The Camino Gypsy Chronicles: Saints and Sinners

Kay:

Walking from small village to small village in Northern Spain along this ancient well-traveled road, one becomes immersed in the traditions, folklore and history of Catholicism and Christianity so close to its roots. Sadly, the contemporaneous history of Jews and Moors is also inescapable - imbedded and documented in the museums and literature as we travel. Many good people struggling to lead a compassion-filled life are juxtapositioned against cruel people intent on asserting their will on those who looked, believed and thought differently.

Along this path, one is also struck by the beauty and quality of the art found in even the smallest village church. Modest museums rival the Medieval collection housed in the "Cloisters" in Manhattan. This is profoundly evident in the cathedral in Santo Domingo, which houses art from the 9th to 16th centuries.

So in the spirit of early religious tradition, I will share one well-documented story of a Spanish saint, Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Born in the 11th Century in a small village near the one that now bears his name, he became struck by the difficulties of the pilgrims trying to cross the Rio Oja. This area had recently been reclaimed from the Moors, and the pilgrimage was in its infancy. This observation lead to the building of a wooden bridge, then a stone bridge and then a pilgrims hospital. His good works caught the attention of King Alfonso VI who visited him in the village in 1106. Santo Domingo died on May 12, 1109, and was initially buried on the Camino. His tomb is now in the cathedral, which bears his name.

Santo Domingo has one spectacular miracle attributed to him. It involves a hen and a rooster, and is such an integral part of the history of the area that these symbols are ubiquitous. They are emblazoned on buildings, found on soccer balls and constitute various and innumerable trinkets for sale.

Although the details have changed over the ages, the essential elements of the story remain the same. A pilgrim is unjustly accused of theft and hanged. His parents hear the voice of Santo Domingo telling them that their son is still alive. They go to the mayor who informs them that the chances of their son being alive are about the same as those of the roasted hen and rooster on his table getting up and flying. With that announcement, the birds take to the air. The son is then found to be alive.

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