Bodhi On The Way: THE LEGEND OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA; OF PILGRIMS AND PILGRIMAGE

THE LEGEND OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA:

St. James (Santiago in Spanish, St. Jacques in French) was one of the 12 original apostles, and brother of John the Baptist. According to legend, sometime after the death of Jesus Christ (32 A.D.), he travelled to the Iberian peninsula - still very wild at that time - to preach the gospel. He went all the way to current day Galicia (northwest Spain) to preach, but had little success in winning over the locals to Christianity during his apparent two years there. He eventually returned to the Holy Land, where in 44 A.D. he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa, thus becoming the first Christian martyr...

classic portrayal of St. James, holding the Bible with which he preached the gospels.

At this point, two of James' followers took it upon themselves to transport his body in a boat from the Holy Land to the small inland port of Padron in northwest Spain, guided by an angel. Arriving on land, the disciples were questioned and imprisoned by the Celtic queen Lupa, who later converted to Christianity and offered her own palace (25 km inland from Padron) as the final resting place for St. James' remains.

medieval painting depicting the transport of Santiago's remains.

At this point the whereabouts of Santiago's remains become lost to history, and it's not until many hundreds of years later in 813 A.D. that a hermit named Pelayo hears music and sees some strange lights over a place in the forest. He alerts the local bishop, Theodomir, who conducts an investigation and discovers an altar with funerary monuments at the foot of an oak tree. Three Roman-era burials are found: St. James and his disciples Theodore and Athanasius.

A depiction of St. James' relics box (reliquary).

Theodomir alerts the king of Asturias, Alfonso II, of the discovery, and the king immediately travels to the site (becoming one of the first pilgrims in the process) and orders a chapel to be built where Santiago's remains had been found, and a monastery nearby. This was the start of the city of Santiago de Compostela (Compostela means "field of stars", named after the lights seen by the hermit). The news of the discovery of the tomb (which had been a mystery for many centuries) spreads all over Europe and kickstarts one of the great pilgrimages in history.

SANTIAGO PEREGRINO (St. James as pilgrim):

Over time the pilgrims created a depiction of St. James dressed as one of them, that is, as a pilgrim. He wears a wide-brimmed hat and a large cloak, both of which are adorned with scallop shells. He also carries a staff with a drinking gourd attached. This image has spread far and wide along the network of ways to Santiago, inspiring an immense artistic outpouring using various mediums over the centuries. They are to be found in and around cathedrals, churches and chapels; public plazas and walkways; and in shops, hostels, and associated services...

stained glass

carved wooden statue.

stone sculpture.

painting.

engraved metal.

OF PILGRIMS AND PILGRIMAGE:

The pilgrimage to Galicia already existed prior to the discovery of James' tomb. Pagans and Celts had been walking to "Fisterra" (Land's End) since before the time of Christ. But Santiago would become one of the three great Christian pilgrimages, alongside Jerusalem and Rome. As the centuries passed, momentum grew, until by the 12th and 13th centuries (the apex of the pilgrimages in pure numbers) there were at least half a million people walking to the tomb of Santiago every year, from every corner of Europe and beyond! The majority walked for religious devotion, for spiritual growth and cleansing. But a fair number also performed the pilgrimage to atone for heavy crimes and sins, the long pilgrimage oftentimes presented to them as their only hope of atonement.

Pilgrims braved harsh climates, long distances between supplies and rest, the threat of wolves and bears, and the constant discomfort of blisters, injuries, illnesses, etc..

Pilgrims often travelled in numbers, for safety. Especially in the early days, as there was the constant threat of the Moors, who still dominated the Iberian peninsula.

the pilgrimage was undertaken on foot or on horseback.

As the pilgrimage grew in importance, monasteries and pilgrim hospitals sprung up all along the route, to care for those undertaking the pilgrimage. The Order of the Knights Templar protected pilgrims along the way as they passed from kingdom to kingdom. Besides Spain and France, pilgrims arrived in great numbers from England, Germany and elsewhere in Europe. This continued unabated until the Protestant Reformations, which saw a great decrease in pilgrim numbers. In the 17th and 18th centuries the Camino fell into decline, with thieves and bandits plaguing the route, and reports of fraud and mistreatment by merchants and innkeepers along the way. By the middle of the 19th century the pilgrimage had virtually come to a halt, but near the turn of the century pilgrims began to return, and the end of the 20th century (especially after Franco's death) saw a remarkable upswing in pilgrim numbers. Growth has skyrocketed in the past few decades, reaching 250,000 per year in 2010 and remaining at or above that number in the years since!

THE MEDIEVAL PILGRIM:

image showing the typical garb of a medieval pilgrim.

as a pilgrim would have appeared in the 16th century.

woman pilgrim.

Camaraderie and mutual assistance among pilgrims.

After Santiago himself, representations of pilgrims have also inspired a vast artistic outpouring...

One of the unique draws to the Camino is the knowledge and sensation of walking in the footsteps of millions and millions of pilgrims over 1000+ years. There is simply nothing else like it on earth.

Over the course of time, some of the remarkable figures to have performed the pilgrimage include:

El Cid, the crusaders before leaving for the Holy Land, Pope Calixtus II (who is credited with the world's first travel guide, the Codus Calixtinius, which describes the Camino in France and Spain in the 12th century and provided pilgrims with information and descriptions of the way!), St. Francis of Assisi, Dante Alighieri, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Jan Van Eyck and a whole host of European monarchs and royalty, not to mention scores and scores of other notable figures. In modern times, Pope John Paul II visited in 1982 and 1989...

Pope John Paul II embracing St. James.

MODERN PILGRIMS

Modern pilgrims tend to look quite different from their medieval counterparts, preferring some kind of backpack, fancy walking sticks, and synthetic clothing. Also, religious motivation is definitely less pronounced, although most pilgrims indeed are on some sort of spiritual quest or search, be it knowledge, wisdom or guidance. Added to these are walkers out for an unusual and unique experience, people practicing walking/trailrunning for sport, and cyclists.