Everything about Way Of Saint James totally explained
The
Way of St. James or
St. James' Way, often known by its
Spanish name,
el Camino de Santiago, is the
pilgrimage to the
Cathedral of
Santiago de Compostela in
Galicia in northwestern
Spain, where legend has it that the remains of the
apostle,
Saint James the Great, are buried.
A major Christian pilgrimage route
The
Way of St James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important
Christian pilgrimages during
medieval times. It was considered one of three pilgrimages on which a plenary
indulgence could be earned; the others are the
Via Francigena to
Rome and the pilgrimage to
Jerusalem.
Legend holds that St. James's remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where they were buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. There are some, however, who claim that the bodily remains at Santiago belong to
Priscillian, the
fourth-century Galician leader of an ascetic Christian sect,
Priscillianism, who was one of the first Christian
heretics to be executed.
There isn't a single route; the Way can take one of any number of
pilgrimage routes to
Santiago de Compostela. However a few of the routes are considered main ones. Santiago is such an important pilgrimage destination because it's considered the burial site of the apostle, James the Great. During the
Middle Ages, the route was highly travelled. However, the
Black Plague, the
Protestant Reformation and political unrest in
16th- century Europe resulted in its decline. By the
1980s, only a few pilgrims arrived in Santiago annually. However, since then, the route has attracted a growing number of modern-day pilgrims from around the globe. The route was declared the first
European Cultural Route by the
Council of Europe in October
1987; it was also named one of
UNESCO's
World Heritage Sites in
1993.
History of St James's Way
The pilgrimage to Santiago has never ceased from the time of the discovery of St. James' remains, though there have been years of fewer pilgrims, particularly during European wars. During the war of American Independence,
John Adams was ordered by
Congress to go to
Paris to obtain funds for the cause. His ship started leaking and he disembarked with his two sons in
Finisterre in
1779, where he proceeded to follow the Way of St. James in the opposite direction, in order to get to Paris overland. He didn't stop to visit Santiago, and came to regret this during the course of his journey. In his autobiography, he gives an accurate description of the customs and lodgings afforded to St. James pilgrims in the 18th century, and mentions the legend as it was then told to travellers:
Pre-Christian history of the route
Prior to its existence as a Christian pilgrimage, the route is believed to have had significance for the ancient
pagan peoples of the
Iberian peninsula also, among them the
Celts, and later the pre-Christian
Romans who conquered Spain. The site of
Santiago de Compostela itself may have been a Roman shrine or
trade route.
The Pilgrims'road is known to follow the
Milky way of ancient navigation and it seems related to prehistoric cults of Fertility arriving to Atlantic Europe from Mediterranean shores. Symbols of
Ashtarte,the star within a circle,or
Aphrodite,
Venus coming on a shell,have been found along the roads to Compostela and among the ancient basques' mythology and legends,those related to
Mari, the
Mairu and the rising of
Megaliths.
Indeed,the name 'Compostelae' may mean "the Field of the Star", associated with some mystical Death and rebirth.
Joseph Campbell associated the cult of
Mari to that of
Ishtar and
Kali and in pre-Israelites times, the rejected consort of God called "the great prostitute",
Asherah.
The significance of the scallop symbol
The scallop shell, typically found on the shores in Galicia, has long been the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. Over the centuries the scallop shell has taken on mythical, metaphorical and practical meaning.
There are different accounts of the mythical origin of the symbol. Which account is taken depends on who is telling the story. Two versions of the most common myth are:
James the Greater, the brother of John, was killed in Jerusalem for his convictions about his brother. James had spent some time preaching on the Iberian Peninsula.
- (version 1) After James' death, his disciples shipped his body to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried in what is now Santiago. Off the coast of Spain a heavy storm hit the ship, and the body was lost to the ocean. After some time, however, the body washed ashore undamaged, covered in scallops.
- (version 2) After James' death his body was mysteriously transported by a ship with no crew back to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried in what is now Santiago. As James' ship approached land, a wedding was taking place on the shore. The young bridegroom was on horseback, and on seeing the ship approaching, his horse got spooked, and the horse and rider plunged into the sea. Through miraculous intervention, the horse and rider emerged from the water alive, covered in seashells.
Besides being the mythical symbol, the scallop shell also acts as a metaphor. The grooves in the shell, which come together at a single point, represent the various routes pilgrims traveled, eventually arriving at a single destination: the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela. The scallop shell is also a metaphor for the pilgrim. As the waves of the ocean wash scallop shells up on the shores of Galicia, God's hand also guided the pilgrims to Santiago.
The scallop shell served practical purposes for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago as well. The shell was the right size for gathering water to drink or for eating out of as a makeshift bowl. Also, because the scallop shell is native to the shores of Galicia, the shell functioned as proof of completion. By having a scallop shell, a pilgrim could almost certainly prove that he or she'd finished the pilgrimage and had actually seen the "end of the world" which at that point in history was the Western coast of Spain.
The reference to St. James rescuing a "knight covered in scallops" is therefore a reference to St. James healing, or resurrecting, a dying (setting sun) knight. Note also that the knight obviously would have had to be "under the waters of death" for quite some time for shellfish to have grown over him. Similarly, the notion of the "Sea of Darkness" (Atlantic Ocean) disgorging St. James' body, so that his relics are (allegedly) buried at Santiago de Compostella on the coast, is itself a metaphor for "rising up out of Death", that is, resurrection.
The
pilgrim's staff is a walking stick used by pilgrim's to the shrine of
Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Generally, the stick has a hook on it so that something may be hung from it. The walking stick sometimes has a cross piece on it.
The route during the Medieval period
The earliest records of visits paid to the shrine dedicated to St. James at
Santiago de Compostela date from the
8th century, in the time of the
Kingdom of Asturias. The pilgrimage to the shrine became the most renowned medieval pilgrimage, and it became customary for those who returned from Compostela to carry back with them a
Galician scallop shell as proof of their completion of the journey. This practice was gradually extended to other pilgrimages.
The earliest recorded pilgrims from beyond the
Pyrenees visited the shrine in the middle of the
10th century, but it seems that it wasn't until a century later that large numbers of pilgrims from abroad were regularly journeying there. The earliest records of pilgrims that arrived from
England belong to the period between
1092 and
1105. However, by the early
12th century the pilgrimage had become a highly organized affair.
One of the great proponents of the pilgrimage in the
12th century was
Calixtus II who started the
Compostelan Holy Years. The official guide in those times was the
Codex Calixtinus. Published around
1140, the 5th book of the Codex is still considered the definitive source for many modern guidebooks. Four pilgrimage routes listed in the Codex originate in France and converge at
Puente la Reina. From there, a well-defined route crosses northern Spain, linking
Burgos,
Carrión de los Condes,
Sahagún,
León,
Astorga, and Compostela.
The daily needs of pilgrims on their way to, and from, Compostela were met by a series of
hospitals and
hospices. These had royal protection and were a lucrative source of revenue. A new genre of ecclesiastical architecture,
Romanesque, with its massive archways, was designed to cope with huge devout crowds. There was also the now- familiar paraphernalia of
tourism, such as the selling of badges and souvenirs. Since the Christian symbol for
James the Greater was the scallop shell, many pilgrims would wear this as a sign to anyone on the road that they were a pilgrim. This gave them privileges to sleep in churches and ask for free meals, but also warded off thieves who didn't dare attack devoted pilgrims.
The pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela was possible because of the protection and freedom provided by the
Kingdom of France, where the majority of pilgrims originated. Enterprising French people (including
Gascons and other peoples not under the French crown) settled in towns along the pilgrimage routes, where their names appear in the archives. The pilgrims were tended by people like
Domingo de la Calzada who was later recognized as a saint himself.
Pilgrims would walk the Way of St. James, often for months, in order to arrive at the great church in the main square of Compostela to pay homage to St. James. So many pilgrims have laid their hands on the pillar just inside the doorway of the church that a groove has been worn in the stone.
Oddly, the popular Spanish name for the astronomical
Milky Way is
El Camino de Santiago. The Milky Way was said to be formed from the dust raised by travelling pilgrims in a common medieval legend.. Compostela itself means 'field of stars'.}}
There is still a tradition in
Flanders of freeing one prisoner a year under the condition that this prisoner walk to Santiago wearing a heavy backpack, accompanied by a guard.
The modern-day pilgrimage
Today tens of thousands of
Christian pilgrims and other travellers set out each year from their front doorstep, or popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Most travel by foot, some by
bicycle, and a few travel as some of their
medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by donkey (for example, the
British author and
humorist Tim Moore). In addition to people undertaking a religious pilgrimage, there are many travellers and hikers who walk the route for non-religious reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land. Also, many consider the experience a spiritual adventure to remove themselves from the bustle of modern life. It acts as a retreat for many modern "pilgrims".
Routes to Santiago
Pilgrims on the Way of St. James walk for weeks or months to visit the city of
Santiago de Compostela. They can follow many routes (any path to Santiago is a pilgrim's path) but the most popular route is the French Way or
Camino Francés; the most common starting points are cities in
Spain situated along this route. Historically, most of the pilgrims came from France, due to the
Codex Calixtinus. For this reason, the Spanish consider the Pyrenees the starting point. Common starting points along the French border are
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or
Somport on the French side of the
Pyrenees and
Roncesvalles or
Jaca on the Spanish side.
However, many pilgrims begin further afield, in one of the four French towns which are common and traditional starting points:
Le Puy,
Vézelay,
Arles and
Tours.
Cluny, site of the celebrated medieval abbey, was another important rallying point for pilgrims, and, in 2002, it was integrated into the official European pilgrimage route linking Vézelay and Le Puy. Some pilgrims start from even further away, though their routes will often pass through one of the four French towns mentioned. Some Europeans begin their pilgrimage from the very doorstep of their homes just as their medieval counterparts did hundreds of years ago.
Pilgrims' accommodation
In Spain and southern France, pilgrim's hostels dot the
common routes providing overnight accommodation for recognized pilgrims, those who hold a
credencial. (See below.) In Spain this type of accommodation is called a
refugio or an
albergue, both of which are similar to
youth hostels or hostelries in the French system of
Gîtes d'étape; beds are in dormitories, and they usually cost between three and seven
Euros per night, but a few operate on voluntary donations and are known as
donativos. Pilgrims are usually limited to one night's accommodation.
These hostels may be run by the local parish, the local council, private owners, or pilgrims' associations. Occasionally these refugios are located in monasteries, such as the one in
Samos, Spain, run by monks or the one in Santiago de Compostela.
The Pilgrim's passport
Most pilgrims have a document called the
credencial, which they've purchased for a few euros through a Spanish tourist agency or their local church, depending on their starting location. The credencial is a pass which allows (sometimes free) overnight accommodation in
refugios. Also known as the "Pilgrim's passport", the credencial is stamped with the official St. James stamp of each town or refugio at which the pilgrim has stayed. It provides walking pilgrims with a record of where they ate or slept, but also serves as proof to the Pilgrim's office in Santiago that the journey is accomplished according to an official route. The credencial is available at refugios, tourist offices, some local parish houses, and outside
Spain, through the national St. James organisation of that country. The stamped credencial is also necessary if the pilgrim wants to obtain a
Compostela, a certificate of completion of the pilgrimage.
Most often the stamp can be obtained in the refugio, Cathedral or local church. If the church is closed, the town hall or office of tourism can provide a stamp, as well as nearby youth hostels or private St. James addresses. Outside Spain, the stamp can be associated with somewhat of a ceremony, where the stamper and the pilgrim can share information. As the pilgrimage approaches Santiago however, the increased number of pilgrims cause many of the stamps in small towns to be self-service, while in the larger towns there are several options to obtain the necessary stamp.
The compostela
The
compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. To earn the
compostela one needs to walk a minimum of 100 km (cyclists must cycle at least 200 km). In practice for walkers, that means starting in the small city of
Sarria, for it has good transportation connections via bus and rail to other places in
Spain. Pilgrims arriving in
Santiago de Compostela who have walked at least the last 100 km, or cycled 200 km to get there (as indicated on their
credencial), are eligible for this
compostela from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago.
In medieval Catholicism, the
compostela counted as an act of
indulgence. The pilgrim was entitled to a partial indulgence, or, if the
compostela was obtained in a
Holy Year, a
plenary indulgence. The full text of the certificate is in
Latin and reads:
CAPITULUM hujus Almae Apostolicae et Metropolitanae Ecclesiae Compostellanae sigilli Altaris Beati Jacobi Apostoli custos, ut omnibus Fidelibus et Perigrinis ex toto terrarum Orbe, devotionis affectu vel voti cosa, ad limina Apostoli Nostri Hispaniarum Patroni ac Tutelaris SANCTI JACOBI convenientibus, authenticas visitationis litteras expediat, omnibus et singulis praesentes inspecturis, notum facit : (Latin version of name of recipient)
Hoc sacratissimum Templum pietatis causa devote visitasse. In quorum fidem praesentes litteras, sigillo ejusdem Sanctae Ecclesiae munitas, ei confero.
Datum Compostellae die (day) mensis (month) anno Dni (year)
Canonicus Deputatus pro Peregrinis
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The pilgrim passport is examined carefully for stamps and dates. If a key stamp is missing, or if the pilgrim doesn't claim a religious purpose for their pilgrimage, the
compostela may be refused. The Pilgrim office of Santiago awards more than 100,000
compostelas per year to pilgrims from over 100 countries.
Pilgrim's Mass
A Pilgrim's Mass in the
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is held each day at noon for pilgrims. Pilgrims who received the
Compostela the day before have their countries of origin and the starting point of their pilgrimage announced at the Mass.
The modern pilgrimage on television
Art critic and journalist
Brian Sewell made a journey to Santiago de Compostela for a television series
The Naked Pilgrim for UK's Channel Five in 2003. Travelling by car along the French route, he visits many towns and cities on the way: stop offs include
Paris,
Chartres,
Roncesvalles,
Burgos,
Leon and
Frómista. Sewell, a lapsed Catholic, is moved by the stories of other pilgrims and by the sights he sees. The series climaxes with Sewell's emotional response to the Mass at Compostela.
The pilgrimage as tourism
The
Galician government seeks to make the Way into a popular
tourist destination. When there's a
Holy Compostellan Year (whenever
July 25 falls on a Sunday; the next will be 2010) the Galician government's
Xacobeo tourism campaign is unleashed once more.
The Way's name in other languages
The Way of St. James is most often referred to by the names used in the areas it passes:
or simply El Camino
or Ruta Xacobea
or le chemin de Saint Jacques''
Further Information
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