Am I a pilgrim?
Appendix 3. Interview synopses
The interview contents and the necessary information about the interviewees are summarized below. The basic interview questions are listed in Appendix 1. The unstructured interview discussions also focused on some special themes that were either personal to the pilgrims to a certain degree, or on information that I needed at the time in order to understand the pilgrimage phenomenon. In addition to conducting and recording the interviews, I talked freely with many pilgrims in the convent area and outside. My notes of these free discussions are included in my field diaries. The abbreviation HYUL stands for Helsingin Yliopisto, Uskontotieteen Laitos [Helsinki University, Study of Religions].
Recorded interviews with pilgrims HYUL/2002: 1 Iríni
Iríni was a 30-year-old philologist from Kavála, Northern Greece. I interviewed her on two occasions and became friends with her. We often spoke about World religions, Orthodoxy, the Greek way of life, and other things that concern Greek Orthodoxy. The two interviews with Iríni focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Male and female monasticism and equality in Orthodoxy - Orthodox fundamentalism and the Old Calendarists
- Traditional and popular forms of Orthodoxy in today’s Greece HYUL/2002: 2 Pétros
Pétros was a 22-year-old student of English philology from Athens. At the time of the interview he was visiting Thessaloniki and the surroundings, and was visiting the convent of the Dormition for the first time. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Reasons for visiting monasteries/convents
- Reasons for helping monasteries/convents financially HYUL/2003: 3 Stávros
Stávros was a 45-year-old municipal officer from Athens who had helped to build and maintain monasteries, convents and churches. He visited the convent of the Dormition every time he was in Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The differences between urban and rural monasteries/convents HYUL/2002: 4 Níkos
Níkos was a 35-year-old pilgrim from Thessaloniki with a PhD in biology. He visited monasteries and convents regularly and considered himself an Orthodox with an “open attitude towards all religions”. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
-Monasticism and its relation to tourism, and how the monasteries and convents have avoided mass tourism.
-The differences between monasteries/convents and the “world”
- Nuns praying for the whole world - Freedom in Orthodoxy
HYUL/2002: 5 Áris
Áris was a 30-year-old computer engineer from Crete, who at the time of the interview was visiting Thessaloniki and the surrounding area. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Monasteries and convents in Crete and in other parts of Greece - The term pilgrimage and its usage
HYUL/2005: 6 Dimítris
Dimítris was a 31-year-old media student from Komotiní in north-eastern Greece. He visited monasteries and convents often. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Orthodoxy as a part of the interviewee’s life - The interviewee’s relationship with nuns HYUL/2002: 7 Evangelía
Evangelía was a 25-year-old counselor at an employment office in Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The feelings that a visit to a convent arouses - Reasons for visiting this particular convent HYUL/2005: 8 Stélla
Stélla was a 41-year-old elementary school teacher from Kilkís in Northern Greece. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The ways in which the convent helps the surrounding society - The theological themes that are discussed in the convent HYUL/2003: 9 Dóra
Dóra was a 45-year-old housewife from Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- How monasteries/convents have changed in recent years.
HYUL/2003: 10 Dímitra
Dímitra was a nurse from Ioánnina in north-western Greece. Her sister was a nun. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The convent’s role in the current social situation - The convent’s message to the globalizing society HYUL/2003: 11 Ánna
Ànna was a teacher from Kavála in Northern Greece. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Subjects of discussion in the convent
- Other pilgrims and her relationship with them
HYUL/2003: 12 Roúla
Roúla was a 54-year-old housewife from Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Trips to monasteries/convents
- The role of monasteries/convents in the past HYUL/2005: 13 Glikería
Glikería was a 43-year-old psychologist from Vólos in the center of the Greek mainland.
The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The nuns’ roles in giving advice to pilgrims - The need to come back to the convent HYUL/2005: 14 Sofía
Sofía was a 55-year-old civil servant from Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- How the convent serves the whole of society HYUL/2003: 15 Eléni
Eléni was a 57-year-old nurse and a widow from Thessaloniki. She had a close relationship with two convents in Northern Greece. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Greek monasticism and its connection to values that are appreciated in Greek society.
- The role of monasteries/convents now and in the past.
HYUL/2003: 16 Angelikí
Angelikí was a 24-year-old student of theology originally from Náfplio, Peloponnese.
She visited monasteries and convents often. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Pilgrimage and communication
- The nuns’ attitude towards general and ecclesiastical political matters HYUL/2003: 17 Ifigénia
Ifigénia was a 37-year-old secretary from Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The differences between visiting a convent and visiting a church.
HYUL/2002: 18 Anthí
Anthí was a social worker from Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The social work conducted in the convent HYUL/2003: 19 María
María was a 25-year-old student of theology from Dráma in northern Greece. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The nuns’ personality and their ability to help pilgrims
- Orthodoxy in practice HYUL/2003: 20 Aspasía
Aspasía was a 50-year-old housewife, originally from Cyprus. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
-Reasons for visiting the convent daily
- The ways in which monasteries/convents have opened up to society HYUL/2005: 21 Thomái
Thomái was a 28-year-old housewife from Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The distinction between pilgrimage in monasteries and everyday life HYUL/2002: 22 Alíki
Alíki was a 38-year-old dentist from Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The material and immaterial help the convent gives to pilgrims and society in general HYUL/2002: 23 Lína
Lína was a 50-year-old linguist from Igoumenítsa in northwestern Greece. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Why Lína does not visit monasteries or convents or go to church very often.
- Reasons for not visiting a convent HYUL/2003: 24 Anastasía
Anastasía was 42-year-old a bakery worker from Thessaloniki. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Behavior in the convent.
- If values and religiosity change during the course of life.
- The religious and other circles to which Anastasía belonged.
HYUL/2003: 25 Ioánna
Ioánna was a 55-year-old teacher from the Dodecanese Island of Kos. The interview focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- Gender differences in religiosity and in the Greek mentality The recorded interviews with nuns:
HYUL/2003: 26 Sister Pelagía
I interviewed sister Pelagía in the fall of 2003. The interview concentrated on the same themes as the questions and discussions with the pilgrims, only from the convent’s perspective. It focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The reasons why pilgrims visit the convent - The ways in which the convent helps pilgrims - The nuns’ prayers
- The pilgrims’ attitude towards monasticism
HYUL/2005: 27 Sister Theodóra
I first got to know Sister Theodóra in 1998 when I was collecting research data for my Master’s thesis. She was my key informant during the whole research process. She introduced me to the reality of the convent and gave me information about itstypicon and daily routines. She also introduced some pilgrims to me, with whom I conducted interviews later on. I discussed various issues with her concerning Orthodoxy in general, Orthodox dogma, the differences between Orthodoxy and Lutheranism, my not being an Orthodox, and my personal concerns. The recorded interviews concentrated on the same themes as the questions and discussions with the pilgrims, only from the convent’s perspective. They focused on the following themes in addition to the basic questions:
- The convent’s history, its current situation and special characteristics in comparison to other monasteries and convents in the area.
- The reasons why pilgrims visit the convent - The ways in which the convent helps pilgrims