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Anybody recognize this symbol?

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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
My guess that it's subliminal advertising by a business or an Albergue. Or maybe it's a sign that only you can see. Whilst walking from Porto every day this sign followed me around, I too was curious as to what it meant. Guess it's just another magical unexplained mystery of the Camino or subliminal advertising, you choose 🤠IMG_20181124_095646419.jpg
 
The explanation that sticks in my mind (I have no idea where I heard it, and no reference for it - possibly Brierly’s Camino Finisterra guidebook) is that the circle represents Santiago de Compostela and that the lines indicate that “all paths lead to SdC”. The arrow fletchings, of course, indicate the direction in which to walk at that moment. The double fletching points to Santiago. I saw this particular symbol only on the portions of the Camino between Fistera/Muxia and SdC - no idea why it relates to the Camino Finisterre only. Buen Camino!
 
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My guess that it's subliminal advertising by a business or an Albergue. Or maybe it's a sign that only you can see. Whilst walking from Porto every day this sign followed me around, I too was curious as to what it meant. Guess it's just another magical unexplained mystery of the Camino or subliminal advertising, you choose 🤠View attachment 59597
Looks like a photoshop image to me...just sayin'! 😉
 
Looks like a photoshop image to me...just sayin'! 😉
You could be right although it appeared to be square aluminium background sprayed red and stencil of what looks like moon in white. I thought it was clever way to advertise Albergue of cafe in a subliminal way and it worked apart from it led nowhere and stopped before Santiago. Although it did put me in mind of chocolate and I had craven for well known bar that helps you walk, rest and play 🤠
 
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Seen in Roxos on the way to Finisterre, a couple km outside of Santiago. Would love more information if you've got it. Thanks!View attachment 59572

To me it is an anagram or symbol that literally says that many Camino routes coincide or culminate at Santiago (the circle / cross at the the center likely represents the Apostles’ Tomb at the Cathedral), but the Camino continues, on to Finisterre. The arrow likely points to Finisterre.

At least that is the message I take from this symbol. The way I see it, bit to the left of the cross & circle is a linear representation of the classic Camino de Santiago ‘concha’ or scallop shell. The circle and cross represents the relics at the cathedral - also the target (if you will, see the “crosshairs”). Then the arrow points to the literal end (of the earth) at Finisterre.

Hope this helps.
 
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Seen in Roxos on the way to Finisterre, a couple km outside of Santiago.
This is an area with petroglyphs and with walks leading to them. I wonder whether this is a waymarker for such a route or pointing to such a site. Not everything has to do with pilgrims and pilgrimage routes. There is an interpretation centre in Villestro which is close to Roxos and their logo resembles the symbol in your photo.

Villestro.png
 
Maybe it is
Utility Graffiti

[ See video at https://wakey.io/42/ ]

Hobos used to leave chalk pictograms all over the country, showing fellow travelers where they could find a hot meal and how to avoid trouble.

We rely on a rainbow of graffiti to identify buried pipes & cables. It may look like gibberish, but those arrows & flags can be the difference between life, death, and a weekend Netflix outage.
 
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I have tried to search for utility marking symbols used in Spain. So far, nothing even remotely resembling the above symbol.
 
We rely on a rainbow of graffiti to identify buried pipes & cables
Nice theory but marking looks a little to symmetrical and precise to be utility marking that from your video and experience are more haphazardly produced but nice suggestion and interesting vid 🤠
 
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Thank you!
Still none the wiser though. It's the kind of marking I would have used on a utility survey to show a manhole and the layout of the pipes entering and leaving except I would have used white paint. There are manhole covers showing but power and telecomms appear to be above ground and, judging from a Google Earth "walk through" there's nothing in the village that suggests a bar.
The plot thickens!
 
Seen in Roxos on the way to Finisterre, a couple km outside of Santiago. Would love more information if you've got it. Thanks!
It reminds me of astrology symbols - Earth / Mercury / Neptune. Maybe it means "This is the way to the sunset."
The road out of Santiago toward Finisterre is full of people's peculiar doodles - Keith Haring style pop art, "inspirational" doggerel, band logos, and tags. My guess is that this is one of them. It is quite neatly done, so I guess it was drawn with some kind of template.
 
I would be inclined to suggest a surveying mark. Although I'd be more convinced if there were a brass pin in the centre.
A cross with the centre missing and a circle are common markers indicating a survey point.
A flat line with legs is often used as a marker of a benchmark for elevation.
Whether those markers are universal, I don't know.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I would be inclined to suggest a surveying mark. Although I'd be more convinced if there were a brass pin in the centre.
A cross with the centre missing and a circle are common markers indicating a survey point.
A flat line with legs is often used as a marker of a benchmark for elevation.
Whether those markers are universal, I don't know.
Maybe a brass marker with data is supposed to be there but because it is in the road the arrows are pointing to the location where the metal marker is.
???
 
I wonder whether there are (local) guys out there who amuse themselves with creating mysterious drawings just to drive enquiring pilgrim minds nuts :). There are some more artistically looking "rock paintings" elsewhere on the camino francés that nobody here has been able to explain yet. My guess is still that they are the result of some kind of art happening.

So with all the comments in the thread so far, what I now "see" is the description of two flows and a device that allows one flow to go from left to right and another one in a perpendicular direction, depending on the status of the device. Or just the location where two different flows cross without interaction. Grrrr ... ;). @ja2z20, is this painted on the road, on a pavement or on a wall?

59625
 
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I wonder whether there are (local) guys out there who amuse themselves with creating mysterious drawings just to drive enquiring pilgrim minds nuts :). There are some more artistically looking "rock paintings" elsewhere on the camino francés that nobody here has been able to explain yet. My guess is still that they are the result of some kind of art happening.

So with all the comments in the thread so far, what I now "see" is the description of two flows and a device that allows one flow to go from left to right and another one in a perpendicular direction, depending on the status of the device. Or just the location where two different flows cross without interaction. Grrrr ... ;). @ja2z20, is this painted on the road, on a pavement or on a wall?

View attachment 59625
Last Spring when I did the CI I went off-piste (deliberately) one day and was amazed to find one road junction plastered with yellow arrow - slowly it dawned on me that they were markings for the local cycle club (little bikes and START and FINISH marks, oddly in English!)
Don't forget the origin of our familiar yellow arrows was a priest who had cadged some road marking paint!
 
The more I think about it the more I like the notion of bike navigation markings:

59630
 
I wonder whether there are (local) guys out there who amuse themselves with creating mysterious drawings just to drive enquiring pilgrim minds nuts :). There are some more artistically looking "rock paintings" elsewhere on the camino francés that nobody here has been able to explain yet. My guess is still that they are the result of some kind of art happening.

So with all the comments in the thread so far, what I now "see" is the description of two flows and a device that allows one flow to go from left to right and another one in a perpendicular direction, depending on the status of the device. Or just the location where two different flows cross without interaction. Grrrr ... ;). @ja2z20, is this painted on the road, on a pavement or on a wall?

View attachment 59625
KSO (keep straight on) at cross roads? TL (or TR) Turn Left (or Turn Right) at this point?
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
petroglyphs in the area
And you are literally walking right past some of those petroglyphs near Roxos!

The image below shows the walking route from Santiago to Finisterre in purple. A local archaeology group took local school kids on an outing last year, their route is marked in yellow.

59644
 
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I just walked to Muxía and Finisterre a few weeks ago and saw these markings as well. They always pointed to Santiago, so I thought that they were for those walking back to Santiago.
 
That marking was in an early Twilight Zone episode in which a U.S. spacecraft crashes on Mars, and the crew find themselves seeing that symbol along what appears to be a path. It soon becomes clear that the space ship crew has stumbled upon the Martian Camino, and so they start walking and following the symbols and finally arrive at . . . . well, I don't want to spoil it for those that haven't seen it, or remember it.
 
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That marking was in an early Twilight Zone episode in which a U.S. spacecraft crashes on Mars, and the crew find themselves seeing that symbol along what appears to be a path. It soon becomes clear that the space ship crew has stumbled upon the Martian Camino, and so they start walking and following the symbols and finally arrive at . . . . well, I don't want to spoil it for those that haven't seen it, or remember it.
NO! I feel Camino number ten calling. Can you get to Mars using Ryanair?
 
That marking was in an early Twilight Zone episode in which a U.S. spacecraft crashes on Mars, and the crew find themselves seeing that symbol along what appears to be a path. It soon becomes clear that the space ship crew has stumbled upon the Martian Camino, and so they start walking and following the symbols and finally arrive at . . . . well, I don't want to spoil it for those that haven't seen it, or remember it.
They could certainly form the basis for one of those weird facts "documentaries" . . . Strange Signs Along The Camino - Could They Be A Message From Outer Space? * where they spend an hour postulating that they are navigation markers for ETs/tribal markings from some cabalistic sect/pointers to the location of a buried Inca treasure/clues to the whereabouts of looted Nazi gold dredged up from a sunken U-boat before concluding that no, they have no idea what they are either!

* following the Betteridge Law of Headlines the answer is NO!
 
That marking was in an early Twilight Zone episode in which a U.S. spacecraft crashes on Mars, and the crew find themselves seeing that symbol along what appears to be a path. It soon becomes clear that the space ship crew has stumbled upon the Martian Camino, and so they start walking and following the symbols and finally arrive at . . . . well, I don't want to spoil it for those that haven't seen it, or remember it.
That would be the Martian Sheen Camino "The Milky Way"?
 
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My guess that it's subliminal advertising by a business or an Albergue. Or maybe it's a sign that only you can see. Whilst walking from Porto every day this sign followed me around, I too was curious as to what it meant. Guess it's just another magical unexplained mystery of the Camino or subliminal advertising, you choose 🤠View attachment 59597
No Hunting without the Consent of Owners ( square red sign with points facing up/ down /left /right with a white circle )
 
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@oldman appreciate the explanation of sign but surprised there's no pictorial information referencing the shape of a gun or a prohibited diagonal line but accept what you're saying 🤠🙏
 
I would have suggested that you google that very site but I see you found it yourself. they have no need to show pictures or symbols of guns they all know what they are from childhood. you might also check out this in case you ever wounded what all those little bird of black and white metal signs and sometimes painted on rocks all over rural Spain are. https://www.spainbuddy.com/hunting-signs-in-spain/
 
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No Hunting without the Consent of Owners ( square red sign with points facing up/ down /left /right with a white circle )
I've seen signs with a similar meaning in the US - but they're usually perforated with bullet holes!

Edit: and having just looked at SpainBuddy I see Spain is no different! Good website thank you for the heads up.
 

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