History Main / Pilgrimage

** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'': The ''Knights of the Nine'' add-on has a subquest where you have to visit each of the Nine Divines' shrines scattered around the province in order to advance the main quest.

* ''AudioPlay/StrikersSoundStageX'' features a small scene of [[NunsAreFunny Sein]] assisting [[SternTeacher Sister Schach]] in a mass pilgrimage, though where they're going is a bit of a mystery given that any presumed holy sites in their religion would be on Belka (a planet that was lost in a dimensional dislocation decades if not centuries earlier).

* In the graphic novel ''ComicBook/MidnightNation'' a man has to walk from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles to UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity in order to get his soul back.
* Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's first ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' arc, "Grounded," has an example of a secular pilgrimage: Superman walking across America in order to re-connect with humanity after his sojourn on New Krypton.

* In ''Film/MalcolmX'', Malcolm's pilgrimage to Mecca is a big part of his decision to leave the Nation of Islam.

* The FramingDevice of ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales'' is that a group of travelers are on a pilgrimage from London to the tomb of St. UsefulNotes/ThomasBecket at Canterbury Cathedral. To help pass the time during the journey, the pilgrims decide to hold a storytelling contest.

* ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' covers Xuanzang Sanzang's journey to India to learn Buddhism and carry all that he learned back to China. It's also an adventure story as he befriends some characters along the way and gets in conflict with some others (usually as a victim).
* Played with in ''Literature/DiePilgerin'': some members of the group, such as Tilla or Anna and Renata, really go to Santiago de Compostela with a spiritual goal in their mind (Tilla to fulfill her father's oath, Anna and Renata to atone for their husbands' sins, etc.). However, some (such as Manfred and Peter) are OnlyInItForTheMoney, having been paid to go on the pilgrimage by people who vowed to go themselves but got afraid of the dangers on the road. And some, like Sebastian, only go to protect someone else (Tilla in Sebastian's case). Eventually played completely straight, since practically everyone undergoes a religious resurgence or awakening on the way.
* In E. Lily Yu's short story "The Pilgrim and the Angel" (collected in ''Jewel Box'' and read by Creator/LeVarBurton [[https://open.spotify.com/episode/5uYfOjlGN4qAhv4YBR1QR1?si=af2oYOOgSnCNRirnj5626g here]]) the archangel Gabriel visits a coffee shop owner in Cairo and forces him to go on the Hajj he's been putting off because he's been too busy.
* ''Literature/ThePilgrimsProgress'' is about a journey from Earth to Heaven, as a metaphor for conversion to Christianity.

* Parodied in the ''Magazine/RedDwarf Magazine'' comic strip "The Cantabelis Tales", in which the Dwarfers find a spaceship whose passengers had all killed each other, and the ApocalypticLog (compiled in rhyming couplets by a pilgrim who just happens to be named Geoffrey Chaucer) reveals that they were on pilgrimage... but it turned out they were all of different religions and thought they were going to a different tomb. The final shot reveals that the ship's computer was taking them to the tomb of [[RobotReligion the God of Computers]]: Sir Clive Sinclair.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Blasphemous}}'', the player [[RecurringTraveller comes across a wandering pilgrim named Redento at several points]]. He says that he wanders in penance, but also notes that it's "the gentlest of penances" (the country the game is set in, Cvistodia, has a [[MartyrdomCulture culture based around mortification of the flesh as a way to earn forgiveness]]). He belongs to the Order of Genuflectors and is bent double with the help of a shard of millstone chained around his neck and has his arms tied behind his back, so you have to help him at several points. At the end of it, [[spoiler:he commits suicide in either grief or gratitude that it's over.]]
* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings''

* ''Videogame/GenshinImpact'': After [[CataclysmBackstory the "cataclysm" 500 years ago]], the Oceanids of Fontaine decide to pilgrimage to Sumeru's Girdle of the Sands region to find out what happened to their master, Egeria the 1st Hydro Archon. Apparently, after her death in battle against Abyssal creatures, she turned into a pool of water named "Amrita", and a sacred lotus "Gaokerena" grows on it and is said to house her dormant consciousness. After finding this out, the Oceanids decided to not return to Fontaine and wander the world.
* In the quest for the fourth fruit in ''VideoGame/{{Gorogoa}}'', the scenes from the protagonist's life that cam be visited by zooming in on the religious artifacts on the table appear to be memories of a pilgrimage:

* ''VideoGame/Journey2012'' has robed figures traveling toward a mountain in the distance which is implied to be some sort of holy site. Along the way, they stop at shrines where they are given further knowledge by the spirits of their ancient ancestors.

* A level in ''VideoGame/WhereInTimeIsCarmenSandiego1997'' saw Ann Tickwitee investigating the theft of some salt (necessary for preserving food) from Mansa Musa's caravan as they prepared to set out on their historic ''Hajj'' in 1324.

* In the ''Website/SCPFoundation'', [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-036 SCP-036]] is about Yazidi pilgrims who use planes to travel to a site where they can be reborn.

* In the 3rd series finale of ''Series/DoctorWho'', Martha Jones has walked the earth for one year in order to tell everyone left on earth the story of [[spoiler:the Doctor, so that at the right moment they can all think of the Doctor and save the world.]]

* ''Series/StarTrek'':
** Between the original series and the first movie Spock resigned from Starfleet and went to a monastery on Vulcan to eliminate his emotions. Everyone wears robes and meditates.
** In the Next Generation episode "Rightful Heir" Worf has a crisis of faith, so he travels to the Klingon monastery on Boreth. He returns to it after the Enterprise-D is destroyed in ''Generations'' because he doesn't think he has a place in Starfleet anymore. Klingons also believe in meditation, albeit with the addition of hallucinogenic drugs.
** When Major Kira is relieved of duty in the Deep Space Nine episode "The Circle" she's not sure where to go, so she accepts an invitation from Vedek Bariel to spend some time in solitude.
** After Dax is murdered in the Deep Space Nine episode "Tears of the Prophets" her best friend Captain Sisko is sent into emotional turmoil. His pilgrimage isn't to a center of religion but to his father's restaurant on Earth. He spends his days in solitude peeling potatoes and cleaning fish, looking for new meaning in his life.

** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'': Pilgrimages to various shrines form the core of most of the [[CorruptChurch Tribunal Temple]]'s storyline quests. The very first quest they give requires visiting seven shrines throughout the land where Vivec, one of the PhysicalGod worshipped by the church, performced "miracles" in ages past. Later quests require visiting even more sacred locations in far more dangerous places.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrolls'':
** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'': Pilgrimages to various shrines form the core of most of the Tribunal Temple's storyline quests.

* In ''Film/MalcolmX'' Malcolm's pilgrimage to Mecca is a big part of his decision to leave the Nation of Islam.

* ''Literature/WorldOfTheFiveGods'': Discussed in ''Paladin Of Souls''. Ista sets out on a pilgrimage as a way to escape the constraints of her home (gratitude), with her companions assuming it was for supplication (for a grandson). However, the real (and partly denied) goal for Ista was for forgiveness (atonement) for an old failure, but once she managed to forgive herself she found her true role (divination) and it turned into a pilgrimage of service.

** After Dax is murdered in the Deep Space Nine episode "Tears of the Prophets" her best friend Captain Sisko is sent into emotional turmoil. His pilgrimage isn't to a center of religion, but to his father's restaurant on Earth. He spends his days in solitude peeling potatoes and cleaning fish, looking for new meaning in his life.

* Parodied in the ''Magazine/RedDwarf Magazine'' comic strip "The Cantabelis Tales", in which the Dwarfers find a spaceship whose passengers had all killed each other, and the ApocalypticLog (compiled in rhyming couplets by a pilgrim who just happens to be named Geoffrey Chaucer) reveals that they were on piligrimage ... but it turned out they were all of different religions and thought they were going to a different tomb. The final shot reveals that the ship's computer was taking them to the tomb of [[RobotReligion the God of Computers]]: Sir Clive Sinclair.

* ''Literature/TheFourGospels'': As related in the Gospel of Luke, upon seeing the star marking the birth of Jesus, the Wise Men or kings from the east set out to search for Him and offer up gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

** Adventure 10 ''Safari Ship''. In order to improve their ability to reproduce, the alien Shriekers must make a 2,000 kilometer pilgrimage to the mist-shrouded Valley of Memories before mating.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The Earth (known as Holy Terra) has become ''the'' major pilgrimage site, as it houses the barely-alive body of the GodEmperor of Mankind. The waiting lines in the Imperial Palace, which takes up most of Eurasia, are measured in generations. The Adeptus Mechanicus have their own pilgrimage on Mars. There are other, lesser sites across the galaxy, usually the birthplace of a saint or a place where a miracle occurred.

** The ladle: the protagonist is climbing mountain, and anoints himself with holy water when he passes a shrine.

* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'': Invoked and gently Parodied. When Greg and Wirt stop at a tavern, the tavern patrons try to convince Wirt he is a pilgrim on a personal journey of self discovery, despite knowing essentially nothing about him. This comes from a strange desire to box the kids into a specific labeled identity (which is how the patrons insist on referring to each other).

* In UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}}, trips to the Western Wall are widely popular, as this is the last remainder of the Solomon's Temple. Morever, shrines of major rabbis still welcome pilgrims.

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* In E. Lily Yu's short story "The Pilgrim and the Angel" (collected in ''Jewel Box'' and read by Creator/LeVarBurton [[https://open.spotify.com/episode/5uYfOjlGN4qAhv4YBR1QR1?si=af2oYOOgSnCNRirnj5626g here]]) the archangel Gabriel visits a coffeshop owner in Cairo and forces him to go on the Hajj he's been putting off because he's been too busy.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The Earth (known as Holy Terra) has become ''the'' major pilgrimage site, as it houses the barely-alive body of the GodEmperor of Mankind. The waiting lines in the Imperial Palace, which takes up most of Eurasia, are measured in generations. The Adeptus Mechanicus have their own pilgrimage on Mars. There are other, lesser sites across the galaxy, usually the birthplace of a saint or a place where a miracle occured.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Blasphemous}}'', the player [[RecurringTraveller comes accross a wandering pilgrim named Redento at several points]]. He says that he wanders in pennance, but also notes that it's "the gentlest of pennances" (the country the game is set in, Cvistodia, has a [[MartyrdomCulture culture based around mortification of the flesh as a way to earn forgiveness]]). He belongs to the Order of Genuflectors and is bent double with the help of a shard of millstone chained around his neck and has his arms tied behind his back, so you have to help him at several points. At the end of it, [[spoiler:he commits suicide in either grief or gratitude that it's over.]]

A pilgrimage is a journey made for a religious, spiritual, or moral purpose. The goal can vary, but usually relates to spiritual or moral growth, expressing or strengthening ones beliefs, or similar. However, a pilgrimage usually doesn't serve any evangelical purpose, or if it does it is only secondary and meant to strengthen the goal of spiritual growth.

* Gratitude: To thank for a favour

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* In ''VideoGame/{{Blasphemous}}'', the player [[RecurringTraveller comes accross a wandering pilgrim named Redento at several points]]. He says that he wanders in pennance, but also notes that it's "the gentlest of pennances" (the country the game is set in, Cvistodia, has a [[MartyrdomCulture culture based around mortification of the flesh as a way to earn forgiveness]]). He belongs to the Order of Genuflectors and is bent double with the help of a shard of millstone chained around his neck and has his arms tied behind his back, so you have to help him at several points. At the end of it, [[spoiler: he commits suicide in either greif or gratitude that it's over.]]

-->--Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold, ''[[Literature/WorldOfTheFiveGods Paladin of Souls]]''

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** Many Sigmarites follow the route [[FounderOfTheKingdom Sigmar]] traveled from the capital city to the edge of the empire at [[DeityOfHumanOrigin the end of his mortal life]].

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* In UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}}, trips to the Western Wall are widely popular, as this is the last remainder of the Solomon's Temple. Morever, shrines of major rabbis still welcome pilgrims.