Pilgrim of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle

The pilgrims of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle were seen allotting several names according to the times. Most known is “Jacquet étymologiquement” (: that which goes to Saint-Jacob). The word “Romieu” designates in the beginning the pilgrim going to Rome, another great pilgrimage of the Moyen-âge. The term was also used for other pilgrimages and, according to the times, was also given to the pilgrims of Saint-Jacques-with-Compostelle.

Presentation

Toponyms carry the trace of this past, such as “Romieu Bridge” with Conques among other bridges along the ways. With the wire of time, and the imaginary one helping, these bridges become “Roman”. One also finds an abbey of Romieu, place of reception of the pilgrims, and fountains, such as Font Romieu with Saint-Like-in Olt. Into Spain, Romieu was transformed into “Romero”, which one finds today in various place names.

The pilgrims from time immemorial borrowed the transportation routes of the other travellers (commercial, craftsmen, clerks, men-at-arms,…). The conditions of their voyage were the same ones as those of these other travellers. They were subjected to the same risks. According to their financial possibilities they used the existing means of transport (in particular rivers) and lodgings common to all those which moved. The houses God accommodated the poor, passers by and pilgrims and those which could it placed with the inn. The edition in 1882 of the last Book of the Codex Calixtinus , manuscript compiled at the 12th century, brought information on the roads which go in Compostelle. Written by the monk Aimery Picaud, this Book was regarded as a guide of the pilgrim. Its translation in 1938 published under this title amplified confusion. In fact this document was diffused only with some specimens (studies of Allison Stones) and could not be the medieval equivalent of the contemporary guides.

Attributes of the pilgrim

Blessed before the big departure, the double sack and the bumblebee constitute, as of the top Moyen-âge, the two attributes characteristic of the pilgrim, allowing to recognize it as tel.

The bumblebee, or stick of the pilgrim, was in the beginning smaller than the walker, and with only one pommel, thereafter it will be represented larger than him, with two pommeaux.
The sermon “ Veneranda dies ”, integrated into the first book of the Codex Calixtinus defines its two principal functions to help with walk “like a third foot”, and to defend the pilgrim, concretely, “against the wolf and the dog”, but also, with a symbolic system degree, against the traps of the demon, arms with the hello by penitence, it becomes the “stick of hope - shoed charity - covered constancy - of love and chastity” of the Song of the Duty of the Pilgrims.

The double sack, which contained thin the pitance of the walker, was called “escharpe” as former French, by deterioration of francic Skerpa, bag in shoulder-belt. At the 16th century, this term was replaced by that of case, until the word bread basket is essential. The sermon Veneranda dies allots a strong value symbolic system to him: it is narrow because to remain, the pilgrim puts his confidence as a God and not in his own resources; it is in skin of animal to recall him that he must mortify his flesh; finally, it is always opened, to give like receiving.

Starting from the end of the Middle Ages, other accessories come to be added to these two attributes. The water-bottle, made of a dried and emptied marrow or a container evoking this form, contains drink of the pilgrim; it is sometimes fixed on the bumblebee, using a hook placed between the two pommels.

A little later appears the certificate box containing the authorizations, safe conducts, letters of introduction, passports and other tickets of confession which the pilgrims must have starting from XVe century. Lastly, at that time also the use of the patenôtre or chain spreads.

As for the costume of the pilgrim it is before very functional. With the the Middle Ages, the saints walkers are generally represented vêtus of the coat, tunic equipped with handles, always long for the women, but being able to stop with the knees for the men, and of the surcot, fuller clothing, in general shorter, of fabric coarser, without handles and split on the sides; the hood, prolonged cap of a collet recovering the shoulders, and a hat, initially of conical form, then on folded back board, supplement the behavior.

At the 15th century, the pèlerine, vast cape wrapping the walker to the ankles, replaces little by little the surcot; the use of the round hat, on broad board folded back at the front, spreads; the collet of the hood lengthens then becomes, at the 16th century, an autonomous part of clothing, called mantelet, covering the shoulders, it is sometimes out of leather and constitutes the element most characteristic of the behavior of the pilgrim, at the point to appear among the attributes of the pilgrimage.

Lastly, the pilgrim of Saint-Jacob is characterized, as of first half of the 12th century, by the emblematic shell. In littoral water of the Galician coast, molluscs with bivalvular shell, pertaining to the Pecten kind live. From their old dedication to Venus, they draw their Spanish name from concha venerated. These are these will veiras Galician, broad shells whose form points out that with the hand, that the jacquets collects on the strike and has habit to sew with their hat, as a sign of their peregrination, when comes the moment from the return. The author of the sermon “ Veneranda dies ” sees there the symbol of good works being épanchant with the open hand.

The legends make of it the sign of the miraculous power of Jacques saint, saving tumultuous floods a prince whom his horse packed there had precipitated. About to perish, the rider calls upon the assistance of the saint, and soon its body is miraculeusement fished out, very constellated with shells.

It is also the shell brought back of Compostelle by an Italian pilgrim, who formerly made disappear, to the dires of the Liber Sancti Jacobi, by simple contact, enormous the goiter with which a knight was afflicted with Apulie. At the 13th century, the bishops of Compostelle conceded with the tradesmen established on the square of the Saint-Jacob cathedral the exclusiveness in the sale of reproductions, out of lead or tin, of the famous shells. However the success of the shell compostellane was such as its use spread, and became the common badge of any pilgrim.

Between the 15th century and the 18th century, the jacquets also brought back of Compostelle two other types of objects, the bourdonnets and the azabaches. Small sticks cut in the shape of bumblebee, the bourdonnets, like the shells, were fixed on the hat or clothing of the pilgrim.

As for the azabaches, Compostelle was made of it a speciality until the 17th century. They are small objects of piety (medallions, statuettes representing holy Jacques) cut in jet coming from the mines of the Asturies and of Leon. They were sold Place of Azabacharia.

Pèlerines

Did the women as frequently launch out as the men on the ways of Compostelle? For lack of statistics, it is difficult to answer this question. However, the texts refer more readily to the pilgrims of male sex and all the accounts of voyage which reached us are accounts of men.

However, a certain number of indices enable us to detect the presence of the pèlerines: in the account of the Miracle of hang-depended, it is well a whole family which travels towards Compostelle: the father, the mother and the son, victim of a mishap with Santo Domingo of Calzada, on the door of Hospital del Rey with Burgos, a group of pilgrims is represented: man, woman giving the center to a baby and children.

In certain large hospitals, we know that there was a room for the women, while the sisters were appointed to accommodate them and look after them. Lastly, the statutes of the brotherhoods refer to the “colleagues” beside the “fellow-members”.

There was thus, indeed, of the women on the ways of Compostelle. One can simply think, starting from the rare sources which we have on this topic, that they were much fewer than the men, than they travelled preferably in family and, undoubtedly because of the road hazards, almost never only.

The pilgrimage of the women was the object of many criticisms in XIVe and 15th centuries, the comic literature developed, with the envi, the topic of the woman pretending to leave in pilgrimage to find some lover, or to seek adventure. This mentality misogynist is found in the vocabulary of XVe and 16th centuries, where the word coquillarde designates the adulteress.

Brotherhoods

At the 12th century, new actors appear in the organization of the reception to the pilgrims: brotherhoods. Generally created by former pilgrims, with an aim of maintaining the devotion with Jacques saint, the brotherhoods quickly reach the number of two hundreds in France.
Most important are those of Paris, Lyon, Rheims, Bordeaux, Toulouse (two), Valencian, Senlis, Laval, Poitiers, Châlons-sur-Marne.

Banner of procession of Senlis, top of bumblebee of Haux in the Gironde, crucifixes at the ends in shell of Saint-Geniuses-the-High in the Herault, frescos, engravings, tables or statues of Jacques saint with two or several pilgrims, vaults dedicated to the apostle with adapted decoration, are not the only witnesses of their activity; books of brotherhoods, sometimes decorated with naive watercolours, as with Chalon-sur-Saône, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence. …

They show that, if the current slowed down about it, the pilgrimage of Jacques saint survived the wars of religion. Strong brotherhoods pèlerines of forty members still distinguish at the 18th century the simple excessively pious people from those which achieved the “Voyage” and prove it by presenting their “Compostelle” (certificate to have achieved in Saint-Jacob their religious duties.) Their number varies from a half-dozen to ten per annum in the best cases.

The handwritten books of brotherhoods were the first required to the future pilgrims routes detailed (Senlis, Rouen, Angers. …) They made known also these “songs of pilgrims”, like the Great song (Paris) or the song of the pilgrims of Aurillac who are small more or less detailed routes mnemotechnics.

Other activities are born: votive masses, offices, “plays”. The fellow-members “play” in public of the scenes of the life of Jacques saint or his miracles, especially that of the Miracle of hang-depended. They do not scorn the banquets but go in procession until front king (Louis XVI); ahead of of the pilgrims of more or less high ranking whose return is announced (that of Paris, for the duke Charles de Valois in XVIe century), often to honor the burial with one as of their, but especially of course, for the festival of their patron saint, on July 25th.

Songs of pilgrims

The Codex Calixtinus does not mention anything the repertory of the pilgrims themselves, if it is not their currency: “E Ultreya, E suseya, Deus aia our” (More oultre! …).

Among the 430 parts of the Càntigas de Santa Maria joined together at the end of XIIIe century at the court of the king Alphonse Wise the, two tell legends of Camino, on of which that of the Miracle of hang-depended. Four others put in competition the sanctuary compostellan with that, marial, of Villalcàzar de Sirga.

The Vermilion Book of Montserrat written at the 14th century, to what testifies was the musical expression of the pilgrims in the Catalan sanctuary, rates/rhythms suitable for walk and the dance, strophic forms adapted to the processions, parts out of gun easy to sing with several…

It is especially starting from the beginning of the 17th century that one starts to find songs jacquets: they often adopt a strophic form, to tell the various stages and adventures of their voyage: To have my favourable God, the Great Song, etc Certaines of these songs will remain until the 19th century.

“wall cupboards. ”

At the 18th century, the pilgrims bought printed sheets or “wall cupboards”, carrying an image of Jacques saint blessing of Jacquets, with the text of a marching song.

to have my favourable God, song of the XVIIe century, first strophe.

“ to have my favourable God

wish of going in Galicia,

Voir the Jacques saint Large the

I Made entreprins cest exercise

Not like lazy. ”

Coquillards

Anecdote

The testimony of the emir Ali Ben Yoûsouf (1106 - 1142) come to meet, to Compostelle, the queen Doña Urraca, gives an idea of the importance of the flow of the pilgrims who went near the tomb of the apostle. Impressed troops of jacquets on the ways of Compostelle, the emir asked the guide which accompanied it: “Which is this so large character, so famous, so that the Christians in order to will request towards him from the Pyrenees and moreover far still? The multitude of those which go and come is so large that it is hardly if it leaves free a passage on the roadway in direction of the Occident. ”

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