Question

Read the following lines from the prologue of the Canterbury tales: " then do folk long to go on pilgrimage, / and palmers go seeking out strange strands, / to distant shrines well known in sundry lands." (Ch. 1, 12-13)

What do the "distant shrines" refer?

Answer 1

The "distant shrines" refer to the tombs or burial places of saints and other religious figures.
An example of the kind of saint they were traveling to see is Sir Thomas Becket. He was a Christian martyr who could heal people, and his 'shrine' was one of the popular destinations for pilgrims.