Was St. James' Body Carried along the Camino?

[davidson]

Bill, and all:
My research on and understanding of the St. James' story confirms Bill's
succinct reply. It is said that St. James' body was put on a boat in the Holy
Land and the boat traveled through the Mediterranean, through the Straits of
Gibraltar, and up the Atlantic coast where it stopped at Padron in present-day
Galicia. St. J's disciples were waiting for him and took his body for burial.

Most of this information is found in the story of his "translation" (formal
religious term for the movement of a saint's body) in the 12th century _Liber
Sancti Jacobi_, the huge manuscript about the St. James celebrations, masses,
music, story, and the 12th-century guide.

The Road to Santiago (that is the "French" Road, or Milky Way) developed for
the pilgrimage, yes, but don't forget that the Romans had developed a series
of north-south and east-west "highways" for their own commercial and political
reasons. Much of the Camino / Road is the northernmost Roman highway linking
east with the wonderful nice, glorious Bierzo -- where there was gold in them
there hills. If you have traveled through the Bierzo and not seen the sluiced
out gold mines, you've really missed an unusual site of Spanish
geology/geography.

By the way, the Romans were as unhappy about the nature of the Basques as was
the 12th century "Guide" writer (referred to above), and the present day
Spanish government. The Roman highway skirts south around the Basque lands.

Part of the St. James legend, too, is that this apostle traveled to Galicia to
prostheletyze and when he decided to return to Jerusalem, he walked east along
the Roman highway -- and stopped in places like Oviedo, where other,
less-known tales have been conserved about his presence there. For
example,there's the one about his having gotten a thorn in his foot, a thorn
that he couldn't get out .... Around which there is still a modestly
interesting folk festival in northeast Catalunya..... (intrigued? then I'll
tell more, if not, then i'll let it go)

By the way, do you remember that the Bible said he was decapitated? --
His head is said to be in the orthodox church in Jerusalem and, I think,
Rosina, you visited that church and saw the head in the floor ?


Linda Davidson