Naming your walking stick

[lessonslearnedabroad]

On the first day of my CF I found a walking stick that took my all the way to Finisterre. I had to name him, since he was pretty much my new bff. For whatever reason, I went with Jefferson Smalls. I found an almost identical one on my CP tis year, this time accompanying me to Finisterre and Muxia. I'm 90% sure it was a reincarnation of my first stick

Did anyone else name their walking stick(s)? What name did you choose, and why? And also, if you had to leave your stick behind did you not find that surprisingly sad??

A walking stick is "just a piece of dead" wood like the Camino is "just a walk"

 

[nidarosa]

My Scouse Spouse found a stick on our honeymoon Camino - of course the stick was immediately called Rod. My Pacerpoles are Tut & Kjør, Norwegian for something along the lines of Up & At'em. Naming (any and all) things is perfectly normal, yes?

 

[David]

I always take my valet, Rodney, and a pole with me when I walk as it makes me feel happier - Biblical you know, "my Rod and my staff, they comfort me"

 

[ScaryB4Coffee]

I named mine Steves, for my husband. When we hike together he always helps me up and down the tough spots. Then one of them broke and had to be replaced. Steve1 and Steve2. Then I left them at a bar and had to get new ones. Steves3.

 

[gb]

My walking stick is called “Dumbledore”, bought on the Appalachian Trail in the US but not used there. So named because when I was doing walking training in England a child saw my stick and said the face carved on it looked like “Dumbledore”. I knew nothing about Harry Potter in those days (early 2005)! (See image.)

He has since accompanied me from Le Puy en Velay to Santiago and Sevilla to Santiago. He sleeps hidden under my bed or, once, I had to have him locked up by the hospitalero because, sadly, I heard that some peregrinos like to steal other people's sticks.

 

[jsalt]

My sister started off with “Dave”, who was a bit wonky and not very reliable. When a café owner saw him he presented her with “Dave 2”, who had been left behind by a previous pilgrim. Sadly, “Dave 2” was again abandoned, and “Dave 3” was later picked up lying on the side of the path. She ended up in Santiago with “Dave 4”, who was kissed goodbye as she left for the airport. A year later on the Chemin du Puy I was introduced to “Dave 5” . . . .

 

[Mike Savage]

Though I seem to have a close personal relationship with mine I never gave them names. It seem quite rude of me as I have come to rely on them quite a bit. I may have to name them before my Portuguese Camino in September.

 

[Bala]

Great thread! I never thought about naming them. But within about an hour after buying them (in Pamplona) I started referring to them as "My Beloved Walking Poles" and have called them nothing else since.