Modern Iconography

The history of the Pilgrim’s Trail of religious iconography can be traced back through centuries in Western Europe. Shrines containing sacred and precious relics were visited by medaevil pilgrims en route to the grand finale, notably the Cathedral of Santiago di Compostella where in the city’s magnificent cathedral the Tomb of the Apostle James the Great would be venerated. During the journey, filled with hazard, those pilgrims were fortunate to find very basic accommodation and refreshment along the long trail from their homeland, often many hundreds of miles distant, on a pilgrimage of several years’ duration.

Such was the conviction of these ancient people, our forebears. It was a measure of utter faith to set off from their homes, passing through dangerous, unknown lands of foreign languages with little money or valuables, and being almost wholly reliant upon strangers to provide food and lodging to help them on their way.

The 1980’s saw the final few modern pilgrims straggle their way on foot into Santiago di Compostella, which is a deep irony as modern day travel to these places is now so easy and quick.

It starts with the thought. In medieval times there would have been many lengthy discussions about preparing for a pilgrimage leading, perhaps, to the doing of it. Today, the idea arrives and 30 minutes later the thing is booked. Let the plane, train and car do the work and forget the donkey.

But the iconography remains. Curiously, whereas the ancient Pilgrim’s trail was baited with religious iconography, so it remains in Normandy in the form of tourist iconography, often media inspired and driven.

After the dust had settled in Normandy the village of Graignes was feted as the most important site on the Normandy pilgrim trail; so much so that the first plaque to commemorate the D-Day Landings was unveiled within the ruins of 12th Century Graignes village church by Mr David Bruce, the US Ambassador to Paris on 12th June 1949. Travel was difficult in those austere post war years, nevertheless Graignes was firmly on the map. Today, it is hardly visited.

Instead, we see modern pilgrims at Ste Mere Eglise angling to see a plastic effigy of John Steele and parachute seemingly transfixed for eternity on a pinnacle of the church tower. The town buzzes with parachute effigies of John Steele, postcards of John Steele, the Auberge de John Steele and it will only become a matter of time before we see John Steele burgers and John Steele pizzas in the local fast food joints. (Hint for C47 café.)

Yet, John Steele’s story was, in reality and with due respect, merely something that happened on D-Day. One man’s personal account told to the author, Cornelius Ryan on his mission to complete his book, “The Longest Day” in 1959. By itself the story is insignificant, it came from nothing of any particular importance, nor was it pivotal in any successive event. A snapshot of happenstance. But it was immortalised by Darryl Zanuck in a scene of the film “The Longest Day” which so sensationalised the story of the paratrooper, played by Red Buttons, caught on the church that most tourists aspired to Ste Mere Eglise, leaving Graignes in almost complete obscurity today. Such is the power of the media to bend the course of history.

In Ste Mere Eglise the 82nd Airborne flash replaces the pilgrim’s pewter badge, and nothing is free.

How times have changed. Hedonism, the pursuit of personal pleasure in this case driven by media has taken the place of ancient and serious ritual, and in the process has corrupted even the story of the D-Day Landings.