Pilgrim In The House Of St. James

Pilgrimage became a major force in the Middle Ages, as people wanted to cleanse their souls. Dante describes what a pilgrim is in his la Vita Nuova: "'pilgrim' may be understood in two senses, one general, and one special. General, so far as any man may be called a pilgrim who leaveth the places of his birth; whereas, more narrowly speaking, he only is a pilgrim who goeth towards or forwards the House of St. James." The three main pilgrimage sites for Christians were in Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela in Spain. In this quote, Dante is referring to Compostela. Santiago de Compostela was built in 1078, and it was transformed into a metropolis by Pope Calixtus II in 1120. St. James was the cult figure associated with the cathedral,

James of Compostela appeared in the ninth century with the discovery of his bones in 830 C.E. According to Francesco Piccardi in his guidebook to pilgrimage in 1472, St. James "was the Virgin Mary's nephew, a witness to the Transfiguration and of the Agony in the Garden, martyr, bishop and preacher." In being a relative of the Virgin, St. James is elevated among the apostles. To some individuals, he would be given more precedence than St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome. This account also verifies St. James position during Jesus' time period, and it showcases how he was privy to Jesus' inner circle. In the Golden Legend from the thirteenth century readers are told that "he was sent into Spain for to sow there the word of Jesu[s] Christ. But when he was there he profited but little, for he had converted unto Christ's law but nine disciples, of whom he left two there, for to preach the word of God, and took the other seven with him and returned again into Judea." This account places St. James in Compostela. It also gives credence to the notion that he was discovered in Medieval Iberia, where they found his body. For instance, Bishop Theodomir of Iria Flavia with "the guidance of the hermits and the shepherds, workmen invaded the wooded hill and after clearing away the undergrowth they came across a small shrine. Beneath the arch was an altar and at its foot a sarcophagus." There is no historical record of these accounts, as the only evidence of his remains set down in the

Before a pilgrim would leave his town, he would receive communion after a confession, and his name would be read out loud by his priest. These individuals were supposed to be humble in their journey, and they were "encouraged by religious authorities to go by foot and with few possessions." Pilgrims were supposed to adopt Christ's model of humility, as he relied on God to provide him with his needs. A land route from England to Compostela could take from six months to a year. This would be a large financial burden on an individual, who needed to work throughout the year, but pilgrimage was open to all members of society. For instance, the nobleman Laurence Rathold of Pasztho was issued safe conduct by Emperor Sigismund in 1408, and "'led by the fineness of his mind' he intended 'to traverse the various climates of the world in the exercise and increase of feats of knighthood.'" Going on a pilgrimage would have been an honor for individuals to cleanse their souls. While this example describes someone from the upper classes, pilgrims from all social classes traveled to Compostela. Walter Starkie remarks that poor pilgrims traveled to Compostela "because of a vow made when in mortal danger, or in youth. [...] But the prosperous middle classes derived satisfaction from the pilgrimage and a kind of social status which they revived by their membership of one the confraternities." Going on a pilgrimage would