Pilgrim's staff

In this article, we will explore various aspects related to Pilgrim's staff, a topic that has captured the attention of people and experts in different fields. From its historical origins to its relevance today, Pilgrim's staff has sparked debates and reflections around its impact on society, culture and everyday life. Through detailed analysis, we will examine the many facets of Pilgrim's staff, delving into its meaning, influence, and possible implications for the future. In addition, we will delve into the various perspectives and positions that have been generated around Pilgrim's staff, providing the reader with a comprehensive and enriching vision of this fascinating topic.

Way of St. James pilgrims with pilgrim's staffs (1568)
The coat of Arms of Bever, Switzerland, featuring a pilgrim with a staff

A pilgrim's staff or palmer's staff is a walking stick used by Christian pilgrims during their pilgrimages, like the Way of St. James to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Spain or the Via Francigena to Rome.[1]

Background

In Rome, in the Middle Ages the pilgrims used to leave their stick in the church of San Giacomo Scossacavalli, whose first denomination was San Salvatore de Bordonia, where Bordone is the Italian word for Stick.[2][3] After that, they bought a new stick by sellers named Vergari, whose shops were in today's Borgo Santo Spirito near the church of Santa Maria dei Vergari.[4]

Generally, the stick has a hook on it so that something may be hung from it. The walking stick sometimes has a cross piece on it.[5] The pilgrim's staff has a strong association with the veneration of Saint James the Great and the Way of St. James.[6] The pilgrim's staff commonly features in heraldry, especially ecclesiastical heraldry.[5][7]

A pilgrim's staff features prominently in the design of Luce, the official mascot of the 2025 Jubilee.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Pilgrim's Way to Santiago in Navarre: Curiosities". Navarre Tourism Board.
  2. ^ Gigli (1992) p. 8
  3. ^ Borgatti (1926) p. 156
  4. ^ Borgatti (1926) p. 51
  5. ^ a b Pilgrim's or Palmer's Staff, (fr. bourdon): this was used as a device in a coat of arms as early at least as Edward II.'s reign, as will be seen. The Staff and the Escallop shell(q.v.) were the badge of the pilgrim, and hence it is but natural it should find its way into the shields of those who had visited the Holy Land. The usual form of representation is figure 1, but is some the hook is wanting, and when this is the case it is scarcely distinguishable from a pastoral staff as borne by some of the monasteries: it is shown in figure 2. While, too, it is represented under different forms, it is blazoned as will be seen also, under different names, e.g. a pilgrim's crutch, a crutch-staff, &c., but there is no reason to suppose that the different names can be correlated with different figures. The crutch, perhaps, should be represented with the transverse piece on the top of the staff (like the letter T) instead of across it. heraldsnet.org
  6. ^ "The pilgrim's staff on the Way of St. James". vivecamino.com. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  7. ^ "Pilgrims and Heraldry". The Heraldry Society. 2018-02-14. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  8. ^ Mares, Courtney. "Meet 'Luce': The Vatican's cartoon mascot for Jubilee 2025". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2024-10-29.

Sources

  • Borgatti, Mariano (1925). Borgo e S. Pietro nel 1300–1600–1925 (in Italian). Roma: Federico Pustet.
  • Gigli, Laura (1992). Guide rionali di Roma (in Italian). Vol. Borgo (II). Roma: Fratelli Palombi Editori. ISSN 0393-2710.
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