The Pilgrimage came about because of the myth that St James preached in Spain. Although he was largely unsuccessful he then asked to be buried in Spain. His followers placed his body in a stone boat (which can still be seen in Muxia?). There were difficulties in this endeavour as it seems that the Spanish were none too keen to have the Saint buried on their land and refused his followers permission – the local Queen, Lupa, provided the team of oxen used to draw the body from Padrón to the site of the marble tomb a little way inland which she had also provided but the oxen proved to be unruly beasts who had not been tamed and so could not be yoked yet, once the sign of the cross had been made over them, they were docile and pulled the cart with the Saint’s body upon it with ease.
The site of his tomb was then forgotten for some 800 years.
After the fall of the Roman Empire Spain was ruled by the Moors against whom the Spanish rose up with Saint James at their head literally - in 813 a Shepherd was drawn to a field by a bright star (hence Santiago de Compostela – Saint James of the field of stars) and the body of St James was then ‘found’. The discovery was used to spearhead the re-conquest of Spain for Christianity and he supposedly personally led the Spanish into battle against the Moors several times and thus became the Patron Saint of Spain. Thus the Pilgrimage to Santiago came about with its height in the mediaeval period.
The symbol of the Pilgrim became the scallop shell of which many can be found on the coast of Galicia and it is actually a symbol of the Pilgrimage (and has become a symbol of other Christian Pilgrimages too) partly because you could find the shell easily there and so could go back home and show it off as proof that you had done the Pilgrimage. It has also been included in carvings in some Churches.
The site of his tomb was then forgotten for some 800 years.
After the fall of the Roman Empire Spain was ruled by the Moors against whom the Spanish rose up with Saint James at their head literally - in 813 a Shepherd was drawn to a field by a bright star (hence Santiago de Compostela – Saint James of the field of stars) and the body of St James was then ‘found’. The discovery was used to spearhead the re-conquest of Spain for Christianity and he supposedly personally led the Spanish into battle against the Moors several times and thus became the Patron Saint of Spain. Thus the Pilgrimage to Santiago came about with its height in the mediaeval period.
The symbol of the Pilgrim became the scallop shell of which many can be found on the coast of Galicia and it is actually a symbol of the Pilgrimage (and has become a symbol of other Christian Pilgrimages too) partly because you could find the shell easily there and so could go back home and show it off as proof that you had done the Pilgrimage. It has also been included in carvings in some Churches.
Scallops also serve a practical purpose for medieval pilgrims as it is the correct size for getting water to drink or to use as a small bowl to eat their food from.
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