#Story of the pilgrims archive

When the knight miraculously arose alive from the water, he was covered in scallop shells.The Romantic Story of the Mayflower Pilgrims, by Albert Addison The Plymouth Colony Archive Project The Romantic Story of the Mayflower Pilgrims

James was being returned to Spain, a knight fell from a cliff on shore and drowned as the body passed by. The shell was also the subject of a legend that said that when the body of St. Travelers would wear a scallop shell to proclaim their status as pilgrims, and the motif was incorporated into many of the buildings, wells, churches, and monuments along the route. The scallop shell became the symbol of the pilgrimage, in part because the shells were common along the Atlantic beaches just west of Santiago. A pilgrimage was seen as an enactment of the spiritual journey to Christ, and the hardships along the way were welcomed as tests of faith.Īs the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela grew in popularity, so did the legends and lore associated with it. On the road pilgrims from many countries mingled, from Amsterdam and Gdansk to Lisbon and Zagreb.įor many centuries, the pilgrimage drew both the wealthy and the poor. James became the first great thoroughfare of Christian Europe, a meeting place for people from a wide variety of backgrounds and nations. Monuments, churches, monasteries, towns, and cities grew up along the network of roads leading to Santiago, and the city itself benefited greatly from the spiritual, economic and cultural growth stimulated by the millions of pilgrims. James was difficult, but for many pilgrims it offered a much easier trip than the journey to Jerusalem or Rome.

On the road to Santiago de Compostela (Lori Erickson photo)

While many roads led to Santiago from all over Europe, the most traveled became the French Road, which passes over the Pyrenees Mountains before entering Galicia The kings of the neighboring lands of Aragon, Navarre and Castile contributed to the route’s popularity by building bridges, hospitals, and other pilgrim services, often entrusting the work to the monks of the French order of Cluny. Spanish bishop Diego Gelmirez was a strong advocate for the city as well, starting a large-scale building program that included the construction of its immense Romanesque cathedral, as well as facilities for the many pilgrims who made their way to Santiago. In the year 1122 Pope Calixtus II granted the city various privileges, including an indulgence for those who journeyed here on pilgrimage, with special consideration given to those who made the pilgrimage in a year when the Feast of St. The pilgrimage drew the devout from across Europe for several reasons. The shrine began attracting pilgrims, who steadily increased in number until by the eleventh and twelfth centuries, a half-million pilgrims a year were making their way to Santiago. The bishop of a nearby town, Theodomir, had a church built on the site of the tomb.Īround this shrine the city of Santiago de Compostela grew (while its origins are not certain, Compostela may come from the Latin campus stellae, “field of stars”). The matter was investigated and a Roman-era tomb containing St. James was interred in a tomb in northwestern Spain, after which its location fell into oblivion for centuries.Īround the year 815, a Spanish hermit named Pelayo had a vision in which he saw a bright light shining over a spot in a forest. Following his death, his followers are said to have taken his body to the coast, where a ship was miraculously waiting for them. According to tradition, he also traveled to Spain to spread the Good News, then returned to Jerusalem where he was martyred. James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. The story of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is intertwined with the history of Christianity.Īfter Jesus’ resurrection, St. Detail from church in Santiago de Compostela (Lori Erickson photo)