pre-christian camino, etc.

[Sally Haden]

Thanks very much Rosina for your account of the discussion about the
Camino's history.
Personally I wouldn't want to try to explain the Camino's Christian history
by reference to anything prior to it.  Or to try to put religious devotion
down to something other than faith.  Faith is faith, like trees are trees.
I have my own faith, but it does not harm to add some anthropoligical and
cultural interest to it.  In fact faith is only expanded when it is open to
wonder about the whole stream of human existence and consciousness, and the
history of human faith.
Sally

>        After the 8:00 p.m. pilgrims Mass in the Santo Domingo de la
>Calzada
>Cathedral a, multilingual,  priest invites those who may wish to do so to
>remain and ask whatever they may want to know about the Camino and its
>history.
>The ensuing discussion is very friendly and informal.
>        On the occassion that I was there an English pilgrim asked why
>there
>were so many theories about the Pre-Christian Camino and so many inferences
>of
>magic influences and the like.
>        The priest said that the historical evidence is either non-existent
>or
>so scant that anyone can weave a theory about ancient routes.
>As to magic influences and such, the priest opined that those who cannot
>comprehend the wonders of life (such as the call of the Camino upon so many
>millions of humans)  through the eyes of Faith try to explain them through
>magic or
>attribute them to sorcery.  He then added that the difference between Faith
>and magic is, of course, love.
>              It makes perfect sense to me.
>Warm regards,
>Rosina

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