Why not the Northern Route?

[Preston Pittman]

I have a couple of ideas why the Camino Frances assumed prominence and not
the northern route -
The Camino Frances follows a very ancient Celtic pilgrimage route which went
to somewhere near the present Cabo Finisterrae.  I have heard that the
actually Celtic route ran a few miles to the north of the present Camino
Frances but converged with it in several places.  There were many ancient
Celtic sacred places - some of which were "baptised" as present day Catholic
Cathedrals or very special churches.  So the Camino Frances already had a
very ancient history and tradition before the middle ages.  I've also heard
that as you follow it on earth the milky way leads your way in the sky.  I
don't know if this would be true of the northern route.  And the Camino
Frances does follow the backbone of several mountain ranges on their south
side.  You are probably right when you guess that the northern route would
be more difficult because the mountain ranges do go right down to the sea in
many places and the river crossings would have been more difficult there.
Later - in the high middle ages, there were economic reasons for developing
the Camino Frances along the present route as you suggest (kings and princes
building up particular areas to attract pilgrims) but by that time I think
there was already a tradition pre-dating Christianity by thousands of years.
  This is only an educated proposal.  Anyone have any other ideas?
peace,
Preston


>From: lmorris <kesatotaSHAW.CA>
>Reply-To: Road to Santiago Pilgrimage <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
>To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
>Subject: Re: Why not the Northern Route?
>Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 09:49:42 -0800
>
>I think that the Ley lines played a large part in which became the main
>route for pilgrims of then and now.
>
>rd MILFORD wrote:
> >
> > Here is a question which I think may prove interesting.
> >
> > When I have been explaining to friends the reason that the Camino
>Frinces is so
> > prominent, I have told them that is because most people from France and
>anyone
> > from Northern Europe that walked towards Santiago would end up at the
>Pyrenese
> > and would look for the northern most pass through.  This led them to
>Pamplona
> > through the Napoleon Pass or the Samport.
> >
> > However, looking at the map, there is a more northerly pass thast avoids
>the
> > mountains at the coast.  It seems to me that somebody travelling from,
>for
> > example, Paris would find it quicker to follow the northern route.  So
>why did
> > the Camino Frances get all the attention?
> >
> > I thought of a few explanations:
> > Following the coast could be difficult in the absence of bridges.  Every
>time
> > one came to a major river one would have to strike inland until it could
>be
> > forwarded or there was a bridge.
> >
> > Are there cliffs that go all the way down to the waters edge, that make
> > progress difficult?
> >
> > The northern route is there; that proves that it is not impossible.
> >
> > Maybe people just followed those who went before them.  Broadway in New
>York
> > was once a goat track that led from New Amsterdam north; maybe the
>Camino route
> > is similar.
> >
> > Or maybe powerful people along the route (Kings, Princes, Bishops)
>wanted the
> > pilgrims to come through their towns and ran a gentle "protection
>racket" to
> > induce people to take that particular route.  "We would look after you
>if you
> > come this way but if you go that way bad things might happen".
> >
> > Has anybody got any ideas?


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