Any etymologists want some fun?

Tincatinker · Oct 27, 2017

I was musing on the meaning of Camino - road; path; journey: and then journey and its sense of transition and then I hit an earlier meaning for camino - furnace.

I thought of Vulcan and his forge and Hephaestus and their works wrought by the fires of change. Providing strength and protection as well as vengeance and savage change.

And that led me to my own traditions. Samhain comes and it is time for my passage through fire to the new year and the new life. A short journey through liminal space. Yet the space I walk into through those flames is the space i have always habited.

And that led me back to the Camino and the expectations that so many of us lay upon it: Of transition to a new and different life. New beginnings. In this same world.

The musings of an old pagan at the turning of the year. Blessings upon you all.

Former member 49149 · Oct 28, 2017

Tincatinker said:
I was musing on the meaning of Camino - road; path; journey: and then journey and its sense of transition and then I hit an earlier meaning for camino - furnace.

I thought of Vulcan and his forge and Hephaestus and their works wrought by the fires of change. Providing strength and protection as well as vengeance and savage change.

And that led me to my own traditions. Samhain comes and it is time for my passage through fire to the new year and the new life. A short journey through liminal space. Yet the space I walk into through those flames is the space i have always habited.

And that led me back to the Camino and the expectations that so many of lay upon it: Of transition to a new and different life. New beginnings. In this same world.

The musings of an old pagan at the turning of the year. Blessings upon you all.

Thanks. Think it is a first. Blessing from a pagan. An old pagan...

Hiawatha · Oct 28, 2017

Vulcan was certainly stoking his forge while I crossed the Meseta !

Purky · Oct 28, 2017

In my teens I was fascinated by Greek mythology, so a lot of that old knowledge popped back up when you mentioned Hephaestus, the lame blacksmith of the gods. In particular the bit where he made and used the chains to bind Prometheus to a rock.

Prometheus, that old Titan, who created humans and out of compassion and pity for mankind stole fire from the sun and gave it to us. For which he was punished severely: cast down and chained to that rock, an eagle sent by Zeus ate his liver. Overnight his liver would grow back, but after every new dawn the eagle would return.

I was always struck by the similarities of that story and the story of Lucifer (light-bringer), the archangel, who was cast from heaven for his own brand of defiance. Fire and light, always have been and always will be potent themes.

Incidentally: did you know that St. James is the patron saint of blacksmiths?

Camino Chrissy · Oct 28, 2017

Tinkatinker, you lost me on that one. It was "Greek to me" as we say in the USA and it has nothing to do with Greek mythology!

alansykes · Oct 28, 2017

Purky said:
Incidentally: did you know that St. James is the patron saint of blacksmiths?

I didn't know that, and we English Catholics venerate St Dunstan as the patron of blacksmiths. He was a Saxon archbishop of Canterbury a bit after King Alfred, and, as a young monk was responsible for shoeing horses at Glastonbury Abbey. One day the devil passed by and had his horses shod, and then tried to skip off without paying. Dunstan used his red hot pincers to grab the devil by the nose, making the devil scream (audible 3 miles away) at which point he decided to pay up after all. This is thought to be the origin of the phrase making somebody "pay through the nose".

Kieran Kenneally · Oct 28, 2017

Samhain is an old Irish Gaelic Celtic word. Other Celts pronounce it differently like in In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manx it is Sauin.The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve.
The original Celtic year

Imbolc: 1st February
Beltaine: 1st May
Lughnasa: 1st August
Samhain: 1st November

Tincatinker · Oct 28, 2017

Ah. And the dancing at Lughnasa led to babies at Beltaine and fat and healthy infants when the year turned again...

I didn't say that. It was granny

Andrea Innes · Nov 2, 2017

Kieran Kenneally said:
Samhain is an old Irish Gaelic Celtic word. Other Celts pronounce it differently like in In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manx it is Sauin.The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve.
The original Celtic year

Imbolc: 1st February

Beltaine: 1st May

Lughnasa: 1st August

Samhain: 1st November

Love me some Gaelic!!

ClaireMcMahon · Tuesday at 6:29 PM

Hi all, I’m starting my Camino Frances on May 12. I’ve booked my first night in SJPDP, but I’m starting to worry I need to book more. My plan was to take it day by day and just turn up, but lots...

garlicbread · Thursday at 5:05 AM

Hello all. Here to give a brief account of my (and many others) first day on the Camino on May 1. The trip to Roncesvalles was tough. I went Valcarlos route because napoleon was very ill advised...

Zara123 · 2024-05-04T00:40:36+0200

I struggle with social anxiety and I was wandering if anybody with the same issue had a positive experience on the Camino walking alone. I saw lots of posts and videos people talking about forming...

falconbrother · Wednesday at 10:58 PM

I am wondering how you disconnect, in part, from the world. I have a couple of reasons that I need to be accessible but, I don't want to be constantly connected on this journey. Ideas?

bkkboy · 2024-05-04T07:38:31+0200

Money stolen from bag on bed while sleeping. Estelle municipal hostel. Not a big inconvenience as my passport and credit cards were left.

Barbara · 2024-05-04T15:03:23+0200

Or do you prefer Cromwell's attitude? Put your trust in God and keep your powder dry. I am starting to get tired of the attitude that it isn't necessary to take reasonable care and thought...

Any etymologists want some fun?

Tincatinker

Veteran Member

Former member 49149

Guest

Hiawatha

Active Member

Purky

Intermittent Member

Camino Chrissy

Veteran Member

alansykes

Veteran Member

Kieran Kenneally

Inspired

Tincatinker

Veteran Member

Andrea Innes

New Member

Latest Camino Photo

Most read last week in this forum

Accommodation worries

LIVE from the Camino Account of a very challenging day SJPdP to Roncesvalles (crazy weather)

Social anxiety on the camimo

Partially unplugging from the world

Money stolen in hostel

The Camino will provide?

Similar threads

Any etymologists want some fun?

Veteran Member

Former member 49149

Guest

Active Member

Intermittent Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Inspired

Veteran Member

New Member

Most read last week in this forum

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency