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Camino angels - origin?

Time of past OR future Camino
To Santiago + back.
2400 km, 950 nmi, 160 d.
I am curious about "camino angel". On the way up to the Alto de Perdon, I had already outed myself as a Camino ignoramus when we had to stop to let some cyclists pass and got into chatting with another group. While introducing themselves, a "Jack from Ireland" was mentioned, to great hilarity all around. I had to ask who he was as I had never heard of him nor seen him before.

Not much later, at a stop in the next village, someone said first to me and then to her neighbour that I was their "camino angel". I did not dare to ask where that came from - Shirley MacLaine, Paul Coelho?

BTW, I had not done anything particular that I had not done before many times: trying to teach someone who was obviously unfit and inexperienced to understand that going up a modest hill - or a long flight of stairs for that matter - really slowly slowly was the least exhausting way for him to reach the top.
 
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Hi Katharina. Congratulations on your angelic nature! It is not that angels do such exceptional things, it is that they act with open hearts, for reasons beyond themselves. Reassuring someone that it's ok and often wise to go up hill slowly may be a life lesson in a fast-forward world!

In the spiritual tradition of Christianity 'angels' are God's messengers. Maybe the person you helped was intending to use the word more casually, but it would make a lot of sense to refer to you as a 'Camino angel' if you were doing something that had a strong impact on them, helping them on their Way.

In that ancient pilgrimage tradition, such a messenger who carries guidance, aid or a well-timed gift of something soon to be needed, is one way 'the Camino provides us all that we really need, when we really do need it'. It is another way of saying that you were the answer to their prayer, and that they see you as cooperating with God's desire to be a loving parent in their time of need. Even if the person you helped wasn't Christian and didn't intend to use it that way, that's the best explanation I could give of what 'Camino angel' might have meant over the ages.
 
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Patti - I disagree! You're underestimating your natural positive impact on us :)
 
I suppose they mean the Irish gentleman from the movie "The Way"
I think Estevez picked up the "angel" concept from Camino lore. Jack did not invent it in the film, I don't think. The term has been in the Forum almost from its start. Good deeds abound. That may or may not qualify for "angel" status, but it is a nice tradition.

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Matthew 15:23
 
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Good point Katharina. I liked your question because it opened layers. What if the movie or Shirley MacLaine's book did use a catch-phrase about 'Camino angel'? Your question shows how ancient words gain or loose power to express a single meaning, depending on the current cultural reference points of each party.

Would it be correct to say that a good Samaritan can be a messenger of goodness and, on the Camino, more likely to be seen as an angel? If the Bible is even one of many possible cultural references, that leaves it to the recipients to determine if they coincidentally find good, helpful people at key moments, or if they encounter mounting personalized proof of the Creator's attentive love & innovative desire for goodness in their lives.

I'd better stop now, as I sure don't have credentials to guess the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin :D
 
"Camino Angel" may come from the very long tradition, here in the states, of being a "Trail Angel" on one of the three long distances trails here; the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. In this tradition a "trail angel" is someone who provides unsolicited support to through hikers on the trail. "Trail Magic" is a special moment/place on the trail where someone is providing support. I earned both titles this year on the CDT by providing food and other support at a spot 2 days distance from any town on a particular weekend for more than 3 years in a row. My sister has earned this title by packing extra sandwiches to pass out as she is hiking on the AT near here home. No biblical references implied on these secular routes.
On the camino, volunteer hospitaleros are the obvious camino angels secular or not. Sounds like you did something nice and noted!
 
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"Camino Angel" may come from the very long tradition, here in the states, of being a "Trail Angel" on one of the three long distances trails here
The U.S. is 500 years old. The Appalachian Trail was started in 1923, and became nominally a part of the National Park Service in 1968, which is still acquiring parts of it.

The Camino de Santiago goes back to the 9th century.

While it is possible that an American tradition affected a European tradition, I would go with a less U.S.-centric opinion that it is the other way around. ;)
 
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The U.S. is 500 years old. The Appalachian Trail was started in 1923, and became nominally a part of the National Park Service in 1968, which is still acquiring parts of it.

The Camino de Santiago goes back to the 9th century.

While it is possible that an American tradition affected a European tradition, I would go with a less U.S.-centric opinion that it is the other way around. ;)

Of course. But the revitalization of the camino and its use by a world wide population, including those familiar with the American trails, only dates to the 1980's or so.
 
Thank you for your link re metanoia. Whatever their past history or present beliefs may all who walk the camino sense such a trancendental 'change of heart and mind'.
 
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That's an old thread from four years ago. I was curious to know where the term "camino angel" comes from. It was always obvious to me that there are various ideas about the existence and effects of angels and that you may call another person who does something nice for you an angel.

I put "trail angel" definition and "camino angel" definition into Google just now: 59.200 hits versus 2.100 hits.

To paraphrase a currently famous parliamentary person: The trail angels have it, the trail angels have it. 🙃
 
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One of the figures frequently found in churches and other places associated with pilgrimage is Saint Raphael the Archangel. Raphael is often depicted with a pilgrim staff, gourd, and fish. These items are references to the story about Raphael assisting and protecting the young Tobias on a journey. I guess that the idea of an angel as a protector of pilgrims has older roots than the pilgrimage to Santiago:
 
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Raphael is often depicted with a pilgrim staff, gourd, and fish.
I vividly remember a statue of Saint Raphael in Burgos Cathedral with wings, fish and pilgrim garb. However, can you name a single legend where an angel or angels protected or saved pilgrims on the way to Santiago? I doubt it. They were all protected or saved by Saint James.

My money is still firmly on "trail angel" as the origin for the term "camino angel".
 
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I vividly remember a statue of Saint Raphael in Burgos Cathedral with wings, fish and pilgrim garb. However, can you name a single legend where an angel or angels protected or saved pilgrims on the way to Santiago? I doubt it. They were all protected or saved by Saint James.
There is such an abundance of folklore in every pueblo. With all those statues of Raphael helping travelers up and down the country, I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a story about him protecting people on their way to Santiago. Perhaps it's just hard to compete with Saint James for headlines. Maybe Raphael just pointed out arrows that were difficult to spot or something. I'm sure if you ask around, you'll get to hear the story of Saint Raphael of the improved way finding and better directions.
My money is still firmly on "trail angel" as the origin for the term "camino angel".
And what's the origin of "trail angel"?
 
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For the linguistically inclined: the earliest citation of "trail angel" (found so far) refers apparently to a 1994 book titled Walking the Appalachian Trail by Larry Luxenberg.
But note that it is used there as if it were already a commonly known term among hikers.

This links to the page in Luxenberg's book where the term is used (at Google Books):
 
Saint Raphael the Archangel. Raphael is often depicted with a pilgrim staff, gourd, and fish.
Wait, wait. (Really) stupid question alert, but who is this guy? And what's with the fish?

Another layer of protection along the way?
Yes, please....I'll take it!

And more directly on topic...what about our friends Shirley and Paolo? I'm surprised no-one's brought them up because those books were full of angels.
 
Wait, wait. (Really) stupid question alert, but who is this guy? And what's with the fish?
The wikipedia link that I attached is a good way to start, but since you asked, here's my unofficial summary:

The book of Tobit tells the story that in a hole in the ground there lived a Tobbit. NO NO NO. That's The Hobbit. . The book of Tobit is about a righteous, blind, man called Tobit, who send his son Tobias on a journey to Medina to collect some money that he's owed.
On his way, Tobias meets Raphael, who accompanies him in disguise. There's a fish that damn near bites off Tobias' arm, but somehow he manages to land it. Raphael tells him to keep the organs for some neat stuff that he'll show him later. On their travels, they come to the house of Sarah, who's having a string of bad luck. Every time she gets married, a devil kills her husband. Raphael tells Tobias to make an awful stink by burning some of the organs of the fish. This drives the devil out and Raphael does some angel jiu jitsu on him to keep him away - KaPow! Then Tobias marries Sarah and it's really cool. And then they go back to Tobit with the money, and Raphael shows Tobias how to use some more fish organs to cure his father's sight. And they all lived happily ever after.

Having a badass angel like Raphael with you when you're walking is just awesome.
 
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Wait, wait. (Really) stupid question alert, but who is this guy? And what's with the fish?
Another layer of protection along the way?
Yes, please....I'll take it!
Raphael is the mate of Gabriel, Michael, and Uriel ;).

Pilgrims in general (not only those going to Santiago) have a number of saintly protectors who are shown in pilgrim garb in art. Saint Roch is the most well known one, after Saint James. I think statues and paintings of Raphael in pilgrim garb are not as frequently seen as Saint James and Saint Roch.
 
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And more directly on topic...what about our friends Shirley and Paolo? I'm surprised no-one's brought them up because those books were full of angels.
My question did not refer to angels in the traditional sense appearing to people on or off the camino.

It referred to the most common meaning of "camino angel": an altruistic or simply helpful person encountered by those walking on a camino.
 
In terms of terminology use.... My first (of 11) Caminos was in 2002 and I do not think that I heard it or ran into it in writing before 2012 or so. Camino family was a phrase I heard after a few stops back in 2002, but Camino angels seems to be fairly new. Perhaps, as others have suggested, it came into general use from the US trail angel idea?? I may not be using the search function on the Forum correctly, but the earliest use here is from 2017. Has someone found an earlier appearance in writing?
 
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In terms of terminology use.... My first (of 11) Caminos was in 2002 and I do not think that I heard it or ran into it in writing before 2012 or so. Camino family was a phrase I heard after a few stops back in 2002, but Camino angels seems to be fairly new. Perhaps, as others have suggested, it came into general use from the US trail angel idea?? I may not be using the search function on the Forum correctly, but the earliest use here is from 2017. Has someone found an earlier appearance in writing?

In reference to the term "Trail Angel", I had heard it being used in the early 1970s.
 
Camino family was a phrase I heard after a few stops back in 2002, but Camino angels seems to be fairly new. Perhaps, as others have suggested, it came into general use from the US trail angel idea?? I may not be using the search function on the Forum correctly, but the earliest use here is from 2017. Has someone found an earlier appearance in writing?
"Camino angel" used in the sense I mean: according to a Google search, the first time in a blog in 2008, and on the forum the first time in 2009. Both times, American English speakers. 😊
 
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I always thought 'Camino Angel' came from the US from their 'Trail Angels'. I thought Trail Angels predate the use of Camino Angels but also seems a logical crossover.

Who invented the term 'Camino Candy' for Ibuprofen though!

Davey
 
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