10 symbols of the Camino de Santiago.

The Camino de Santiago, like a nation, has its symbols. However, instead of flags and anthems, it has greetings that allow you to identify who the pilgrims are, arrows and much more!

Today, we bring you 10 symbols of the Camino de Santiago. These physical representations, in which we immediately recognize ourselves, are as simple as the stones on top of each other all along the way to the yellow arrows that are now as well known as the Vieira.

That's why we've written this article, so you can learn more about these images, sounds and documents: where they come from and why. Happy reading!

1) Bom Caminho, Ultreia and Suseia.

Just like the national anthem, the sounds and words that make up the Camino are also symbols of this journey. Whenever we come across a pilgrim in Portugal, we are greeted with a friendly Bom Caminho, or Buen Camino, if they are foreigners. Portuguese speakers quickly understand what this means. However, it can be confusing for first-time walkers with no experience - as pilgrim author Agostinho Leal tells us in his book: Memoirs of a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

"(...) I decided to sit down to rest for a while on some stone benches that were there. Just then, a couple of foreign pilgrims passed by and greeted me:

-Welldone!

I was still unfamiliar with the greeting, but I sensed the friendly intent. Thinking they were Spaniards, I replied with the same friendliness:

-It's not bad at all, the problem is the traffic. But it will get better once we leave the urban area."

Ultreia and Suseia, on the other hand, have religious origins. They are a statement followed by an answer. Someone says Ultreia, we answer Suseia. But why? It was part of the tradition on our favorite route for pilgrims to sing a part of a book called Codex Calixtinus. Both have different meanings. The first, Ultreia, means "further" in Latin. The second is "higher". Although they are no longer used as much, nowadays, when someone greets you with these words, you already know what to say.

Ultreia et Suseia!

2) Yellow arrows.

The origins of the yellow arrows, unlike most of the symbols reported here, are recent. It all began with the research of Father Elias Valinã, a historian of the Camino de Santiago who wrote a thesis on the subject.

As an enthusiast of the subject and realizing that pilgrims often got lost on the route, he decided to trace the journey to the capital of Galicia with, you guessed it, yellow arrows. Now, although they have an interesting history, the reason for the color isn't just a coincidence. Firstly, yellow is a shade that stands out easily. Secondly, it was already the color used to mark routes in the territory. Legend has it that the priest asked construction workers for used paint and, so as not to clash, he always kept the same color.

This pioneer of the Way was not only responsible for signposting, but also for creating associations of groups to revive the spirit of the Way, which was forgotten in those years. If you want to know more about this, you can visit the O Cebreiro land, as the priest is buried there.

3) Stone markers.

They are our odometer along the way. Made of stone or cement, they are always decorated with the distance to reach the Galician capital and an arrow pointing in the right direction. They are one of the pilgrims' favorite symbols, and there are plenty of photos on the internet to prove it.

4) The shell and the scallop.

The shell is the great symbol of the Camino. In ancient times, it was used to prove that a pilgrim had reached Santiago de Compostela. It was the priests of the city of Jesus' apostle who gave it as a reward for the completed journey.

It's also closely linked to the religious history of the road, as you can read here here.

5) The cross of Santiago.

This is a Latin Cross and has direct links to the life story of St. James. With its sword figure, it can signify a trinity of representations. Firstly, the way Santiago was killed. Beheaded with a blade. Secondly, the taking of the sword in the name of Christ, as in the crusades. And even Santiago's character.

6) The staff.

Today, replaced by poles, they were the pilgrims' way of making their passage as comfortable as possible. However, instead of being bought from the nearest sports store, they were made from branches, sticks and other wood found along the way. But it wasn't just for support, it was also a form of protection against animals or even unwanted people.

7) The Botafumeiro.

The Botafumeiro may be the largest incense burner in the world, weighing 53 kilograms and standing 1.5 meters tall. It is one of the most beloved symbols of the entire route because, in addition to its natural beauty, it was created especially for the pilgrims. And here, it had two functions: a purifier for those who completed the journey; also, another, more practical explanation for this scent distributor is that it worked as a spray to "cleanse" the smell of sweat from people who had just completed a month-long walk.

8) Compostela.

The shell, despite being the first way of proving the pilgrimage, was soon found to be easy to counterfeit, and there was even a time when they were sold on the city's doorstep. To put an end to this situation, the Pope began writing letters of proof. The genesis of the Compostela. Today, it can be collected on arrival in Santiago at the Pilgrim's Office.

9) The pilgrim's credential.

This credential, which can be requested from cathedrals, albergues and pilgrim associations, is what proves that you are doing the Camino de Santiago. Without it, you can't enter the albergues, you're not entitled to pilgrim menus or the Compostela.

For this you need 2 stamps a day. It sounds like a lot, but it isn't, since all churches have them (or almost all of them), many cafés too and, above all, hostels. Just show that you sleep in one place, pray in another, and you're done.

10) The year of Jacob.

This year begins in 1121, the year in which the Pope gave the Church of Santiago the ability to grant full forgiveness to pilgrims who visited Santiago's tomb, in the years in which July 25th falls on a Sunday. With 14 occurrences in each century, this is a rare event. But why July 25? It was the date on which the apostle after whom the Way is named was beheaded in Jerusalem.