The Way of Saint James

THE WAY OF SAINT JAMES
1. Research some information about the origin of the Way
In order to know the history of the Way we must go back to the beginning, to the life and
death of the apostle Santiago. Just as the rest of the apostles did after the death of Jesus,
James the Greater would dedicate his life to preaching and spreading the gospel, reaching
the lands of ancient Hispania. However, around 44 AD. King Herod would order his death. It
is then that his disciples Athanasius and Theodore decide to take the apostle's body to
Hispanic lands, where he had previously preached, to find a grave there. In this way, they
escape in a stone boat until they reach the coasts of ancient Gallaecia and up the Ulla River.
Once they arrive in Iria Flavia (present-day Padrón), the disciples take the Apostle's body to
the castle of Queen Lupa, from whom they request a place to bury his remains. However,
the queen locks them up. Finally, they manage to escape and manage to cross Galician
lands, miraculously overcoming many disadvantages along the way. Their actions amazed
Queen Lupa, who ended up converting to Christianity, and even offered them a place to bury
the apostle's body, in what was known as the “Arca Marámrica”. Once Athanasius and
Theodore died, they were buried next to Santiago the Apostle and the tomb was forgotten for
more than 800 years.
The Way of Saint James was born in the Middle Ages with the discovery of the tomb of the
apostle Saint James the Greater, which caused a wave of Catholic pilgrimages whose
purpose was to reach the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela where his crypt is located.
2. Make a Little composition about the symbols of the way of Saint James
-The Codex Calixtinus:This manuscript is considered the first guide to the Way
of Saint James in history. It talks about a series of taverns, tips, points of
interest, etc.
-The Camino Credential: This Pilgrim Credential is considered your DNI or

passport. It is a cardboard sheet where the personal information of each
person is written and, right next to it, we will find some empty boxes where we
can stamp the seal of each official establishment through which we pass,
giving proof of having completed the Way of Saint James.
-The Compostela: It is the accreditation certificate that is given to you at the Santiago
Pilgrim's Office when you reach the Galician capital after traveling one of the Jacobean
routes. Currently, if you want to obtain this diploma you must travel at least the last 100
kilometers on foot or 200 by bicycle of one of the official Routes.
-The Botafumeiro: Those in charge of moving the slightly more than 50 kilos of this
censer are the tiraboleiros, specifically eight people in charge of transporting it from
the cathedral museum and tying it to their chains, which will swing it throughout the
central aisle of the temple.
-The Holy or Jubilee Year: This concept was born in the Old Testament, where it is
narrated how every fifty years this holy year was celebrated, in which the Jews could
be forgiven of their sins, the slaves were freed and the expropriated lands returned to
the hands of their former owners. .
-The wooden staff: Seeing a pilgrim without the traditional wooden staff is
something quite unusual, since it is an essential point of support, especially in the
steepest terrain.
-The pumpkin: Its main function was to transport liquids and keep them cold.
-Stone milestones: They mark the distance between that specific point and Santiago
de Compostela and a road sign.
-The Shell: In addition to its symbolic meaning, representing the different Caminos
that lead to Santiago, it also had a clear practical meaning, serving for drinking or
simply as a utensil for collecting food.
-The yellow arrow: This signaling method is the most famous along all the Jacobean
routes.
3. Look for information about The Way nowadays (Where does the way begin? How
long does it take to walk? Why is it important as a touristic place? And so on)
There are a lot of different Ways of Saint James, the most famous one is the French which
begins in Roncesvalles (Navarra) or Somport (Aragón). You can also start the way from
Seville ,that would mean that you need to walk 963 km and have a duration of 38 days.
Most of the ways only have a duration between 6- 8 days because they start at a distance of
100-130 km from Santiago. A normal day a pilgrim does 20-30 km. It is so important as a
touristic place because people do the Way at any time of the year and it is a tourist product
for Galicia.
4. Talk to me about Romanesque style on the Way (What is the relationship between
Romanesque art and the Way?)
The Romanesque took place between the 11th, 12th and part of the 13th centuries. It is
considered the first international European artistic movement. The Way of Saint James
represents the development of the Romanesque. The Romanesque can be found in
Catalonia and goes into zones of the Way like Santiago and Galician lands. The perfect
example of the Romanesque style is the Santiago`s Cathedral.
5. Would you like to do the Way? Why?
Yes, last year I did it with my father. The Portuguese Way and I enjoyed it a lot. At first
getting up at 6 o'clock and walking every day 20 km won’t sound very attractive but when
you do it, you will find a lot of peace in the green landscapes that you are going to walk
through. It was a great experience and I hope I can repeat this year doing a different way.

The Way of Saint James

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Way of Saint James

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE WAY OF SAINT JAMES

1. Research some information about the origin of the Way

-The Camino Credential: This Pilgrim Credential is considered your DNI or

5. Would you like to do the Way? Why?

You might also like