[Gocamino] a serious medieval question or three

[Kathy Gower]

I received this request and wonder if anyone out there knows the answers...(this isn't a quiz)  I have sent this to a couple of listserves..."Got a question for you: our tour guide at the cathedral in Santiago assured us that in the middle ages pilgrims would burn their clothes in a large stone tub on the roof (visible when you go out the north exit and look back at the cathedral) and would be given "new" (or at least clean) replacement clothes by the church. I said I'd never heard of that--have you? Also, she said that the botafumiero wasn't used to make the cathedral smell better but was used for some combo of disinfecting and blessing. Again, have you heard this? And third--that when you enter a church for the first time, you put your hand on your heart and make 3 spiritual wishes. That's why she thinks it isn't important that the Tree of Jesse may not be accessible for pilgrims to touch--after all, the tradition (??) is to make 3 spiritual wishes.... no need to touch anything...."Just wondering. Maybe you can put these questions out there to others who might know something?

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