Way of St. James

The Way of St James, or St James' Way, often known by its Spanish name the Camino de Santiago, is the pilgrimage to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in north-westernmost Spain where the apostle Saint James the Great is said to be laid to rest.

A major Christian pilgrimage route

The Way of St James has been one of the most important Christian pilgrimages since medieval times and it has existed for over 1000 years. It was considered one of three pilgrimages on which all sins could be forgiven - the others being the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

There is not a single route - the Way can be 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 as it is considered the burial site of the apostle James the Great. Legend states that St. James' 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. In the middle ages the route was highly travelled. However reformation and unrest in 16th century Europe resulted in its decline. In the early 1980's only a few pilgrims a year arrived in Santiago. However, since the late 1980s the way has attracted a growing number of modern-day pilgrims from all around the globe. The route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in October 1987 and inscribed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 1993.

History of St James' Way

Pre-Christian history of the route

Prior to its existence as a Catholic pilgrimage, the route is believed to also have had significance for the ancient pagan peoples of the Iberian peninsula, among them the Celts, and later the Romans who conquered Spain. The site of Santiago de Compostela itself may have been perhaps a Roman shrine.

To this day many of the pilgrims continue on from Santiago de Compostela to the Atlantic coast of Galicia to finish their pilgrimage at Spain's westernmost point Cape Finisterre (Galician: Fisterra). Though many pilgrims today erroneously believe Cape Finisterre is also the westernmost point of mainland Europe, the fact that the Romans called it Finisterrae (literally the end of the world, or Land's End in Latin) indicates that the Romans viewed it as such.

Pagan influences can still be seen along the Way; indeed some of the modern-day pilgrims themselves are attracted more to the pagan legends associated with the Way rather than the Christian.

The early-Christian pilgrimage

The earliest records of visits paid to the shrine dedicated to St James at Santiago de Compostela date from the 8th century, in the times of the Kingdom of Asturias. This was the most renowned medieval pilgrimage; and the custom of those who carried back with them from Galicia scallop shells as proof of their journey gradually extended to other forms of pilgrimage.

The earliest recorded pilgrims from beyond the Pyrenees had visited the shrine in the middle of the 10th century, but it seem that it was not until a century later that pilgrims from abroad were regularly journeying there in large numbers, even the first recorded pilgrims from England, between 1092 and 1105. By the early 12th century the pilgrimage was a highly organized affair. Four established pilgrimage routes from starting points in France converged in the Basque country of the western Pyrenees. From there a single combined track crossed northern Spain, linking Burgos, Carrión de los Condes, Sahagún, León, Astorga and Lugo.

The route in the Mediaeval period

Diverse requirements of the pilgrim trade were met by a series of hospices along the way, by royal protection of such a lucrative source of revenue, by the evolution of a new genre of Romanesque ecclesiastical architecture designed to cope with huge devout crowds; and by the familiar paraphernalia of tourism, selling badges and souvenirs, and the remarkable guide-book put together in about 1140, the Codex Calixtinus. The pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela was opened most particularly to the influence of France, whence the great majority of pilgrims always came. Enterprising French people settled in the pilgrimage towns, where their names crop up in the archives.

Pilgrims would walk the Way of St. James for months to arrive finally at the great church in the main square to pay homage, and so many pilgrims have laid their hands on the pillar just inside the doorway to rest their weary bones, that a groove has been worn in the stone. The symbol of St. James pilgrims is the scallop shell, usually sourced at Finisterre, which they used to drink water from.

So numerous were the pilgrims that the popular Spanish name for the Milky Way is El Camino de Santiago. Recent scholarship also posits that this "Milky Way - El Camino de Santiago" link may also have roots in the revival of goddess worship in Spain during this time.

The pilgrimage as penance

Once a system of penance had been established by the Church, part of the rituals of confession and absolution, pilgrimages were established as adequate punishments assessed for certain crimes. The Catholic Encyclopedia noted:

"In the registers of the Inquisition at Carcassone… we find the four following places noted as being the centres of the greater pilgrimages to be imposed as penances for the graver crimes, the tomb of the Apostles at Rome, the shrine of St. James at Compostella ^*, St. Thomas's body at Canterbury, and the relics of the Three Kings at Cologne."

The modern-day pilgrimage

Today 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 Mediaeval counterparts did on horseback or by donkey (e.g. the British author and humorist Tim Moore). In addition to people on a religious pilgrimage there are many travellers and hikers who walk the route for non-religious reasons such as for enjoyment, travel, sport or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land.

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 on the Camino Francés are Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees or Roncesvalles on the Spanish side, however many pilgrims begin further afield from cities such as Le Puy, Vézelay or Saint-Albain.

Pilgrims' accommodation

In Spain and southern France pilgrim's hostels dot the common routes providing overnight accommodation for recognised pilgrims, travellers who hold a credencial. In Spain these are called refugios or albergues. Sometimes these hostels are run by the local parish, sometimes by the local council, and sometimes they are privately owned or run by pilgrim's associations. Occasionally these refugios are located in monasteries, such as the one in Samos, and run by the monks.

Beds are in dormitories and usually cost between 3 and 7 Euros per night - though a few are by donation only. Pilgrims are usually limited to one night's accommodation. The style of accommodation is very similar to those provided by youth hostels.

The Pilgrim's passport

The credencial is a pass which allows you to overnight accommodation in refugios. Also known as the Pilgrim's passport, the credencial is stamped with the official stamp of each refugio the pilgrim stays at - it therefore provides the pilgrim with a complete record of where they overnighted.

The credencial is usually available at refugios, some tourist offices, and some local parish houses and costs about 3 Euros.

The Compostela

Pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela who have walked at least 100km, or cycled 250km to get there (as indicated on their credencial) are eligible for a certificate called the Compostela from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago.

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 pilgrimage as tourism

The Galician government seeks to make the way into a powerful tourism destination. When there is a Holy Compostellan Year (whenever July 25 falls on a Sunday) the government's Xacobeo tourism campaign is reinforced.

The Way's name in other languages

The Way of St. James has an often bewildering variety of different names in various European languages:

In Spanish it is usually called El Camino de Santiago
In Galician it is O Camiño de Santiago and often also Ruta Xacobea
In Basque it is Donejakue Bidea
In Catalan it is called the Camí de Sant Jaume de Galícia
In Czech it is called the Cesta Svatého Jakuba
In German it is called Der Jakobsweg or the more archaic Der Jakobusweg
In French le chemin de Saint Jacques
In Italian Cammino di Santiago
In Polish Szlak świętego Jakuba
In Portuguese Caminho de Santiago
In Irish Slí Naomh Shéamais
In Slovak it is called the Cesta Svätého Jakuba

Books

Pilgrim's guides

Confraternity of St. James, Pilgrim Guides To Spain 1. The Camino Francés
Bethan Davies and Ben Cole, Walking the Camino de Santiago
John Brierley, A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino Francés: From St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela
David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson, The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago

Fiction, travelogues and accounts

Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage
Susan Alcorn, ''Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago
Shirley MacLaine, The Camino
James Michener, Iberia, One chapter on Camino de Santiago
Nancy Frey, Pilgrim Stories
Sue Kenney, My Camino
Louise Collis, Memoirs of a Medieval Woman.
Tim Moore, Spanish Steps

External links

Pilgrim's associations

Pilgrim's travelogues

Pilgrim forums

Way of St. James | Catholic pilgrimage sites | Religion in Galicia Tourism in Galicia | Pilgrim route

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