pardoner
One who excuses
A pardoner was a medieval church official who sold indulgences—documents granting remission of sins or release from purgatory in exchange for payment.
The practice became notorious for corruption, with pardoners often exploiting the faithful through fraudulent relics and exaggerated promises.
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales features a memorably cynical pardoner who openly admits his own hypocrisy.
Yielding to desire
- penanceSelf-mortification for wrongdoing
- salvationDeliverance from harm
- graceEffortless beauty of motion
- repentanceRemorseful rejection of past wrongs
sin · redemption · absolution · confession · contrition · atonement · purgatory · remission
Yielding to desire
- The Canterbury TalesMedieval frame narrative collection
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
- summonerOne who calls forth
- friarMendicant order member
Geoffrey Chaucer · simony · dispensation · penance · excommunication · clergy · diocese · relics
Person who deceives for money
- deceiverOne who tricks others
- hypocriteFeigns virtue falsely
- fraudsterCriminal deceiver for gain
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
conman · grifter · cheat · trickster · faker · scammer · rogue · sham
indulgence
Yielding to desire
- penanceSelf-mortification for wrongdoing
- salvationDeliverance from harm
- graceEffortless beauty of motion
repentance · sin · redemption · absolution · confession · contrition · atonement · purgatory · remission · expiation
indulgence
Yielding to desire
- The Canterbury TalesMedieval frame narrative collection
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
- summonerOne who calls forth
Geoffrey Chaucer · friar · simony · dispensation · penance · excommunication · clergy · diocese · relics · papal
swindler
Person who deceives for money
impostor · conman · grifter · cheat · trickster · faker · scammer · rogue · sham · phony
priest
One who performs sacraments
clergy · vicar · chaplain · curate · canon · summoner · dispensation · benefice · vestments · tonsure
pilgrimage
Religious journey to shrine
- journeyTravel from place to place
- CanterburyHistoric English ecclesiastical seat
- SantiagoChile's largest city
shrine · devotion · faithful · sacred · relics · Lourdes · Mecca · Varanasi · Hajj · Ganges
- Chaucer's WorldCanterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, Middle English, medieval England, 14th century
- medieval travelerspilgrim, merchant, crusader, messenger, courier
- Old Jobsblacksmith, farrier, wheelwright, chandler, apothecary
- indulgencesindulgence, indulgences, chocolate cake, overindulgence, massage
- clergypriest, bishop, pope, nun, monk
- medieval clergypriest, monk, nun, bishop, abbot
pardonerpunisher
One who metes discipline
judge · executioner · sentencer · inquisitor · avenger
pardoneraccuser
One who alleges wrongdoing
denouncer · prosecutor · inquisitor · vindicator · impeacher
pardonerinquisitor
Harsh, probing questioner
hellfire preacher · damner · witch finder · Grand Inquisitor · Torquemada
- pardon mePolite interruption phrase
- beg your pardonRequest for repetition
- I beg your pardonPolite request for repetition
- pardon my FrenchIdiom excusing crude language
- beg pardonRequest forgiveness or repetition
- beg someone's pardonFormally request forgiveness
pardon, pardoned, pardoning, pardonable, pardons, unpardonable, pardonably, unpardoned