Beyond its impressive routes and landscapes, the Camino de Santiago is home to a great treasure of myths and legends, passed down from generation to generation, which makes it a route full of magic and mystery.

From Monte do Gozo, we tell you some of them:

The legend of the Knight of the Shells

When the disciples of the apostle Santiago were traveling on a stone raft with his remains at the height of the fishing village of Bouzas, in Vigo, they came across a wedding on the beach. The guests were celebrating and playing typical games of the time as entertainment. In one of these games, the groom, in his effort to catch a spear before it fell to the ground to win, sank into the sea with his horse. Both disappeared into the depths.

When the boat approached the place, the groom and his horse resurfaced from the waters covered with scallop shells. Thus, as a sign of devotion and remembrance of the miracle, it was agreed that all people who decided to make a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela should carry the scallop shell as a symbol.

The miracle of the rooster and the hen

For this myth, we move to Santo Domingo de la Calzada (La Rioja) in the 14th century. There, a German family spent the night in an inn after a hard day’s pilgrimage to Santiago. In this inn, a young woman worked and fell madly in love with the son of the family, but this love was not reciprocated. The young woman, to take revenge, pretended to steal a silver cup in the canteen and blamed the young man with false evidence.

The next morning, the family was preparing to return to the Camino when they were surprised by justice: the young man was found guilty and condemned to be hanged. It was then that the family entrusted themselves to the apostle St. James, and the first miracle happened: the family was saying goodbye to the young man’s body when they realized that he was alive. The apostle had heard their prayers. The parents ran to communicate the good news to those who were there. The ruler, who was eating, mocked them and said, “Your son is as much alive as this rooster and this hen that I was about to eat.” Then, the second miracle happened: the birds on the plate began to crow and walk around the table.

In fact, from this legend comes the famous phrase used to refer to the municipality of La Rioja: “In Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where the hen crowed after roasting.”

The myth of the Camino that cures everything

In the Middle Ages, the consumption of rye bread was widespread in Central Europe and the cereal from which it was made contained a parasitic fungus with certain neurological effects. Thus, many people who consumed it ended up suffering from an intoxication known as “St. Anthony’s fire” or “devil’s fire.” This intoxication caused convulsions, hallucinations, extreme itching, gangrene and even loss of limbs or deformities.

At that time, the only prescription was to walk the Camino de Santiago. On the Camino, the care of the monks and hospitalists was considered curative. And the bread with which they fed them was white wheat bread, free of the toxins contained in rye bread, so that the sick arrived at the end of the Camino cured.

The Apostle’s donkey

This story is set in Pamplona (Navarra), when a family of French pilgrims stopped in the city to rest in a hostel. There, the mother of the family became seriously ill, so the family had to stay more days than they had planned. Finally, the illness led to her death, turning this experience into a tragedy.

The pilgrim and his two children continued on the Camino to Santiago. Before leaving the hostel, the owner demanded a large sum of money. But, unable to pay, the pilgrim gave the innkeeper his donkey in exchange.

Once on the Camino, the family made a short stop to pray and ask the Apostle for help. Shortly afterward, they met an old man on the route who lent them a young donkey to accompany them on their walk.

On their arrival in Santiago, the pilgrim saw a vision of the Apostle St. James, whom he recognized as the old man he had met many kilometers before.

On the way back, on their way through Pamplona, they discovered the death of the owner of the inn. The whole town considered the man’s death as a divine punishment for greed and lack of charity.

And here is our selection of four magical stories that hides the Camino. We hope they have enchanted you as much as they have enchanted us.