What was a “pilgrimage” a key theme of in The Canterbury Tales?

The story behind the answer

Chaucer frames his collection with a group of pilgrims setting out from London to Canterbury to honor Saint Thomas Becket at his famed cathedral shrine. This shared sacred journey provides the narrative backbone: to pass the time on the road, each traveler tells stories, turning the spiritual trek into a lively storytelling contest.

In medieval Europe, pilgrimages were acts of devotion, penance, or hope for healing, often centered on relics believed to convey divine favor. Becket, the martyred archbishop slain in 1170, drew vast crowds seeking intercession. By placing his diverse cast on this devout road, Chaucer mirrors a real social phenomenon—people of many ranks traveling together—while exploring faith, morality, and human foibles against the backdrop of a widely understood religious practice.