In the Middle Ages, a palmer (Latin : palmarius or palmerius) was a Christian pilgrim, normally from Western Europe, who had visited the holy places in Palestine and who, as a token of his visits to the Holy Land, brought back a palm leaf or a palm leaf folded into a cross. Palmers were often highly regarded as well-natured holy men because of their devotion to Christ along the pilgrimage. The word is frequently used as synonymous with "pilgrim". ^[1]

One of the most prominent literary characters to have been a palmer was Wilfred of Ivanhoe, the title character of the book by Sir Walter Scott. ^[2] A palmer also plays a significant role representing Reason in Book II of Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene . ^[3]

The major religious guild, the Palmers' Guild in Ludlow was named after pilgrims.

Notes

References

• Cummings, Michael J. (2010) [2004]. "Ivanhoe". Cummings Study Guide. Archived from the original on 23 April 2011.
• Woodhouse, A. S. P. (1949). "Nature and Grace in the Faerie Queene". ELH. 16 (3). The Johns Hopkins University Press: 194–228. doi:10.2307/2871731. JSTOR   2871731.

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Palmer". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 645.