Rocamadour
A shrine of the Virgin Mary in the Quercy region of southern France, one of the most famous places of pilgrimage of the later Middle Ages. Cartier vowed to go there if he came home safely.
Today: Rocamadour, Lot, France
Winter at Stadacona and the Cedar Cure
Jacques Cartier’s second voyage, Brief récit (Paris, 1545), on the winter of 1535–1536 at Stadacona · events of December 1535 to April 1536; printed 1545
Notre Capitaine voyant la pitié et maladie ainsi esmeue, fit mettre le monde en prières et oraisons, et fit porter une Image et remembrance de la Vierge Marie contre un arbre, distant de notre Fort d'un traict d'arc, le travers les neiges et glaces, et ordonna que le Dimanche ensuivant l'on diroit au dit lieu la Messe, et que tous ceux qui pourroient cheminer tant sains que malades, iroient à la procession, chantans les sept Psaulmes de David, avec la Litanie, en priant la dite Vierge qu'il luy plust prier son Cher Enfant qu'il eust pitié de nous : et la Messe dite et chantée devant la dite Image, se fit le Capitaine Pélerin à Nostre Dame, qui se fait de prier à Rocquemadou ; promettant y aller, si Dieu luy donnoit grace de retourner en France. Celuy jour trépassa Philippe Rougemont, natif d'Amboise, de l'âge d'environ vingt ans.
Our captain saw our misery and how the sickness had spread, and he set everyone to praying. He had an image of the Virgin Mary taken over the snow and ice and set against a tree, a bowshot from our fort. He ordered that Mass be said there on the following Sunday. All who could walk, sick or well, were to go in the procession and sing the seven Psalms of David with the Litany. They were to pray the Virgin to ask her dear Child to have pity on us. After the Mass was said and sung before the image, our captain made a vow. If God gave him the grace to return to France, he would go as a pilgrim to Our Lady, who is prayed to at Rocquemadou. That day Philippe Rougemont died, a native of Amboise, about twenty years old.