scruffy1
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Holy Year from Pamplona 2010, SJPP 2011, Lisbon 2012, Le Puy 2013, Vezelay (partial watch this space!) 2014; 2015 Toulouse-Puenta la Reina (Arles)
Rodger Collins writing in "Early Medieval Spain", quotes the entry on Clavijo in the "Diccionario de historia de España", edited by Germán Bleiberg which states: "to a serious historian, the existence of the Battle of Clavijo is not even a discussion topic". The appearance of Saint James on a white horse at this battle has been a subject of legend, tradition, and art for centuries, the Matamoros figure being just one. In history, the date originally associated with the battle was 834, transfered in modern times to coincide with other historical narratives to 844.
Our original narrative with Saint James first appears some 300 years after the date assigned, mid eleventh century, when suddenly saints on white horses appear in battle not only in Spain but also in soon to be Norman Sicily (Saint Jullian), as well as tenth/eleventh-century Cappadocia (Saint George)!
We now see a tradition which perhaps originated in the East - Saint George slays his satanic foe in Beirut (not Cappadocia but close enough), one which was brought to Europe by returning Crusaders. Good ideas are good everywhere.
Another thought, white horses bearing heavenly figures bent on bringing peace and restoring order first appear in our Bible, the Book of Zecharia (another man believing in his dreams), Chapter 6 and of course later, in your Bible, The Revelation of Saint John Chapter 6 as one of the riders of the apocalypse and later in Chapter 19 another appears followed by the armies of heaven dressed in white linen destroying the old and creating a new order, not so peaceably.
What should we make of all this? Saint James is the Patron Saint of Spain so enjoy the tradition, don't bother to visit Clavijo (was there in a car years ago) unless your just really enjoy dust but do seek out the Matamoros it is everywhere so look for it, and know that few things spring ex machina there is often something behind alongside or preserving our heritage.
Our original narrative with Saint James first appears some 300 years after the date assigned, mid eleventh century, when suddenly saints on white horses appear in battle not only in Spain but also in soon to be Norman Sicily (Saint Jullian), as well as tenth/eleventh-century Cappadocia (Saint George)!
We now see a tradition which perhaps originated in the East - Saint George slays his satanic foe in Beirut (not Cappadocia but close enough), one which was brought to Europe by returning Crusaders. Good ideas are good everywhere.
Another thought, white horses bearing heavenly figures bent on bringing peace and restoring order first appear in our Bible, the Book of Zecharia (another man believing in his dreams), Chapter 6 and of course later, in your Bible, The Revelation of Saint John Chapter 6 as one of the riders of the apocalypse and later in Chapter 19 another appears followed by the armies of heaven dressed in white linen destroying the old and creating a new order, not so peaceably.
What should we make of all this? Saint James is the Patron Saint of Spain so enjoy the tradition, don't bother to visit Clavijo (was there in a car years ago) unless your just really enjoy dust but do seek out the Matamoros it is everywhere so look for it, and know that few things spring ex machina there is often something behind alongside or preserving our heritage.
