Famous Footsteps

It is easy to imagine thousands, nay millions of other pilgrims moving along the Camino over the centuries, with the paths well-trodden, steps well-worn, and lanes worn deep. We are reminded of some through the sad memorials, some dying within a day or two of reaching their earthly destination. Others are remembered in the various pilgrim cemeteries that still survive. No doubt more bones are mere dust somewhere over the land.

A particularly lovely sentiment in one of books says "...all my ancestors are behind me. 'Be still' they say. 'Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands.'

Some pilgrims are remembered for their celebrity. The oldest one was St. James himself of course, one of the apostles. Apparently there were 2 James on the rota of the 12 apostles - this one is also known as James the greater or senior, (pity the other one known as James the Lesser). the Camino James was apostle John's brother, which must have made their father Zebedee (a fisherman) and mother (Salome) proud. He was called to teach the lesson of Christ in Iberia and, when he returned to Jerusalem he was shortly after beheaded by Herod, in the year 44. His body was brought back to Galicia to be buried, where it lay undisturbed for several centuries.

In the early 9th century, a hermit discovered his body, after seeing a bright star over a hillside, marking the spot and a chapel was built over it. (The remains of a Roman cemetery were below that, and a pre-Roman necropils was below that, so it's been a revered place for a long, long time). Because of the hermit's vision, this was called the "campus stellae" (the field of the star), which later (and remains) became known as Compostela. The small chapel was soon replaced with a larger chapel, and in 896 Alfonso III had a larger church constructed to handle the growing number of pilgrims. In the late 11th century this was all knocked down with the desire to erect a truly spectacular edifice, incredibly quickly. Maestro Mateo constructed the Portico de la Gloria, as more and more chapels were added.

One of the first pilgrims of real substance seems to be Godescalco, Archbishop of Le Puy, who has been recorded here in 950AD, shortly after the Camino actually became established and popular. Aymeric Picaud was here around 1140. A French scholar, he authored the Codex Calixtinus, which was in essence the first guidebook of the Camino, written for the benefit of pilgrims and still used and referred to as a source of historical and cultural material.

Another well known Camino pilgrim was St. Francis of Assisi in 1214, who preached along way, and there is a church where he preached in Astorga. That same year, Saint Francisco was also on the Camino, and founded a church in Villafranca del Biezo.

Lorenzo de Medici, King Sigurd of Norway, Saint Godric (an English hermit of the 12th century), as well as many dukes, earls, bishops and archbishops made the pilgrimage, which from the start was  one of the three more important Christian pilgrimages to make (the others being Jerusalem and Rome). Making the pilgrimage took up for 3 years and was considered an investment in one's afterlife.

One of my favourite is Saint Birgitta of Sweden. She was born in 1303, married off at 14 and bore 8 children, four of each, 6 of whim survived infancy which is a miracle in itself. She and her husband completed the pilgrimage together (to and from Sweden!) in 1340, shortly after which her husband died. She then devoted herself to a life of prayer and good works. She made pilgrimages to both Jerusalem and Rome, set up an order, the Brigittines, a community for both men and women to live together (extremely rare!), who were also allowed to have as many books as they wanted (this was in the 14th century when books were hand written and illuminated, costly and rare!). Living out her days in Rome, she worked unceasingly against Church abuses. Her daughter became St. Catherine of Sweden. Now that's girl power!

Of the modern pilgrims, actors Shirley MacLaine (at age 60) and Martin Sheen are mentioned again and again. Martin Sheen and his son Emilio Estevez together made the film "The Way" in 2010, which, judging from the conversations we've had, seems to have inspired more Americans to do the Camino than anything else.