Last July - August, while I was volunteering at the Pilgrim Office, we had a special tour of the Cathedral Museum, grounds, roof, cloisters, and library. The tour was conducted, in Spanish, by the priest who is the resident historian of the Cathedral.
As we walked along, many questions were asked (in Spanish). I asked a colleague who spoke fluent Spanish to ask the priest conducting the tour to expound on how St. James' remains found their way to Spain, after his beheading in AD 44.
There are many stories, legends, and myths out there. Many books have been written. Chief among these is the legend of the Stone Boat, or boat made of stone that miraculously drifted up the river near Padron. It is their story and legend, so they are welcome to it. I have been to Muxia to see the alleged stone that is sort of, kind of, shaped like a boat...then again...
As you no doubt know, there are many and varied accounts of how this all happened. What follows below, in bullet format, is how it was explained to my group of volunteers.
I apologize in advance if I misunderstood something. However, I was able to ask several follow-up questions. One of my questions was; "Just how much of this is documented in early writings or other physical evidence?" So, the context for what I am about to explain is what I understood from the narration by the Cathedral historian (a priest), with my elaborative questions asked.
- At the first (Christian) Pentacost, the Apostles discovered they could speak in 'tongues," languages previous not known to them. (Documented)
- Subsequent to that, Peter (as the first Pope) assigned the Apostles to spread the Gospel to the ends of the known world, as Jesus had directed them to do. James the Greater, drew the Iberian assignment. Other Apostles traveled in other directions. Just as an aside, my namesake, Thomas, ended up in Western India and was buried in Goa...go figure... (Documented)
- At the time, Iberia was part of the Roman Empire. Trade with Greece was common, at least along the Mediterranean coast of the peninsula. James spoke Latin and Greek. (Documented)
- James traveled to Iberia after the Ascension of Christ, AD 33 - 34. He remained there for some nine - ten years. However, during that time, it is thought that James 'only' made nine converts. The church's interpretation is that this represents nine or ten 'families' or households. This is because, back-in-the-day, the faith of the master of the household (or head of the family) was usually taken up by all who worked for or (as slaves) were owned by the master. So the actual number of Christians was likely much higher than only nine or ten persons. (Documented)
- Around 43 AD, for an unknown reason, James returned to the Holy Land / Jerusalem with two followers, Athanasias and Thaddeus. (I do not know the origins of these two fellows). The, then current King Herod, discovering that James was in town, had him arrested, imprisoned and eventually beheaded, in AD 44. (Documented)
- In the habit of the Romans, executed criminals bodies were either left on a crucifix to rot, as an example to others, or tossed onto a trash heap outside the city for the animals to consume. James' body (and presumably head) were tossed on such a heap. Athanasius and Thaddeus retrieved the remains surreptitiously, and fled Jerusalem, and the Holy Land, heading for the coast. (Documented) (stay tuned...)
- (as an aside and for comparison) the Romans' believed the remains of executed criminals were unclean. Persons who handled then were considered unclean forever more, and shunned by society. (Documented)
- Parenthetically, Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ) was accorded a Jewish burial because a supporter, Joseph of Arimathea, went to Pontius Pilate and asked for Jesus' body to be released to him. Permission was given by Pilate, Jesus was removed from the Cross following his apparent death and buried in a family tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea. This leads to Easter Sunday... but I digress... (Documented)
- (back the main narrative...) So, Athanasius and Thaddeus are hot-footing it to the coast to try to get a boat to head West, away from persecution and prosecution. They link up with a supporter who runs a boat service that transports (cut and uncut STONES, statues, as well as semi-precious and precious stones from Palestine to points in the Roman Empire to the West. (Documented, the existence of such boats and the routes, not the relationship.That is conjecture)
- It is believed that this boat made stops along the way, possibly in Italy and Sicily before arriving on the Eastern coast of Iberia, likely in Tarraco (modern day Tarragona). (Conjecture, based on facts)
- From there, Athanasius and Thaddeus made their way, with a box containing James' remains, across the Iberian peninsula. (Conjecture, based on facts)
- There was a Roman road that led all the way to the area near Santiago. Review this image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Iberian_Peninsula_in_125-en.svg (Documented)
- At the site of the current Cathedral in Santiago, you can see the remains in the foundation excavations. The Cathedral is built atop the remains of a first century Roman villa. I have personally seen this, and seen the remains of the first-century villa. This villa was owned by a family that was believed to be among the nine or ten families converted to Christianity by James, when he was first here. (Conjecture and Documented)
- It is believed the family granted permission to inter James' remains in one of their family crypts. FYI & BTW, the wall of this first century crypt is one of the walls still remaining in the under-altar crypt containing the silver coffin (chest) holding the Apostles' remains. This is the approximate location where the original remains were discovered in the first-half of the 800's. (Conjecture, based on archeological findings).
- It is in this burial niche that the three sets of bones were later discovered by the hermit monk in or about AD 844. (Documented)
- The presence of two other skeletons in the stone niche and eventually the silver coffin / chest is explained by the family granting permission for the interment of the remains of Athanasius and Thaddeus when they eventually died. (Conjecture)
- The likely reason for the long time (some 800 years) between James' internment and discovery was that, when the Roman Empire fell a couple of hundred years later, multiple tribes from the North invaded and ransacked the former Roman territories. These included the Vandals and the Goths. Then in 711, the Islamic Moors came out of North Africa and invaded the Iberian peninsula.
- Settlements, like the one at the present day Santiago were abandoned as people literally dispersed into the countryside so as to not attract attention and the wrath of the invading hoards. Over time, knowledge of the burial of James' remains at that site was lost and forgotten. The former first-century villa was ruined and overgrown. (Documented, and conjecture, based on known facts)
- Whatever the cause for the rediscovery in or around the year 844 (star shower, dream, Divine intervention, whatever), the fact is that the first-century villa and burial place was found. Markings on the niche were curious / suspicious and prompted notification of the local King (Asturias if I recall correctly) and the local Bishop. The Bishop communicated with the then Pope in Rome. The rest, as they say, is history... (Documented)
- In the late 1800's a forensic analysis (such as it was for the day) was permitted by the Church. The medical finding then was that the silver coffin / chest held the remains of a single male who was in his 40's when he died and that the head had been separated from the body, apparently by a sword. Also found in the coffin were two complete skeletons of males who died in their 60s. This matches most contemporaneous accounts regarding Athanasius and Thaddeus. (Conjecture & Documentation).
Absent DNA analysis, there is no way to be more categorical about the remains found and venerated as the remains of St. james the Greater. However, as the Pope, in his ultimate authority as the Vicar of Christ on earth, proclaimed these remains to be the real deal around 850 AD, all observant Christians were obligated to follow his lead...THAT lead to the development of what we commonly call the 'Cult of Santiago.'
And here we are...
I am trying to relate accurately what I was told, through an interpreter, by the Cathedral historian, last July - August. I hope I related it accurately, as I heard and understood it.
So, it is likely that the STONE BOAT never existed. But, be in far from me to disabuse Padron of their claim to fame. The account I laid out above is more likely than not, based on: documentation, archaeological evidence, and reasonable conjecture based on historical facts. Of course, at some point, one must remain agnostic, or simply choose to believe, as I do. It DOES make life so much easier.
That said, I am NOT the authoritative source...merely the messenger...
Also, I came back after going to my gym to work out, to edit and better explain a couple of loose ends. It reads a tad better now.
As always, I hope this helps.