To be a Pilgrim
Publicado por Unknown , sábado, 29 de noviembre de 2014 3:54
What does it take to become a pilgrim? Do you need documentation in
order to be classed as a “pilgrim”?
The word Pilgrim comes from the Latin words per (meaning
"through") plus ager(meaning "land, field"),
which were combined into the adjective pereger, used to describe a
person traveling abroad. Eventually, this developed into peregrinus,
meaning "a foreigner."
Appropriately enough, the word peregrinus traveled far
and wide (from Latin into Old French, then Middle English, and eventually
modern English). From the very earliest days of Christianity, it was customary
for Christians to journey to places of religious significance. A person making
such a pilgrimage was also known as a peregrinus, which in Late
Latin became peligrinus. In Old French, the word became peligrin,
which was borrowed into English around 1200 as pelegrim orpilegrim,
becoming pilgrim in modern English.
So, the answer is no, you do not need any documentation in order to “be
a Pilgrim”, all you need is a religious place of significance and mode of
transportation. Driving to church on Sunday is a pilgrimage in it’s own right.
But what does it take to be recognised as a pilgrim?
Well, on the modern-day Camino de Santiago, pilgrims have a wonderful array of
items which all shout “I’m a pilgrim”. These range from the traditional scallop
shell, a Pilgrims Passport filled with stamps, a wide-brim hat, a backpack, a
walking pole, hiking boots, tanned/sunburned forearms & backs of legs, a
blister, or a Compostela! These are all things that you will recognise when
encountering a pilgrim on the road to Santiago de Compostela.
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