During the medieval period, Christians believed that the relics of saints (bones or other items associated with the saints) were a symbol of the eternal life offered to all believers. The relics were thought to hold powers like the ability to heal and to ward off bad luck. As life during medieval times was often harsh and medical knowledge was limited, many people made pilgrimages. A pilgrimage was also thought to reduce time in Purgatory, a temporary place where the souls of the dead had to wait before being welcomed into Heaven. This delay was the price to be paid for sins committed on earth.

Encouraged by the actions of kings and nobles the practice of pilgrimage contributed to the prosperity of both Church and state. In Wales thousands flocked to St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, the shrine of the 6th-century bishop. So great was the prestige of St David’s that in during this period only two pilgrimages to the site were considered the equal of one pilgrimage to Rome.