According to the Bible, after the death of Jesus Christ, with their initial instructions to heal the sick and drive out the demons, His closest followers, the Apostles, started preaching the Gospel to “all the Nations”.
Saint James “the Greater” (with Great meaning older or taller, rather than more important) or Saint Jacob, son of Zebedee, together with his brother John, are described as the first disciples of Jesus Christ.
It is said that James, with his fiery temper for which he and his brother earned the nickname "Sons of Thunder”, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, started preaching the gospel in Spain, where he eventually became its patron saint.
According to ancient local tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to James on the 2nd of January AD 40, on the bank of the Ebro River, and following that apparition, James returned to Judea, where he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in the year 44.
After a series of miraculous happenings, such as his body was taken up by angels, and sailed in a unattended boat, according to the legend, his remains are presently held in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, while his head remained at the traditional place where he was martyred, in Jerusalem.
It is also known that the relics of St James were discovered in the time of King Alfonso the 2nd (791-842) by bishop Theodemir of Iria, and that moment is considered to be the start of the pilgrimage route, The Way of Saint James, or El Camino de Santiago, that began to be established in the 9th century.
The shrine dedicated to St. James at Santiago de Compostela city, in Spain, became one of the most famous pilgrimage site in the Christian world.
The Legend:
In 813, the hermit Pelayo had a vision in which a star shined brightly on a nearby field. Starting digging there, he made the discovery of the bones of Saint James, buried and forgotten eight centuries earlier. The timing couldn’t have been better as The Christian Kingdom of Asturias in northern Spain was facing difficult times due to the Moorish conquest. However, according to the legend, as the Asturian army prepared to face the much larger Muslim force at Clavijo, Saint James appeared on his white horse and led them into battle and victory, and so began the legend of Santiago Matamoros (Saint James the Moor-killer), one of the Saint’s two faces along the Camino.
The cult of Santiago de Compostela grew gradually over the next two centuries, in the 12th century being already propelled to the forefront of the Christian world. One of the main contributions to the growth of its popularity was the “guide book” named Codex Calixtinus, which emerged between 1130-40s and had included a list of miracles attributed to Saint James, the history of the route and a collection of practical advice for travellers, including warnings about “evil toll gatherers” and “barbarous” locals.
At its peak in the Middle Ages, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all across Europe made the journey to Santiago de Compostela, the route being highly travelled. They walked the Way of St. James, often for months and occasionally years at a time, to arrive at the great church and pay homage to St. James. Many arrived with very little due to illness or robbery.
However, the Black Death, the Protestant Reformation and political unrest in the 16th century Europe, led to the decline of the pilgrimage. By the 1980s, only a few hundred pilgrims per year registered in The Pilgrim's Office in Santiago, but since then, the route has attracted more and more of modern-day international pilgrims.
The Present Times:
For today’s pilgrim, we describe the way of Saint James (Latin: Peregrinatio Compostellana) as a number of routes, pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the saint are buried. It is one of the most important Christian pilgrimages, together with those to Rome and Jerusalem.
These routes are followed mainly as a form of spiritual path or retreat for spiritual growth, and in October 1987, were declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe; The Way of Saint James was also named one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
The Original Way or Camino Primitivo, is the oldest route to Santiago de Compostela, first taken in the 9th century and which begins in Oviedo.
The French Way or Camino Francés has the starting point in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, at the border with France.
The Northern Way or Camino del Norte is believed to have been firstly used in the Middle Ages, by pilgrims who wanted to avoid traveling through the territories occupied by the Muslims. It starts in the Basque city of Irun, following the coast along the Bay of Biscay, passing through the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia, until it nears Santiago. It is also said to be less travelled due to its changes in elevation. It is said.
The Northern Caminos are enjoying their own popularity, mostly among pilgrims that are more physically fit for tougher trekking, but also for their beauty of the landscape and the overwhelming presence of the Bay of Biscay.
In 2017, there were aprox 17000 pilgrims on the Camino del Norte and aprox 13000 of pilgrims on the Camino Primitivo, all being awarded the Compostela (the diploma given by the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago, to those who complete the pilgrimage). Meanwhile, also in 2017, Camino Frances was walked by a number of 180.000 pilgrims.
It is also important to know that these statistics don’t include those walkers who didn’t complete their pilgrimage in Santiago, so the actual number of pilgrims is higher.
The Educated Pilgrim:
El Camino de Santiago started to become more known after the release, in 1987, of the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho’s first novel, The Pilgrimage, then its sequel The Alchemist. Later, in 2010, the movie The Way, written and directed by Emilio Estevez, honoured and promoted the traditional pilgrimage, making it more popular among American travellers.
But nowadays, the Camino routes from Spain are so well advertised by social media, travel agencies etc, that the pilgrimage becomes more and more touristic with every day, leaving behind the spiritual journey that used to be.
Therefore, in addition to travellers undertaking a religious pilgrimage, fewer with each year, there are now different reasons for walking the Way of Saint James: fitness challenges, solving health issues, destress, passion for travel, love of nature, learning cultural differences, seeking adventures, finding new friends or life partners, and many others. In any case, most of the pilgrims are in the search of a spiritual retreat from the modern life.
In order for you to plan this beautiful trip, for religious purposes or not, before starting your walk, you might want to know the following information:
1. The Credecial:
As they start the walk, most of the pilgrims purchase (or get for free from the donative hostels) and carry a document called Credencial, which gives access to overnight accommodation along the route. Also known as the "pilgrim's passport", the credencial is stamped with the official St. James stamp of each town or albergue/refugio at which the pilgrim has stayed. It provides pilgrims with a record of where they are or slept and serves as proof to the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago that the journey was accomplished according to an official route and that the pilgrim qualifies to receive a Compostela (certificate of completion of the pilgrimage).
The pilgrim’s passport can be purchased on the internet, in advance as well (like I did), and get sent to your house address before the departure. I think it is easier like that, and stress-free at the moment you will arrive on the Camino for the first time.
At the end of the journey, the colourful and fully stamped Credential will become a precious item and memory to you, so take care of it! Sadly, some pilgrims loose it on the way.
2. The shell symbol:
Most pilgrims receive a shell at the start of their walk and either attach it to their clothes or wear it around their neck, or simply keep it in their backpack. But what does it mean?
One of the myths about the origin of the symbol, concerns the death of Saint James: after his death, his disciples shipped his body to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried in what is now Santiago, but off the coast of Spain, a heavy storm hit the ship, and the body was lost to the ocean. After some time, however, it is said to be washed ashore undamaged, covered in scallops.
That being said, it is no coincidence that in French the scallops are called Coquilles Saint Jacques, while the Germans name them ‘Jakobsmuscheln’ (James mussels).
Another symbol of the Camino de Santiago, the yellow arrow, together with the shell, are seen very frequently along the trails. Both are way marks along the Camino in order to guide the pilgrims along their walk, but only the shell is commonly seen on the pilgrims themselves. Wearing it denotes that one is a traveller on the Camino de Santiago.
3. The right equipment:
I would say there is no right equipment for a joyful pilgrim. Except good boots (that need to be one size bigger) and adequate trekking socks, everyone should consider to take half of the clothes they think they need, and choose the most comfortable ones. You need your backpack to be as light as possible, and besides that, one of the things you will learn on the way, if you haven’t already, is that in life, one doesn’t need much.
For example, I carried with me five t-shirts, from which I wore only two (my favourite) that I washed every day and by the time the morning came, they were already dried. Or, I didn’t have any raincoat as I used a small umbrella. Maybe having it I looked funny for some pilgrims, but I actually consider myself smart for wearing it: my clothes didn’t get wet because of sweat (most of the raincoats protect you from out coming water only, but they don’t allow the skin to breath), and during hot weather temperatures I was protected from the sun too, having a shade following me wherever I went. Allow yourself to be free and inventive, and take with you whatever you think is best for you.
Also, make sure not to forget at home your biggest smile! It will definitely, sometimes, ease your walk.
4. The Pilgrim’s ethic:
In 2019, I was disappointed by meeting pilgrims who, no matter their education or cultural background, don’t understand what respect means. For example, the younger travellers who consider Camino being “cool”, tend to drink a lot of alcohol and cannot control their actions and loud speaking, or others, switch on the light at night and make noise or start talking while other people are still sleeping. But I was even more disappointed noticing pilgrims resting, eating and using the facilities of donative hostels, and not offering any money or donation in return. Almost as if they were only interested in having a cheap vacation under the disguise of a pilgrim.
The albergues are usually run by voluntary hosts (hospitaleros), the waymarks and roads are maintained by local organizations, the farmers donate vegetables from their own gardens, as there is an entire Camino community that supports and thinks of the wellbeing of the pilgrim. Therefore, you have to be aware and thankful of how many people are giving up their time, goods, money and energy to make your pilgrimage possible.
And sadly, there aren’t many “albergues de peregrino” anymore, hostels that can provide dorm-style accommodation and facilities exclusively to pilgrims, and still being able to operate on a voluntary donation (donativo) basis. They get fewer each year as the mentality of nowadays pilgrim became of equating the words “donation requested” with “free”. The donations are important so that the hostels are kept in operation for future real pilgrims.
A message to keep in mind is the local Spanish saying “Turistas manden; peregrinos agradecen”, meaning “Tourists demand; pilgrims thank”. If you intend to go on a pilgrimage, please be grateful and respectful.
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