Anthology of the Camino Santiago
The anthology demonstrates, articulated reasons for the journey are not infrequently accompanied by a deep longing to take the road which is stronger than mere wanderlust or curiosity, an inner compulsion which draws the pilgrim towards Santiago, come what may.Note this is not a current guide those wishing to walk the Camino in the present day should use a modern guide such as the Village to Village Guide To The Camino Santiago |
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A great deal has been written about the phenomenon of pilgrimage. This anthology comprises a selection of the literary traces left by pilgrims through the centuries in prose and verse, with particular emphasis on pilgrims to the shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela in the far north-west of Spain. Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Latin writings are represented in addition to pieces in modern and Middle English. Some are extracts from relatively well-known works; others have been garnered from academic texts, out-of-print travel books and recent translations of historical accounts. A number of pieces have been commissioned especially for this collection.
There are as many motives for setting out on the Camino de Santiago as there are pilgrims. The artistic and architectural gems which embellish the Camino de Santiago, its historical significance and the varied landscapes through which it runs are sources of fascination for many who would not admit to any devotional or spiritual impulse. Nevertheless, as the anthology demonstrates, articulated reasons for the journey are not infrequently accompanied by a deep longing to take the road which is stronger than mere wanderlust or curiosity, an inner compulsion which draws the pilgrim towards Santiago, come what may.
In Latin, peregrino means a stranger and pilgrims have long been viewed as symbolic representatives of humanity on the journey through the landscapes of life. Poems and extracts from longer works have been included to illustrate this outlook, together with more matter-of-fact references to pilgrims from the time when their presence in and passage through Western Europe were commonplace.
The collection continues with accounts of pilgrims' adventures on the land and sea routes to Santiago from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. The tone varies: humour, piety and detached observation are all found. Pilgrim songs, samples from guidebooks and accounts of specific journeys are represented. Place-names remain largely unchanged, and even if many of the hospitals and foundations mentioned have long ago shut their doors for the last time, they have been replaced by gites in France and refugios in Spain, which serve the same purpose.
The reflections and observations of recent pilgrims, both walkers and cyclists, then follow. The young and the not so young, solitary pilgrims, travellers in company, family members and the leader of a group all tell their stories and recall incidents along the traditional routes to Santiago through France and Spain. The genuine welcome given by local people and the bond of shared experience between pilgrims are recurrent themes.
Santiago itself is the subject of the next section. For some it is a place of joy, for others an enigma, an eruption of flamboyant stone in the tranquil depths of Galicia. A sense of anti-climax and uncertainty on reaching the dreamed-of goal is not uncommon, but the majesty and vitality of the extraordinary cathedral almost invariably create a vivid and profound impression. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote 'To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.
However, were it not for the effort and energy expended by thousands making Santiago the third most important Christian shrine, from the proud and ambitious twelfth century archbishop Diego Gelmirez to the humblest workman on the cathedral construction site, the pilgrim routes would not exist today as many-faceted sources of inspiration.
Finally, there is a short section on the return, to be accomplished before a pilgrimage is complete. The anthology ends with an excerpt from a dialogue of Erasmus, the humanist and reformer who cast a gently mocking eye over the pretensions of Santiago and Walsingham in their late medieval decadence. Almost five hundred years after he wrote and in a radically altered world, people whom Erasmus and his predecessors might not recognise as pilgrims are still attracted to both places.
Readers may not agree with all the sentiments and opinions expressed in this collection. However, But the book communicates something of the spirit of the Camino de Santiago.
A Pilgrim Anthology, 1994, 122pp, illus, ed. Phinella Henderson.Prose and poetry on the pilgrimage through the ages
Note this is not a current guide those wishing to walk the Camino in the present day should use a modern guide such as the Village to Village Guide To The Camino Santiago
