Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and the Supporting Travel Network
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Tetsuyuki Seki
I. Introduction
¡¡Santiago de Compostela
in Galician region of
II.
Legends of Santo Jacob and Origin of Santiago de Compostela
1.Legends of Santo Jacob
According to legend, Santo Jacob, brother
of John the Evangelist was sent to evangelize
The tomb of Santo Jacob was discovered in
the first half of the ninth century by a hermit Pelayo
and by Teodomir, Bishop of Iria
Flavia. It was believed that Pelayo
discovered the marble tomb of Santo Jacob by a comet as a symbol of God's will.
The news of the discovery of the tomb was communicated to Alfonso II of
Asturias, Charlesmagne, and to Pope Leo III. They all
recognized that the tomb was that of Santo Jacob and Alfonso II constructed a
church over the marble tomb. The etymologic origin of Santiago is in the name
of Santo Jacob, while that of Compostela may not be
sought in latin campus stellae£¨field of stars£© but in the latin compositum£¨tomb£©.
The history of discovery of tomb is an
example of miraculous history mingled with fictions. To understand this better,
we must turn our eyes to the religious and political situations of the
beginning of the ninth century. The
2.
Origin of Santiago de Compostela
Originally Santiago de Compostela was a place related with
In the fourth century, the remains of Priscilianus supported fervently by Galician common people were buried in
Santiago de Compostela. Priscilianus
was a bishop of
The geographical conditions of Santiago
de Compostela and the miraculous history of Santo Yacob also played an important role. According to mappa mundi in 1085 of Burgo
de Osma Church, North Castilian Church, Santiago de Compostela was finis terrae
on the west end of daily living sphere, the stage of cosmic life and death symbolized by sunrise and sunset. At the
same time, Santiago de Compostela was a holy center
that connected itself with God integrating life and death, body and soul. In
other words, Santiago de Compostela was a point of
contact with the other world. Yacobus de Voragine, a Genovese bishop of the thirteenth century listed
the cures of illness, the spiritual salvation, the
resurrection of the dead, the protection of pilgrims, the prevention of
dangers, and the destruction of infidels as examples of the miraculous history
of Santo Yacob. The most important miracles were the
cures of illness, the spiritual salvation, the resurrection of the dead, for
these miracles meant the removal of serious disaster, the correction of social
injustice and the realization of divine law with which common people
sympathized greatly(2).
III. Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
1. Routes to Santiago de Compostela
Book V of Liber
Sancti Yacobi written in the twelfth century has
been known as the Guidebook to Santiago de Compostela.
The Guidebook whose author is said to be Aimeric Picaud, a french cleric of the twelfth century has indicated four
major routes to Santiago de Compostela:
¡¡The churches and monasteries along routes
to Santiago de Compostela have maintained many relics
of Santo Jacob, Virgin Mary, Saint Giles, Saint Martin,and Saint Isidore of
2. Motives of
Pilgrimage
The major motives of pilgrimage were the
spiritual salvation, the worldly benefits represented by the cures of illness
or the spiritual-worldly interests in which the spiritual salvation and the
worldly benefits were mingled. Pilgrimage meant the re-experience
by pilgrims of a long and difficult travel of Christ. Therefore people thought that pilgrimage was a good
chance for conversion. The converted pilgrims were given not only the graces,
spiritual salvation, redemption by God, but also the miracles such as the cures
of illness, victory in war. The most important doctrine of Catholicism was the
spiritual salvation and realization of miracles not by saints and relics, but
by God. The motives of pilgrimage had close relations with this doctrine.
However, seen from pilgrim's eyes, above all pilgrims who were common people,
the subject of the spiritual salvation and miracles was not God but saints. The
cult of saints and relics had the dangerous aspect to be against the
fundamental doctrine of Catholicism. The cult of saints for common people has
always had a potential power to be transformed into worship of saints.
The Catholic Churches recommended pilgrimage as the pious act, next in value to
sacraments, in order to control the popular religion and to indoctrinate common
people in the social regulations, even if the Catholic Churches was conscious
of the perils of the cult of saints.
We must remember that Medieval Spain was
the forefront in the war against Muslims, Santo Jacob
was the patron saint of Christian who defended Christians in battlefield. For
pilgrims from north of the
3£®Sex, Ages, Jobs and Classes of Pilgrims
As for sex, ages, jobs and classes of
pilgrims, males counted for 70 percent, and females for 30 percent of all
pilgrims, as seen from the number of beds for males and females in hospital.
Female pilgrims were fewer than male pilgrims, for the dangers of travel and
the need for housework restricted the female movement. Consequently, a
pilgrimage for females of common people signified the liberation from housework(leisure). The ages of pilgrims in Medieval
and Early Modern Spain are not known, but if the ages of pilgrims received in
the Hospital Real de Santiago during nineteenth century were comparable to
those of medieval pilgrims, the average ages of pilgrims would have been 45
years old, and the majority of pilgrims would have been from 40 years old to 60
years old. The succession of pilgrimage from father to son is also confirmed in
the nineteenth century.
The jobs and
classes of pilgrims were diverse, for the pilgrims included kings, nobles,
clerics, merchants, craftsmen, doctors, lawyers, domestic servants, sick
persons, poor people, peasants, soldiers, and compulsory pilgrims. Most
of the pilgrims were common people such as merchants, craftsman, peasants,
while many sick persons expecting miracles and many poor people seeking
charities were included among pilgrims. Many hospitals founded along routes to
Santiago de Compostela have proved the participation
of many common people, for the rich and influential pilgrims who belonged to
dominant class such as kings and nobles, generally used the fee-requiring inns
and the castles of nobles instead of the modest hospitals.
The orders of
Cortes£¨Parliament£©and
hospitals in Medieval and Early Modern Age prescribed the ousting of false
pilgrims, false poor people who wanted to live relying on charities of others,
although they were healthy. These orders which presupposed the increase of
false pilgrims, false poor people testify that the poor people occupied a high
ratio among the total number of pilgrims.
Most of peasants
were tied to their native lands, but a part of the peasants who could get money
for a pilgrimage participated in the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. If we judge from some historical documents of
the nineteenth century in which were written the native villages and cities of
pilgrims, most of peasant pilgrims might be from Galicia, Asturias, León (Asturias,León are regions near by Galicia). Compulsory
pilgrims were criminals who were ordered to participate in a pilgrimage to
Santiago de Compostela as punishment or penitence by
city and church. They had to present the compostellana
(certificate of pilgrimage issued by Cathedral Compostela)
to city officials and church after returning to their native cities. The
institution of compulsory pilgrims which was common in Netherlands, had
as one objective to maintain public order in city, ousting assailants from that
city for a while, at the same time averting revenge by relatives of the
victims(5).
4. Entry Rituals
into Pilgrimage
As for entry rituals into pilgrimage,
most of pilgrims usually made wills that represented detachment from the
established society and they practiced charities such as poor relief before
departing. In addition to these rituals, they attended a mass held in the
parish church and they were given the blessing of sticks and sacks, and a certificate of
pilgrims by a cleric. When they departed, the relatives, friends, fellows of
their guilds went to the outskirts of city to see them off.
The clothes of pilgrims were different
depending on sex. Male pilgrims wore dark brown mantles, trousers, hats with
wide brims, and boots, while female pilgrims wore skirts instead of trousers.
The gourds full of water or wine were hung on top of pilgrim sticks, the mouths
of sacks were without strings, as if they symbolized pauperes
dei£¨poor people of God£© who accept all and give all.
According to
studies of anthropology, the pilgrim sticks have symbolized the male organ, on
the other hand the metal scallop shells that pilgrims bought in Santiago de Compostela and carried with themselves,
have symbolized the female organ. Many pilgrims bought the metal£¨usually made from lead£©
scallop shells as handy souvenirs, talismans, for people have believed that the
metal scallop shells put in front of Major Altar of Cathedral Compostela before sales, have given miraculous effects
thanks to the remains of Santo Yacob. The scallop
shells that remind us of Oceans and Venus have been used as symbols of birth
and rebirth in Mediterranean Society from antiquity. It is natural that the metal scallop
shells were transformed into symbols of rebirth and conversion of pilgrims. We
can see some syncretism with pagan customs in the use of metal scallop shells.
Pilgrims with
male and female organ as hermaphroditic Androgeus
signified the regress to Adam, the first man created by God. Genesis
says that God has created Adam, and then Eve by ribs of Adam. Therefore Adam is
hermaphroditic. It is needless to say that the determined clothes of pilgrims,
the pilgrim sticks and metal scallop shells have had intimate relations with
popular religion from antiquity(6).
IV.
Confraternity of Pilgrims and Pilgrimage
1. Confraternity
of Pilgrims
Pilgrims usually organized
confraternities of pilgrims composed from several to dozens of pilgrims on
departing the native places or on the way to avert the dangers of travel and
the solitude of long travel. The size of each confraternity changed in
accordance with classes of pilgrims, for the dominant classes of feudal society
such as kings and nobles traveled with several dozens of servants, physicians
and clerics. When pilgrims organized a confraternity on departing their native
city, pilgrims from the same city or region who shared language and customs
generally organized it. On the other hand, it was not rare that pilgrims from
different cities or regions voluntarily organized a confraternity at a
crossroads.
Book II of Liber
Sancti Jacobi written in the twelfth century says that thirty knights of
North France organized a confraternity promising each other mutual assistance
and loyalty on departing their native city, while three knights of
All brothers(official members) of a confraternity united
together under the command of a chief elected by brothers and endured a long
and difficult pilgrimage using the free hospitals. The pilgrim song that
praised Santo Yacob also contributed to strengthen
the unity and morale of all the brothers.
The definition of anthropologist Victor
Turner of a confraternity of pilgrims has been well known. It has been the
temporary solidarity based on values different from those of established
society. It has been a communitas of
pilgrims seeking the spiritual purity as well as the detachment from
established society. However, this definition is too ideal to comprehend the
reality surrounding confraternity of pilgrims in which the opposition, injury
and theft among pilgrims took place frequently. The most typical examples were
pilgrims who stole foods of citizens or robbed dead brothers of their
belongings on the way. Besides, even some pilgrims who killed their brothers
were confirmed. In theory, pilgrims should have been pauperes
dei separated from established society. In
reality, pilgrims and confraternity as solidarity of pilgrims were tied with
values of established society. We should not idealize confraternity of pilgrims
as utopia composed of pilgrims seeking rebirth or as an equal community in a
hierarchic feudal society. On the contrary, we should comprehend confraternity of
pilgrims as a solidarity which lived between historical reality and religious
idea under the protection of kings, cities and churches(7).
2. Confraternity
of Santo Jacob
Pilgrims
who returned to their native cities, participated in masses celebrated in
parish church with families, friends, fellows of guilds as a ritual of re-entry
into established society. By this ritual, pilgrims returned to being members of
established society. Pilgrims were not only respected as the converted, but
many common people touched their clothes expecting worldly benefits.
What these pilgrims organized were
confraternities of Santo Jacob known as international confraternities.
Confraternities of Santo Jacob were the most representative confraternities of European
feudal society. They were organized in major cities of Europe such as
The principal brothers of confraternity
of Santo Jacob were composed of pilgrims who had completed a pilgrimage and the
influent citizens. Most of brothers were male citizens, even if a part of the
brothers were peasants and females. Therefore the most important characteristic
of confraternity of Santo Jacob is in the diversity and openness of class, sex
and residence of brothers.
The confraternity of Santo Jacob as a
spiritual family surrounding Santo Jacob was solidarity for mutual
assistance and fraternal affection among brothers. The confraternity not only
gave the material-spiritual assistances to poor and ill brothers, but also
provided foreign pilgrims with the lodging and meal services through its
hospitals. The individual brothers of confraternity also had to receive foreign
pilgrims in their houses. In addition they had obligations to participate in
funerals for dead pilgrims, to see pilgrims off to suburb of city, when
brothers decided to start a pilgrimage for Santiago de Compostela.
The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela turned into
one of three major pilgrimages of medieval Europe, only when it was based on
network of confraternities of Santo Jacob that spread all over Europe.
All brothers of the confraternity
celebrated a general meeting on 25 of July, when Santo Jacob was martyred.
Directors of confraternity such as chief and clerks were elected in a general
meeting, and then a banquet as a means to express solidarity of brothers was
enjoyed. At the same time, all brothers wearing pilgrim clothes with metal
scallop shells and pilgrim sticks made a procession though the city. The
brothers could strengthen their social status by displaying to fellow citizens
their images as converted Christians. The brothers of confraternity of Santo
Jacob also contributed to expansion of cult of Santo Jacob by playing religious
dramas in relation with miracles of Santo Jacob(8).
3. Dangers of
Travel
Pilgrims had to
confront many dangers, for pilgrims traveling in foreign countries were exposed
to illness, injuries and illegal acts. Pilgrims protected by kings, churches or
cities were exempt from tariff, and from arrest by officials and they were
guaranteed the right to make wills, when they were dying. Las siete partidas compiled in
the thirteenth century have guaranteed these rights saying that pilgrims need
not pay tariff. But it has been far from the reality of pilgrimage. In reality
these rights were not guaranteed to pilgrims, pilgrims became victims of
illegal acts committed in different languages, using odd weights and measures.
Book I of Liber Sancti Jacobi of the twelfth century, Libro
de los fueros de Castiella of the thirteenth century have made
reference to illegal acts against pilgrims : Illegal levy of tariff by
officials, theft and violation of weights and measures in inns and bars,
embezzlement of belongings of dead pilgrims, robbery of money by criminals who
conspired with innkeepers, candle and leather craftsmen who sold goods of poor quality
to pilgrims, physicians selling medicines laced with laxatives, and frauds by
bankers and merchants. Let's pick up some examples of illegal acts written in
Book I of Liber Sancti Jacobi .
An innkeeper who was waiting for pilgrims at the entrance of
his city, promised them good receptions in his inn. However, in reality he
neglected them. An innkeeper sold pilgrims wine of poor quality,
making them first taste wine of good quality. Another innkeeper made pilgrims
ill by serving them meat and fish cooked a few days ago. A vicious barkeeper
stole the belongings of pilgrims poisoned by his hands. Another innkeeper sold
thirsty pilgrims wine, for thirsty pilgrims who could not find any jar of water
in inn, had to buy wine. There were impostors who gave pilgrims false money,
prostitutes who were waiting for pilgrims in suburbs of Santiago de Compostela. There were also innkeepers who sold pilgrims
very expensive candles, pretending to be honest innkeepers. Pilgrims bought so
many candles to offer to Cathedral Compostela, so the
demand of candles was quite big. This was the reason why the fraudulent
imposition of candles occured frequently. An impostor wearing the clothes of
cleric listened to the confessions of pilgrims and swindled their money. Other
impostors who painted blood of rabbits on their arms and made their faces black
using plants, pretended to be ill and injured to swindle the money of pilgrims.
A servant of inn conspired with the innkeeper to steal the forage of riding
pilgrims that was included in the accommodation charge. These illegal acts occurred
so many times that Fuero Real of the
thirteenth century prescribed the protection of pilgrims prohibiting violence
and evil to pilgrims. Pilgrimages would have been impossible without
protections of kings, churches and cities(9).
4. Days and
Expenses of Travel
Most of the pilgrims went on pilgrimage
departing their native places in April or May. For spring and summer with
warmth and longer daylights hours have been comfortable seasons to pass the
rivers and dangerous places. Moreover, since the prices of foods and forage
have become cheaper, spring and summer have been the best seasons for pilgrims
to travel.
At first the day of translation of
remains of Santo Jacob was on 25 of July, the day of funeral was on 30 of
December. When Alfonso VI of Castile-León changed the liturgy from visigothic
liturgy to roman liturgy in the end of the eleventh century, the days of
translation and funeral were shifted to 30 of December and 25 of July
respectively. Cathedral Compostela intended to
increase pilgrims by setting the funeral£¨the day of martyrdom
as the most important festival for pilgrims£©
in the summer, when pilgrims could easily to travel. Particularly many pilgrims
from the twelfth century have joined the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in a Jubilee Year, when the 25th of
July was a Sunday.
The time periods necessary for pilgrimage,
when pilgrims went and came back on foot from Paris to Santiago de Compostela were over three or four months. As three or four
months necessary for pilgrimage were based on the assumption that pilgrims
could go on foot from thirty to forty kilometers a day, so it was not rare that
some pilgrims needed more than three or four months. For example, a pilgrim on
foot in the first half of the fifteenth century went and came back from
The traveling
expenses reached over half of the annual income in the case of a pilgrim from
Bills of exchange
as safer means of payments were used from Late Middle Ages. Bills of exchange
for pilgrims were issued from international military orders such as Orders of Templars ,
in the case of that pilgrims supplied movable and immovable properties as
mortgages. They changed bills of exchange into cash in cities along routes to
Santiago de Compostela. After returning to their
native cities, they settled bills of exchange. If there were money left over,
pilgrims received the refund, on the other hand if
there were deficits, they had to pay the balance to military orders (10).
5. Entry into
Pilgrims who arrived at the suburbs of
Santiago de Compostela entered into holy center
from Gate of Pilgrims after bathing in the suburban river and passing Monte
del Gozo. According to the Guidebook,
French pilgrims took off their clothes and washed their bodies in the suburban
Pilgrims who secured rooms in hospitals
or inns hanged their threadbare clothes on cross of old clothes
near by south portal of Cathedral Compostela. This
ritual needed to be done, for most clothes of pilgrims had stored up sweat,
dust and odors. Pilgrims bought candles as offerings to Santo Jacob and they
entered into Cathedral Compostela through north
portal. After praying in front of Major Altar in which remains of Santo Jacob
were enshrined, pilgrims went out of south portal of Cathedral Compostelana. This passing order from north portal to south
portal via Major Altar symbolized the purification of pilgrims by Santo Yacob, because north portal and south portal represented
black and white colors respectively. Pilgrims who transformed from black into
white meant the converted.
Pilgrims who had quasi-feudal relations
with Santo Jacob dedicated candles, olive oil, money to Santo Jacob. Pilgrims
as vassals of Santo Jacob had to dedicate these things to Santo Jacob in return
for his protection. As for pilgrims who desired cures of illness, the dedicated
things were normally candles in the shape of affected parts. Candles as symbols
of God were representations of a candle civilization that had
important religious meanings.
¡¡Pilgrims were given the sacraments in Latin
and the explanations about relics in Spanish, French, German, English, Italian. After participating in mass in Cathedral Compostela, pilgrims received compostelana.
The travel of conversion and relics reached its zenith in Santiago de Compostela..
Pilgrims who stayed in holy center
for days and got the metal scallop shells bought foods, clothes, shoes necessary
for returning travel. Most of pilgrims went to El Padrón
to touch the miraculous rock where the relics of Santo Jacob were said to
be put temporarily .
Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela was physically a direct movement, but it was
mentally an oval movement, because the route to go and the rout to come back
had different meanings. Pilgrims
who visited Cathedral Compostela and prayed in front
of Major Altar hurried to their native cities expecting hospitality. This mentality was no longer that of
pilgrims, but of travelers who wanted to reach to their destination as soon as
possible. Pilgrims who strengthened their holiness touching holy center
recuperated their worldly bodies and minds in returning travel. The returning
travel was leisure rather than pilgrimage. It is remarkable that
returning travel from West to East is not only worldly travel, but symbolizes
travel of rebirth that go from sunset£¨death£© to sunrise£¨birth£©(11).
6. Travel
Information
The guidebooks and travel diaries read
for pilgrims by clerics and literates were the main resources of travel
information. Pilgrims also used the travel information obtained from
experienced pilgrims or exchanged among pilgrims in hospitals or inns. In
addition the songs for pilgrimage that pilgrims had learned by heart also
played the same role as the guidebook¡¢for these songs
included the information such as routes to go, dangers of travel, names of
cities, churches, monasteries to visit, relics and miraculous stories. For
example, the songs for pilgrimage reprinted in the seventeenth century say as
follows.
In big and
beautiful city,
We
pilgrims
Visit a
beautiful monastery.
Augustinian
Father
came to teach us
Great
miracle
So-called sweating cross.
This is
true.
When we
departed León,
With me
and my friends,
We found
two roads.
One was
for
Other was
for Santo Jacob(12).
The important information such as tolls
and services of facilities was exchanged among pilgrims in hospitals. For example,
an anonymous pilgrim from
Pilgrims did not carry maps with
themselves, but crosses built along roads, bells of churches, monasteries,
hospitals and songs for pilgrimage played the role of maps. Monasteries and
hospitals in the Pyrenean Mountains and Galician mountains not only guided
pilgrims by ringing bells in seasons of snow and fog, but also obliged the
feudal peasants to maintain routes by exempting them from taxation. Being
supported by such information and network, pilgrims could go for holy place(13).
V.
Pilgrimage and Charities
1.
From
Religious Poor Relief to Worldly Poor Relief
Pilgrims as pauperes
dei included
many sick persons physically or mentally, because many pilgrims became ill or
injured in pilgrimage, even if they had been healthy on departing their native
places. That was the reason why many cities, churches, monasteries along
routes, confraternities and royal authority founded hospitals as hospitality
facilities for pilgrims. Charities for pilgrims in hospitals meant repeating
the biblical practices that identified pilgrims with Christ. At the same time
medieval people believed that these charities for pilgrims contributed to
encourage spiritual relieves and worldly benefits for subjects of charities.
Cities along routes to Santiago de Compostela have
maintained a long tradition to relieve pauperes
dei and
these cities formed the biggest charity space in
Pauperes
as objects of charities had diverse meanings, for they included pilgrims,
poor as well as sick persons, orphans and poor women. The principal facilities
to relieve these pauperes were hospitals which
pauperes could use gratis.
As for subjects of charities, churches
and monasteries played principal roles until the thirteenth century. From the
fourteenth to the sixteenth century, not only churches and monasteries but also
royal authority, cities and confraternities participated in charities and
founded many hospitals.
The notion of pauperes
also changed gradually. The poor relief until the thirteenth century was ritual
relief which aimed at the relief of donator, and its principle was
indiscriminative poor relief that accepted all poor, even if they were
restricted to a small number of people. But the maintenance of social order and
the social regularization of common people were taken seriously from the
fourteenth to the sixteenth century, the discriminative poor relief that
distinguished shameful poor(false poor) from true
poor persons turned into a
principle. For shameful poor who lived lazy depending on charities were
regarded as people who injured social order and did not deserve to get the
grace of God. The gravity of poor relief was transferred from other world to
this world and only true poor persons were relieved, while shameful
poor persons were excluded(14).
2. The
I would like to consider here the reality
of medieval hospitals through an example of one hospital in León. The Monastery
de San Isidore in the city of
We can see the reality of that hospital
from the historical documents written in middle of the sixteenth century.
From the second half of the sixteenth century, when the Council of Trent was
organized, royal authority, churches and monasteries in
According to the inspection documents,
the
The sleeping rooms for male and female
pilgrims were separated into first and second floor. But it was not rare that a
drunken male pilgrim invaded second floor. Beds were equipped with sheets,
pillows, blankets, bedcovers, although most of these bedclothes were old and
worn out. Poor bedclothes and modest building without chapel were fundamental
to the
The principal charities for pilgrims were
lodging service, meal service, fire service all gratis and the medical service
was provided to ill or injured pilgrims.
The lodging day of pilgrims received in
hospital was one day in principle. But a hospital could reject to receive the
indecent pilgrims. Based on Benedictine Regulation that was taken into service
in many hospitals along routes, the meals provided to healthy pilgrims were fundamentally
450 grams of bread and a small bottle of wine each day. The special meals were
provided on festivals.
Most of pilgrims-patients with physical
or mental illness were accepted in hospitals, except pilgrims-patients
suffering from leprosy and pestilence. Monks with medical knowledge and doctors
paid by the
¡¡A part of the property of the Monastery of
San Isidore and donations provided the ¡¡principal income of that hospital. According to an inventory
written in the first half of the fifteenth century, the
A monk appointed by the abbot of the
Monastery of San Isidore took responsibility for the
administration of the
The abbot as supreme administrator
inspected the
VI.
Conclusion
Santiago de Compostela
in which the Apostle Santo Jacob was said to be buried, attracted many pilgrims
from all over
Most of pilgrims who expected the
spiritual salvation and the worldly benefits represented by cures of illness
went on foot to Santiago de Compostela using four
major routes. As many churches and monasteries along the routes maintained many
relics of saints, pilgrimage was just like a
travel of relics. Pilgrims re-experienced a long and difficult travel
of Christ in pilgrimage. Although the ages, sexes, classes and jobs of
pilgrims were diverse, most of them were male common people, above all
merchants and craftsmen. Many poor and sick persons were also included among
pilgrims, because medieval people believed that Santo Jacob as intermediary
between God and pilgrims could get rid of the poverty and illness of pious
pilgrims by miracles. After doing entry ritual into pilgrimage, pilgrims who
were seen off by their relatives and fellows of guilds departed for holy place.
Pilgrims who arrived at Santiago de Compostela
entered into holy center after doing entry ritual and they dedicated candles,
olive oil and money to Major Altar of Cathedral Compostela
where Santo Jacob was enshrined. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compstela whose distance from
In this paper I have sketched the
pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela from diverse
points of view. Firstly, I would like to stress here the intimate relations
between the pilgrimage and the popular religion represented by the cult of
relics.
Secondly, we must
keep in mind that pilgrimage to finis terrae
could not be realized without travel network and developments of medieval
cities, even if the pilgrimage was a form of religious travel for conversion of
pilgrims. The pilgrims could continue their pilgrimage only if they were
supported by road network, travel information, confraternities and charities in
hospitals. The massive movement of pilgrims whose majority was composed of
common people would have been impossible without travel network and
developments of medieval cities.
At the same time,
it is remarkable that confraternity was not the ideal solidarity organized
among pious pilgrims, but was a part of established society. The same can be
said of charities in hospitals. The dominant classes of feudal society founded
many hospitals along routes and practiced charities for pilgrims. Even so,
these charities by the dominant classes were not selfless, but were done in expectation
of worldly benefits such as the maintenance of social status and power.
The pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela were realized on the bases of these historical
premises.
Notes
(1)
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(ed.)G,Torrente Ballester, Heterodoxos
en el camino de Santiago, Pamplona,1990,pp.9-14,40.89; J.G.Atienza, Los
peregrinos de camino de Santiago, Madrid,1993,pp.30,78-79; F.J.Fernández
Conde, La religiosidad medieval en España,t.1,Oviedo,2000,pp.257-271;
A.González-Varas, La protección juridíco-canónico y secular de los
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