Camino de Santiago 101

So what is the Camino de Santiago? Here are segments from my Lonely Planet guidebook to give a bit of background.

The start of the pilgrimage
“What originally set Europe’s feet moving? Tradition tells us that Pelayo, a 9th century religious hermit living in the remote areas of northwestern Iberia, follwed a mysterious shining star to a Roman mausoleum hidden under briars, Inside were the remains of the apostle James (in Spanish, Santiago). Confirmed by the local bishop and Asturian king Alfonso the Chaste, the earthshaking discovery spread like wildfire and put the incipient Compostela indelibly on European maps. Today it’s hard to imagine the impact of the news, but in that age pilgrimage to holy sites with relics was tantamount to obtaining a ticket to eternal salvation. Relics were sacred commodities: the more important the relic, the more important the shrine that held them. And Santiago’s relics were gold: nearly intact and belonging to one of Jesus’ apostles, making them Europe’s finest. When word got out, the devoted high tailed it to Spain.”

But how did James get all the way to Spain?
According to legend…“In the year AD 44, pagan Queen Lupa was more than a little suspicious when two Palestinian refugees landed in her territory, near Padron in western Galicia, with the decomposing and headless body of a Christian martyr, and requested permission to bury him.

The apostle James is by tradition thought to have preached in Iberia. The map at right is said to detail his travels in the area.

Herod Agrippa had him executed on his return to Jerusalem and Santiago’s (aka James) followers whisked the body to Jaffa, from where they let Providence guide their stone boat on a miraculous sea voyage through the Straits of Gibraltar back to Galicia (pictured at right).

Promising safe passage and burial, Queen Lupa sent the loyal disciples out to a field to retrieve two oxen to pull the body on a cart. Instead they found two wild bulls eager to gore them. Not to be daunted, the disciples prayed to Santiago (James) who transformed the bulls’ ire into cowed obedience and the two bowed their heads and were peacefully yoked. Impressed by this and other exploits, Queen Lupa converted to Christianity. Santiago remained forgotten until the hermit Pelayo saw the star in the woods.”

The pilgrimage today

“Now, pilgrimage is back in style. In an unprecedented revival, unlike anything since the 13th century, people are once again following the medieval Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) pilgrimage across northern Spain…Modern pilgrims do it for the Romanesque and Gothic art, the physical challenge, the gorgeous ever-changing landscapes, to decide what’s next in life, take a spiritual or religious journey, enjoy a cheap holiday, or to work out a mid-life crises; inevitably, they end up having the adventure of a lifetime.”

The map at right shows the different pilgrimage routes that were used over the centuries (must be enlarge to see):

While the route is MUCH longer than the portion I am doing, I am satisfied with my little chunk. Below are pictures from my starting point, Bilbao: a seashell on a church facade (seashells are the sign of the camino); my feet at one of the path markers along the route through Bilbao; and one of the many carvings of pilgrims that line the camino.