The Pilgrim's Guide to Santiago de Compostela

William Melczer's guide includes an introduction to Book V of the Codex Calixtinus, followed by his translation. In the introduction, Melczer situates the book within the social, cultural, and religious fabric of the Middle Ages to shed light on the medieval mindset towards pilgrimage and the cult of relics. Because relics were known as a "source of spiritual power and miracle," believers would journey to reliquaries for prayer and penance (2). This interdependence between pilgrimage and relic forms the basis of the pilgrim's journey to Santiago de Compostela, the monumental cathedral built over the remains of St. James. The medieval pilgrim's journey to Santiago begins at his doorstep, and continues on foot or horseback across France and Spain, following the routes of St. James. On the way, he stops at various towns to eat and rest, but more importantly to visit their saintly remains. Accordingly, Book V of the Codex Calixtinus details not only the route to Santiago and Santiago itself, but also the towns and the saints one must visit along the way. Chapters VII and VIII read like an ethnography of these towns, as they vividly describe the customs and habits of the townsmen and the narratives surrounding their saints. In a number of towns, monumental basilicas have been built over the relics as hagiographic markers, which attract pilgrims seeking spiritual power on their way to Santiago. The author of Book V strikes a careful balance between content on the physical pilgrimage and the accompanying relics in order to provide the medieval pilgrim with the most practical advice. Because the Camino de Santiago involves the body and soul, the pilgrimage is not just about the destination, but the journey to the destination. Relics imbue the pilgrim with a steady source of divine power throughout the pilgrimage.

I read this book after walking the Camino, and I feel that if I had read this before my Camino, I would not have appreciated or even fully understood, the material it covers. Having walked the Camino, I was able to relate to many of the names, places, and events included in this book in a way that would not have been possible without prior experience. On the other hand, this text includes the first English translation of first Camino guidebook (14th Century), the "Liber Sancti Jacobi" or "Codex Calixtinus," and some may wish to have read this in order to provide context for whatever contemporary guidebook he or she will carry on the way. Note: This book would not be something to carry with you on the path because it weighs 519 grams (18.3 ounces). Besides, you can find copies of this in the "libraries" of many albergues, hostels, and even hotels along the way.

An incredible historical read about the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. I very much enjoyed it as it gave me historical perspective about the journey. Some parts of the translated, medieval text actually made me laugh out loud. I have biked/walked "The Way" twice and describe the book on my blog. Thank you William Melczer for this translation and historical explanation.

Just what I wanted

I loved this book a lot. My wife and I are walking to Santiago. It will take several years, because we don't walk this route in one long walk.The book is a very good guide. Higly recommended!

comprehensive

The book is very detailed and tedious. Not for someone is isn't serious and just exploring the possibility. This is precise and detailed and intended for someone who has decided to go there.

Company is not located in USA which is part of their name, very misleading in the fact that the product took a really long time to get to USA. Most other books take 1week

Having just returned from Santiago de Compostela I was looking for a serious book on the subject. Whilst the amount of research and background material used to produce this book must have been truly immense, I was disappointed with its execution. The author's style and language is, I feel, pretentious. He seems to want to impress his scholarly peers rather than impart clear, simply expressed information.The book consists of 4 main sections -Part I - Introduction - 70 pages of good background information with 10 separate pages of notes.Part II - The English Translation of the Latin Codex - 50 fascinating pages covering the route of St. James with 82 separate pages of notes (comprising 609 notes!)Hagiographical Register - this is an interesting who's-who of the Saints along the route of the camino.Gazetteer - an alphabetical listing and description of all the geographical places mentioned in the text.To read the book I had to use two book-marks simultaneously in order to read the text and the relevant notes.I am glad I read it all but think 'tight' editing could improve it.

Items as described