Camino Shell Directions

[Excursionista]

So... after several forum searches, I think I've figured it out but would appreciate confirmation.

When I started walking from Pamplona in November, I was very confused because the shells and arrows sometimes seemed to be pointing in opposite directions. Apparently, I had deeply internalized the Galician system when I walked from Villafranca del Bierzo in 2004, and my impulse to follow the rays of a Camino shell was as deeply embedded as following the pointy end of an arrow.

As I walked from Pamplona to Sahagún, I saw many shells pointing the "wrong" way and many that seemed to only be decorative markings accompanying arrows, without any direction of their own. I certainly understand the logic of the "all roads lead to Santiago" interpretation, but it turns out to be very difficult to assign a new meaning to a familiar symbol! I never did fully adjust, but I learned to look for arrows instead.

From others' experience, is it true that only Galician arrows use the direction of the rays to indicate the direction of the Camino?

 

[davebugg]

It is an interesting thing and took me by surprise on my first Camino. I would love to know the rationale or history of why the regions differ in the orientation of the shells 'rays'.

 

[C clearly]

In this thread, @JLWV provides a link to the standard of the Federation Consejo Jacobeo for use of various Camino symbols. The shell should not be taken as a directional symbol, and it is recommended that it be used in conjunction with arrows.

I think in the past, it was often used to indicate direction, but there was inconsistency in how it was used in different regions. You can find forum discussions, for example, here and here.

 

[Excursionista]

In this thread, @JLWV provides a link to the standard of the Federation Consejo Jacobeo for use of various Camino symbols. The shell should not be taken as a directional symbol, and it is recommended that it be used in conjunction with arrows.

I think in the past, it was often used to indicate direction, but there was inconsistency in how it was used in different regions. You can find forum discussions, for example, here and here.

Very interesting -- thanks for sharing! Although I've spent much more time in León than anywhere else in Spain, this part seemed a bit odd: "Este Grupo de Trabajo, presidido por la Comunidad de Castilla y León, está compuesto por los Directores Generales competentes en materia de turismo o cultura de todas las Comunidades Autónomas que forman parte del Consejo Jacobeo." Text bolded by me -- seems like this sort of group should be led by Galicia, not Castilla y León, since Santiago de Compostela is pretty much the whole point of the Camino.

 

[dick bird]

This is my theory, for what it's worth. The hitos (granite mileposts) are all made in a workshop somewhere and they nearly always put the tile on facing the same way (although sometimes someone slaps it on the other way, just for the hell of it). When the team comes to plant the hitos, they orient the whole hito so that the shell indicates way, if they can. This is not always the case, as the photo illustrates. The lesson is: follow the arrows. The shells are always on a camino, that is the most you can say for them.

 

[Excursionista]

The hitos (granite mileposts) are all made in a workshop somewhere

Thanks for this! I haven't spent much time in Galicia for nearly two decades so haven't seen these new markers yet. But I'll hopefully be there in less than a month!

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Just follow the arrows. The shells are sometimes screwy. Tho sometimes when there are no arrows, the shells at least show the path. If no arrows and only a shell, walk like a bit… by the time you are fed up, there will be an arrow. If no arrow, turn around. Almost every intersection is marked. If you are at an intersection and no arrows, I’d turn around and go back.

 

[trecile]

If no arrows and only a shell, walk like a bit… by the time you are fed up, there will be an arrow. If no arrow, turn around. Almost every intersection is marked. If you are at an intersection and no arrows, I’d turn around and go back.

I use the GPS on either the Buen Camino or Wise Pilgrim app if I'm in any doubt

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I use the GPS on either the Buen Camino or Wise Pilgrim app if I'm in any doubt

Too funny. Totally agree.

 

[Former member 99290]

This is my theory, for what it's worth. The hitos (granite mileposts) are all made in a workshop somewhere and they nearly always put the tile on facing the same way (although sometimes someone slaps it on the other way, just for the hell of it). When the team comes to plant the hitos, they orient the whole hito so that the shell indicates way, if they can. This is not always the case, as the photo illustrates. The lesson is: follow the arrows. The shells are always on a camino, that is the most you can say for them.

View attachment 119393

Definitely - the direction of arrows trumps the direction of shells

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Here’s the deal tho. Sometimes I don’t want to look into my phone.

 

[Kathar1na]

The stylised yellow shell on a blue background was created by a Spanish design studio on behalf of the Council of Europe (not an EU institution). It was the Council of Europe who designated the Ways of Saint James as the first European Cultural Route in 1987. There are many more such Cultural Routes now. The logo serves as a promotional tool.

The shell logo should always be placed in such a way that the “point” is on the left. It was never intended to indicate a direction. Why should it? These European routes were not unidirectional, people, goods and ideas moved on them in both directions.

When markers were placed for foot pilgrims on Caminos in Spanish regions and the logo was used, those in charge either weren’t aware of the function of the logo and its correct placement or did not place it correctly on purpose. I vaguely remember that they were told, in the run up to the Holy Year 2021 to get their act together and place the logo on any new markers and any promotional material as intended, ie with the “point” on the left.

 

[Kathar1na]

The stylised yellow shell on a blue background was created by a Spanish design studio on behalf of the Council of Europe (not an EU institution).

Found it: Macua & García-Ramos is the name of the graphic designer team who created the symbol shown below. This design is used by the Spanish regions as a label for the Camino de Santiago. It was the winner of an international competition that was organised by the Council of Europe and intended for use as a symbol of the Camino de Santiago as European Cultural Route - long before most of us had ever heard of Caminos.

At the time, in the 1980s, the Spanish government and the Spanish regions were keen on all kinds of European-wide and even international promotion; of course there are public funds to go with all this. I wonder, whether without all this activity to make the Camino promoted and known, most of us would be even here on the forum, let alone have walked in Spain or are planning to do so? And whether Camino walking and Camino pilgrimage would have remained a niche activity and not become the global phenomenon that it is today?

 

[PodiensisPlus]

I have always had a hard time conceiving of the "rays" pointing toward anything. Maybe that's good? My initial reading of the symbol, one I can't shake, is of a comet with with a tail. A shooting star?

What you see is where you get.

Now I realize the symbol is an abstract rendering of all the routes converging on Santiago de Compostella.

 

[Kathar1na]

I had never looked at it like this. We are already so far removed from the 1980s. That both the arrow and the shell on the logo are yellow is coincidence. Because of their similarity in shape and colour, there is probably frequent confusion about their meaning, and the logo is - wrongly - interpreted as indicating direction.

I'm quoting from Sasha D. Pack: In 1988, the intergovernmental Council of Europe designated the Camino de Santiago as the "First European Cultural Itinerary". This was the occasion to Europeanize the conch shell emblem that the Franco government had placed on the road signs; the new markers would mimic the nascent European flag, bearing a stylised yellow abstraction of a conch shell against a solid blue background. (The European flag shows yellow stars on blue background).

In those days, Spain was keen to be more connected to Europe and the European Union than in earlier decades.

 

[trecile]

The shell logo should always be placed in such a way that the “point” is on the left.

In quickly reading through the link that @C clearly posted the reason why the point is to the left symbolizes the westward route of the Camino towards Santiago.

In this thread, @JLWV provides a link to the standard of the Federation Consejo Jacobeo for use of various Camino symbols

 

[Natale]

So... after several forum searches, I think I've figured it out but would appreciate confirmation.

When I started walking from Pamplona in November, I was very confused because the shells and arrows sometimes seemed to be pointing in opposite directions. Apparently, I had deeply internalized the Galician system when I walked from Villafranca del Bierzo in 2004, and my impulse to follow the rays of a Camino shell was as deeply embedded as following the pointy end of an arrow.

As I walked from Pamplona to Sahagún, I saw many shells pointing the "wrong" way and many that seemed to only be decorative markings accompanying arrows, without any direction of their own. I certainly understand the logic of the "all roads lead to Santiago" interpretation, but it turns out to be very difficult to assign a new meaning to a familiar symbol! I never did fully adjust, but I learned to look for arrows instead.

From others' experience, is it true that only Galician arrows use the direction of the rays to indicate the direction of the Camino?

Know what you mean but my Camino Ninja app clearly showed me the route. Worked for me. Buen Camino

 

[gollygolly]

This is my theory, for what it's worth. The hitos (granite mileposts) are all made in a workshop somewhere and they nearly always put the tile on facing the same way (although sometimes someone slaps it on the other way, just for the hell of it). When the team comes to plant the hitos, they orient the whole hito so that the shell indicates way, if they can. This is not always the case, as the photo illustrates. The lesson is: follow the arrows. The shells are always on a camino, that is the most you can say for them.

View attachment 119393

I can only comment with the following personal experience from Galicia, which was a couple of years ago.
Along a section of the route that we wre walking, he granite marker stones, also known as mojóns, had been replaced. There seemed to be no serious need for replacement, but somehow there was a considerable sum of money that had been allocated for the change to be actioned. I cannot recall if the money came from the central government of Spain or the regional government of Galicia, but the old marker stones were taken up and new stones installed. All of the newly placed stones were set in place without the blue ceramic tile in place.

As we walked along we came across the man tasked with the responsibility of placing the ceramic tile in place on the new marker stones. An amiable person, he was simply setting the tile the 'way it landed' without any thoughts as to the direction of the shell/concha. I know this because we stopped to talk with him, and he explained that he didn't have any instructions on setting the individual tiles, and that he simply took the tile from the box, applied the adhesive on the back of the tile and set it in place on the marker stone.

For myself, I believe that the shell/concha should reflect the 9 lines leading to the single point, which is Santiago de Compostela, reflecting distinct caminos leading to the single destination. See the attached as an example :

​

 

[Excursionista]

I use the GPS on either the Buen Camino or Wise Pilgrim app if I'm in any doubt

Absolutely, I used the Wise Pilgrim app (without cell service in Spain) and was very happy for the confirmation when the markings were ambiguous!

 

[Excursionista]

Definitely - the direction of arrows trumps the direction of shells

Agreed, I was only confused when there weren't any arrows.

 

[Excursionista]

I have always had a hard time conceiving of the "rays" pointing toward anything. Maybe that's good? My initial reading of the symbol, one I can't shake, is of a comet with with a tail. A shooting star?

This definitely shows how important a first exposure is in interpreting a symbol. I have a hard time conceiving of the "back" of the shell pointing toward anything!

Apparently my first Camino in 2004 was very formative, but I can see now that most towns and pilgrims view the symbol differently in 2022. I'm grateful for everyone's thoughts!

 

[Mikel Olivares]

The Shell indicates that you are on the Camino. Not direction.
Only the Yellow Arrow indicates the direction you should take.

 

[Mikel Olivares]

So... after several forum searches, I think I've figured it out but would appreciate confirmation.

When I started walking from Pamplona in November, I was very confused because the shells and arrows sometimes seemed to be pointing in opposite directions. Apparently, I had deeply internalized the Galician system when I walked from Villafranca del Bierzo in 2004, and my impulse to follow the rays of a Camino shell was as deeply embedded as following the pointy end of an arrow.

As I walked from Pamplona to Sahagún, I saw many shells pointing the "wrong" way and many that seemed to only be decorative markings accompanying arrows, without any direction of their own. I certainly understand the logic of the "all roads lead to Santiago" interpretation, but it turns out to be very difficult to assign a new meaning to a familiar symbol! I never did fully adjust, but I learned to look for arrows instead.

From others' experience, is it true that only Galician arrows use the direction of the rays to indicate the direction of the Camino?

No, in Galicia you can find Shells in different position no matter the direction of the Arrow.

 

[Mikel Olivares]

It is an interesting thing and took me by surprise on my first Camino. I would love to know the rationale or history of why the regions differ in the orientation of the shells 'rays'.

Hi my friend.
The problem is the lack of coordination between regional administration.
Also within the same Community you will find Shell on different position.
I'm sorry, this is Spain.

 

[Former member 99290]

Hi my friend.
The problem is the lack of coordination between regional administration.
Also within the same Community you will find Shell on different position.
I'm sorry, this is Spain.

Is it a problem? One of the many things I value about the camino - in Spain and elsewhere - is that there is no one governing body. It ‘belongs’ to no one. The fact that it’s not centrally administered is a positive in my view. It seems to work well as it is.

I have walked quite a few Caminos - app free so far, usually with a book - and the direction the shells are facing - on the rare occasion that I’ve even noticed - has never caused the slightest concern as far as going off the path goes. I can do that on my own in any number of ways usually just by not paying attention when leaving a town. Usually pilgrim error in my case - nothing to do with the shells.

Just my perspective

 

[zenofmatthew]

I used holistic GPS. Wherever I saw a whole lotta people, I went.

Other people I ran into had the Camino Ninja app, amongst others. I'd heard that you're more like to get lost looking at your phone, so I tried not to. Holistic GPS can land you in some hot water occasionally.