Pilgrims of Promise (62 page)

29. Many people define themselves based on what others say or think about them, but Pieter wisely tells the company that “what they
say
we are and who we
really
are is oft not the same at all.” How might this be true in your own life? Whose is the one opinion we ought to believe? What does God say about us in His Word?

30. When Otto returns to his home, he is berated and beaten by his father. Is it possible to justify or explain his father’s behavior? Why does he become the scapegoat for the entire town? What does this situation reveal about human nature?

Chapter 18

31. Wil and Heinrich return to Weyer only to walk right into the cunning snare Pious has laid for them. What hope is there when men in powerful positions deliberately seek to destroy those in their care? Does the truth always win, or are there times when evil prevails?

32. What does Pieter mean when he says, “It is good to be free of my mind sometimes. We are not called to know all things, but to trust in the One who does”? How might our lives be different if we truly allowed God to bear our burdens—rather than trying to control everything ourselves? Are we even capable of that task?

Chapter 19

33. Heinrich and Wil are captured and thrown in prison. Is it ironic that they encounter a Jew, Beniamino, who offers to help them? How often does God answer our prayers in the manner we expect? How might we miss His help and deliverance if we allow ourselves to become blinded by our own prejudices and expectations?

Chapter 20

34. How has Arnold changed, and what has caused him to reevaluate the condition of his life? Does he fully understand why his family’s fortune has been so decimated? What fruit has the “code” of his forefathers borne? What motive might God have to allow a man to lose everything?

35. Arnold, Katharina, Herwin, and others join with the pilgrims in their desperate plan to rescue Wil and Heinrich. Is their involvement merely coincidence, or is some unseen hand directing their steps? How do the unresolved issues of many years begin to come to a head? What does this reveal about God’s timing?

Chapter 21

36. Pieter—so often beset by his own weakness of character—struggles with the choice before him. He is unsure whether seeking justice for Heinrich and Wil is a worthy reason to manipulate Anka and to involve others in the deception. What is Frieda’s counsel? Why is wisdom so critical in such situations? Is the “higher virtue” always plainly obvious?

37. Arnold once more calls upon his faithful trade of blackmailing. How is the monk trapped by his own actions? How would bringing everything out in the open—particularly when sin is involved—negate the power of those secrets? How does the monk react when Arnold tells him he reminds him of himself? Is Arnold right?

Chapter 22

38. Pieter, Tomas, and Otto terrify
Frau
Anka, using spiritual blackmail to convince her to stay away from the trial. Has Pieter chosen rightly? How is their behavior similar to that of Pious? Would God approve of their motives if not their methods? Are good intentions ever enough to justify our choices?

39. Pious arrives at the trial fully expecting his plans to be fulfilled. Of all abominations that God hates, is Pious innocent of any? Is Pious truly evil or merely pathetic? Is he more worthy of Heinrich’s hatred or his pity? Why?

Chapter 23

40. Pious’s plan is completely undone, and he abruptly finds himself facing his own trial by ordeal. How are his years of excess and greed—and true character—exposed? How does this scene symbolize the eternal judgment we all must face? Despite the archaic methods, is justice well served?

41. After being awarded their freedom, Wil and Heinrich, along with the others, learn they must flee for their lives. How does Heinrich react to the realization that Weyer will never again be his home? Is it surprising that the band of pilgrims decides to journey to Stedingerland in hope of settling there as freemen? How does this development lend new purpose and meaning to Heinrich’s long journey and suffering?

Chapter 24

42. When the pilgrims arrive at Godfrey’s home, they are welcomed with warm hospitality. Once in the dining hall, the many guests debate the virtues of faith versus reason, most siding with the “new way of thinking.” How is this mind-set similar to the philosophy of the world today? What danger lies in relying too heavily on the intellect?

43. One man declares that the Roman Church is a place of bondage. Is this true? Pieter responds that faith is the way to freedom—not the Church. Why do so many people have trouble distinguishing between real faith and the form of religion? Do you know someone who puts his trust in the identity of the church rather than a relationship with Jesus?

Chapter 25

44. When the pilgrims reach the town of Münden, they decide to take new names for themselves. What does this act symbolize from a spiritual standpoint? What does the meaning of a name convey about a person and his or her identity?

Chapter 26

45. Stumbling upon the village of Renwick, the company discovers a strange assortment of men, women, and children who have been rejected by society. What does Friar Oswald mean when he says that they are like the rest of the world, only inside out? Might this explain why their deformities and imperfections make others uncomfortable?

46. Friar Oswald presents a bevy of beehives as an analogy for the church—as it was intended to function. What similarities exist between the productive hives and a healthy, thriving body of believers? In what ways do many churches fall short of these standards?

Chapter 27

47. Benedetto decides to remain behind in the village of Renwick. Why does he feel so comfortable there? What special purpose does he serve for the people? What is Benedetto’s own handicap? Might this weakness explain why he finally feels that he has found the place where he belongs?

Chapter 28

48. When the pilgrims reach the city of Bremen, Pieter bequeaths his staff to Wil. What is significant about this moment? After so much suffering and change, is Wil ably prepared to shepherd the tiny flock? What is important about leading by becoming a servant? How did Jesus demonstrate this principle during His time on earth?

49. Helmut’s father, Horst, blesses and cares for the weary pilgrims and provides them with passports of free status before they depart for Stedingerland. How is God’s great mercy evident as new families are created out of broken, disowned, and rejected people? Is this an example of how He can turn all things for good for those who love Him?

50. Like Moses leading the Israelites, Pieter dies before he enters the promised land. Has Pieter’s life evidenced the work of the Holy Spirit? What special blessing does the Lord give him before he passes on? Is he now free to go because Heinrich has finally embraced freedom?

GLOSSARY

The Medieval Clock

Medieval time was divided into twelve hours of available daylight. Therefore, a summer’s hour would have been longer than a winter’s. The corresponding times below, typically called the seven canonical hours, are approximate to the modern method.

     Matins: midnight

     Prime: daybreak (6
A.M
.)

     Terce: third hour of light (9
A.M
.)

     Sext: sixth hour of light (noon)

     Nones: ninth hour of light (3
P.M
.)

     Vespers: twelfth hour of light (6
P.M
.)

     Compline: twilight darkness

The Medieval Calendar

     
The Seasons

     Winter: Michaelmas to the Epiphany. A time of sowing wheat and rye.

     Spring: the Epiphany to Easter. A time of sowing spring crops (oats, peas, beans, barley, vegetables).

     Summer: Easter to Lammas. A time of tending crops.

     Autumn: Lammas to Michaelmas. A time of harvest.

     Note: The medieval fiscal year began and ended on Michaelmas.

Holy Days and Feast Days

• Feast of Circumcision / Feast of Fools, January 1: celebration of circumcision of Jesus / a secular feast marked by uproarious behavior honoring those normally of low standing.
  
• The Epiphany /The Feast of Three Kings, January 6: celebration of the three wise men’s visit of Jesus.
  
• The Baptism of our Lord: the Sunday after the Epiphany.
  
• Lent: begins 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays. A time to deny oneself in order to meditate upon the sufferings of Christ.
  
• Palm Sunday.
  
• Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday.
  
• Easter Sunday.
  
• May Day, May 1: not a holy day, but celebrated throughout much of Christendom as a time of renewal.
  
• Ascension Day: 40 days after Easter, usually early to mid-May. Celebrates the ascension of Christ into heaven.
  
• Pentecost: 50 days after Easter, usually late May or early June. Celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit.
  
• Midsummer’s Day: not a holy day, but rather a celebration of the summer solstice, June 21.
  
• Lammas, August 1: beginning of harvest.
  
• Assumption of the Virgin, August 15: celebrates Mary’s assumption into heaven.
  
• St. Michael’s Day (Michaelmas), September 25: celebrates the archangel.
  
• All Hallows’ Eve, October 31: a vigil that anticipates All Saints’ Day.
  
• All Saint’s Day (Hallowmas), November 1: the honoring of all saints, known and unknown.
  
• All Souls’ Day, November 2: commemoration of all the faithful now departed.
  
• Martinmas, November 12: celebrates St. Martin of Tours, who spared a freezing beggar by sharing his cloak.
  
• Season of Advent: begins 4th Sunday before Christmas and lasts through December 24. It is the anticipation of the birth of Christ.
  
• The Twelve Days of Christmas: Christmas Day to the Epiphany.
  
• Christmas Day: December 25.
  
• St. Stephen’s Day, December 26: to honor the martyr.
  
• St. John the Evangelist’s Day, December 27: to honor the disciple.
  

Miscellaneous Terms

abbess: the female superior of a nunnery.

abbey: an autonomous monastery ruled by an abbot.

abbot: the title given to the superior of an autonomous monks’ community.

alles klar: German for “all is well.”

almoner: an official appointed to distribute alms to the poor.

arpent: a unit of land roughly equivalent to an acre.

assart: the clearing of woodland.

avanti: Italian for “keep moving.”

Ave Maria: Latin referring to a prayer to Mary.

bailey: the inner courtyard of castle.

bailiff: the chief officer of a manor, typically supervising general administration and law enforcement.

balk: an unploughed strip of land serving as a boundary.

bambini: Italian for “children.”

benefice: a grant of land or other wealth.

bienvenues: French for “welcome.”

bitte: German for “please” and “you’re welcome.”

bloody flux: dysentery.

bon: French for “good.”

bowshot: a unit of measurement equivalent to approximately 150 yards.

Bube: German for “little boy.”

castellan: the governor of a castle.

cellarer: a monk charged with providing food stocks for the kitchener.

cerebritis: inflammation of the brain.

chain mail: body armor made of small, interlocking steel rings.

chalice: the cup holding the wine of the Eucharist.

chapter: the daily convening of a religious order for purposes of discipline and administration.

chapter house: the building attached to a monastery facilitating the chapter.

chin cough: whooping cough.

cives: Latin referring to the aristocracy.

cloister: a place of religious seclusion; also a protected courtyard within a monastery.

commotion: concussion.

confiteor: the formal expression of repentance.

congestive chill: accumulation of blood in the vessels.

corruption: infection.

cottager: a bound person of the poorest station.

creels: the gaps in the parapets atop a castle’s ramparts.

croft: a small yard adjacent to a peasant’s cottage, normally used to grow vegetables.

demesne: the land of a manor managed exclusively for the lord.

dowry: originally a gift of property granted by a man to his bride as security for her old age or widowhood.

ell: a unit of measurement equivalent to 4 feet.

flail: a hinged stick used for threshing wheat; also a weapon consisting of a long rod with a swinging appendage on a hinge.

forester: a manorial officer managing the lord’s woodland, usually under the supervision of the woodward.

frater: Latin for “brother.”

Frau: German for “wife,” “Mrs.,” or “woman.”

furlong: a unit of measurement equivalent to 220 yards.

glaive: a weapon with a blade attached to a shaft.

glebe: a parcel of land owned by the Church for the benefit of a parish.

Gloria Dei: Latin for “praise God.”

gratia: Latin for “grace.”

grippe: influenza.

halberd: a lance-like weapon.

hauberk: a heavy, sometimes quilted protective garment usually made of leather.

Hausfrau: German for “housewife.”

hayward: an official charged with supervising the management of the fields.

hectare: a unit of land measurement roughly equivalent to 2 1/2 acres.

herbarium: the building in a monastery where herbs were stored.

heriot: death tax.

Herr: German for “husband,” “Mr.,” or “man.”

hide: a unit of land equaling about 120 acres.

hogshead: a unit of volume equivalent to 2 barrels.

holding: typically, heritable land granted to a vassal.

Holy See: the seat of papal authority.

Ich bin: German for “I am.”

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti: Latin for “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

ja: German for “yes.”

Junge: German for “boy.”

Kind/Kinder: German for “child/children.”

king’s evil: swelling of neck glands.

kitchener: the monastery’s food overseer.

lago: Italian for “lake.”

league: a unit of measurement equivalent to 3 miles,

list: the area of castle grounds located beyond the walls.

Mädel/Mädchen: German for “maiden/young girl.”

manor: the land of a lord consisting of his demesne and tenant’s holdings.

manumission: the fee required to buy freedom from the lord; also the act by which freedom is granted.

mark: a unit of weight or money equaling roughly 8 ounces of silver.

matrona: Italian for “mother” or “woman.”

mead: a fermented beverage made from honey and water.

mein Gott/mein Gott in Himmel: German for “my God/my God in heaven.”

merchet: a tax paid for the privilege of marriage.

merlon: the solid segments in the gapped parapets atop a castle’s ramparts

milites: Latin referring to the military class.

milk leg: inflammation of the leg.

monastery: a religious house organized under the authority of the Holy See.

morbus: disease.

mormal: gangrene.

mortal sin: according to the Roman Church, a sin so heinous as to rupture the state of grace between a Christian and God.

Mus: German for “mush,” a dish of boiled grains.

Mutti: German for “mommy” or “mama.”

novice: a new member of a religious community undergoing an apprenticeship of sorts and not yet fully committed by vows.

nunnery: a religious house for nuns; a convent.

oath-helper: a person who pledges his or her word in support of an accused.

oblate: a child given to a monastery for upbringing.

ordeal: a method of trial by which the accused was given a physical test to determine guilt.

Ordnung: German for “order.”

paten: the dish on which the bread of the Eucharist is placed.

pater: Latin for “father.”

Pater Noster: Latin referring to the Lord’s Prayer.

Pfennig: German for “penny.”

plenary indulgence: according to the Roman Church, the remitting of temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven by God.

portcullis: the iron grate dropped along vertical grooves to defend a gate,

postulant: a candidate for membership in a religious order.

pottage: a brothy soup, usually of vegetables and grains.

poultice: an herb-soaked compress.

pound: an accounting measurement of money equaling 20 shillings, or 240 pennies; a pound of silver.

prior: the official ranked just below an abbot; sometimes the superior of a community under the jurisdiction of a distant abbey.

putrid fever: diphtheria.

pyx: the box in which the Eucharist is kept.

quinsey: tonsillitis.

reeve: a village chief, usually elected by village elders.

refectory: the dining hall of a monastery.

rod: a measurement equivalent to 6 feet.

routier: mercenary.

scapular: a long smock worn over the front and back of a monk’s habit.

scriptorium: the building in a monastery where books were maintained and copied.

scrofulous: skin disease.

scutage: a tax paid by a freeman in lieu of military service obligations to his lord.

see: the seat of ecclesiastical authority, i.e., bishop.

serf: a bound person of little means.

shilling: an accounting measurement of money valued at 12 pennies.

signora: Italian for “lady” or “Mrs.”

signore: Italian for “gentleman” or “Mr.”

Spiritus Sanctus: Latin for “Holy Spirit.”

St. Anthony’s Fire: skin infection.

St. Vitus’ Dance: nervous twitches.

steward: a chief overseer of a manor, typically including legal and financial matters.

Stube: German for “parlor.”

tithing: a unit of 10 persons.

tonsure: the shaving of the crown of the head to signify Christ’s crown of thorns; received as part of religious vows.

trebuchet: a catapult.

trencher: a flat board used as a plate.

tunic: a garment worn as an overshirt, typically hooded, sleeved, and belted outside the leggings.

vassal: a freeman who held land from a lord in exchange for his oath of fealty, usually obligated to perform military service.

Vati/Vater: German for “daddy/father.” vattene: Italian for “hurry along” or “leave.”

vellein: a bound person of some means owing labor to his lord and subject to certain taxes.

veniali sin: according to the Roman Church, a sin that interferes with a Christian’s fellowship with God, though not serious enough to violate the state of grace.

vielen dank: German for “many thanks.”

virgate: 1/4 of a hide; considered the minimum amount of land necessary to support one peasant family for one year.

Volk: German for “people.”

wattle-and-daub: construction material consisting of woven sticks and clay.

whitlow: boils.

winter fever: pneumonia.

woodward: a manorial overseer of the lord’s woodland.

wunderbar: German for “wonderful.”

yeoman: a free farmer of modest means.