Caribbean Pilgrimages: A Typology

Abstract

This study analyzes two Caribbean pilgrimage types: fixed and flexible. Fixed pilgrimages (pilgrimages with specific destinations) are represented by the annual pilgrimage to Saut d'Eau in Haiti. Flexible pilgrimages (pilgrimages without specific destinations) are represented by the journeys sponsored by an indigenous Caribbean religion, the Spiritual Baptists of Trinidad. Both fixed and flexible pilgrimages may be found throughout the Caribbean region, but on each Caribbean island a particular type of pilgrimage dominates. Differences in pilgrimage types reflect attitudes toward the land, mobility of the gods, and national sentiments. Attitudes toward the land, however, was found to be the most important factor. This study concludes that fixed pilgrimages, such as the annual pilgrimage to Saut d'Eau, fit the model of pilgrimage behavior developed by Victor Turner, but that flexible pilgrimages, such as Spiritual Baptist journeys in Trinidad, do not fit Turner's model.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 5 citations exist upstream.

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.