Rocks with gold etchings on them

[Susan Moeckel]

Can anyone tell me something about these symbols along the Frances? We spotted two after Sarria. How many are there, and where? I'd like to look for the others on my Pilgrimage in August.

 

[Bradypus]

@Kathar1na identified the artist behind the symbols several years ago and posted a link to a blog.
Post in thread 'Do you know what this symbol is?' https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/do-you-know-what-this-symbol-is.50090/post-784202

 

[Susan Moeckel]

YES, thank you! We were told the carvings were put there by the Knights Templar along the route, and now local towns keep them painted in gold.

 

[Bradypus]

YES, thank you! We were told the carvings were put there by the Knights Templar along the route, and now local towns keep them painted in gold.

Amazing how fast legends grow! According to this website the carvings date from 1999, there are 16 of them and they are about a day's walk apart. I saw one myself near Portomarin in January. Unfortunately the link on the page goes to a very old website using Flash or something similar that my modern browser refuses to run.

el escultor de camino

Graag wil ik je attenderen op de goud ingekleurde gehakte symbolen in de stenen langs de route naar Santiago.....In 1999 zijn er 16 gehakte symbolen op de…

www.catharijneverhalen.nl

 

[Kathar1na]

Unfortunately the link on the page goes to a very old website using Flash or something similar that my modern browser refuses to run.

I missed this thread earlier on but it has now come to my attention . If you don’t use the link on the page but a slightly modified link you can view a few of these rock paintings on the artist‘s website:

Beelden van E. Pietersen kunstenaar wonend en werkend in Arnhem.

Sculpturen in diverse technieken van kunstenaar E. Pietersen

zepworks.nl

On the home page or the “sculptures” tab, scroll down to the bottom and then click on “3”.

 

[Kathar1na]

I see now that the sculptor has used these same patterns in other works. You can see it for example in this video of artwork that he did on behalf of a West Papuan freedom struggle (of which I know nothing I’m ashamed to admit). E.Pietersen is a contemporary artist - you have been warned . I sort of like these interconnections, associations, relations. Despite the historical background, the Camino de Santiago is now and it is in our real world - at least for me …

Images of sculptures with the pattern from 1:00 min; comments by artist from 3:20 min (English subtitles).

 

[Kathar1na]

To avoid misunderstandings: I don’t think that the patterns have a specific meaning. They are contemporary art. Here is another piece of work by E. Pieterson that contains the same or similar shapes and patterns: