Which way up does the Shell go ?

The non Galician way, if you ask me: with the destination being the point where the axes converge to.: all ways lead to Santiago.

Robo said:

Maybe I'm over thinking this

I bought a couple of brass shells in Santiago.

The other is going to be fixed to our front door.

But which way up?

But what about a shell fixed to a door?

Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

Hi Robo
Once you've decided which part you prefer pointing to Santiago (whether it's the Galician way or opposite ) ,
I see nothing wrong with also pointing your shell on the door to Santiago.
When you explain the significance of the shell to anyone after its on the door , they'll expect it should point them to Santiago ?
Annie

I found a flat scallop shell and screwed it to my shed door. Like you my feeling was the hinge should be at the top, and that's how I fixed it to start with.

But it didn't look quite right.

I live in England. Santiago is south. So I turned the shell round.

Since Galicia and the rest of the world seem to have contradictory ideas on the matter I don't think you'll find a definitive answer here I went for having the longest "rib" of the scallop pointing towards Santiago.

Ours is fixed so that the rays point west and the hinge to the door. Then we can choose the direction. One way to Santiago and the other to the 'albergue' . The cow bell hangs in the kitchen.

I moved to South Florida some months ago and recently bought a home which will be in renovations until September. I will be working as a volunteer at the Pilgrim Office from late- July to late August this year. My plan is to obtain a suitable scallop shell emblem in brass or other weather-resistant media to bring home to affix in my rear garden - likely inside the screened-in lanai outdoor room.

In any event, I plan to point the hinged side of the scallop in the direction of Santiago. That would be pointing due East, towards Santiago from where my "new" home lies. I am in the "all routes converge at Santiago" camp.

On different Camino routes, or in different regions or provinces, you will see the scallop shape pointed in many different directions. however, and IMHO the only logical placement, given the millennia long, and more, practice, all the various pilgrimage paths were always intended to converge and end at the tomb of the Saint at the Cathedral in Santiago. Hence, IMHO the hinge side should be placed in the direction of Santiago de Compostela.

However, if you are placing the shell vertically, over a doorway for example, you can make a logical case to place the hinge side up or down. It depends on perspective. If you believe that all routes lead UP to Santiago, you might place the hinge side UP. On the other hand, if you interpreted the issue as all Camino routes flowing like water, to Santiago, then you could made a logical case for placing the hinge side DOWN, as water always flows with gravity.

My "new" home has a screened-in vestibule in front of the main, front door, over the lower doorway, there is a large screened panel in the shape of a scallop. The real estate folks call it a "sunburst." But as a four-time pilgrim, to me it is a concha. Anyway, this one has the "hinge" side DOWN. My non-pilgrim wife immediately recognized it as a Camino shell as soon as we drove up to view the home the first time. Perhaps it WAS Santiago who influenced our immediate and strong preference for this home...

As an aside, I am considering figuring out how to manufacture dense foam or resin versions of the distance marker "mojones" found along the Camino routes. Each would have the glazed, ceramic scallop shell, an arrow, and a noted exact number of kilometers to that center spot in the Plaza de Obradoiro in Santiago in front of the Cathedral. Stone would be ideal, but far too expensive to ship. I would love one for my home and I am willing to think many other Camino folks would also want one. Anyway, I am noodling this one over in my mind. In April, I took precise measurement of the newer style of mojone being installed across Galicia. Still thinkin...

I hope this helps...

What a great question. I've been trying to work that out for months. I enjoy the fact that there's disagreement and no definitive answer. I nice little lingering Camino puzzle. A pebble in the shoe. A niggle. A nice individual solution for each observer. Reminds me of something....

Hmmm, Mike

P.S., I sewed a patch to my pack before walking. The hinge was on the left. Santiago was towards the left if I faced north. It just seemed to look better that way, but the decision was intuitive/aesthetic. I was at home in Australia when I sewed it on. I wear a small silver shell around my neck on a chain, it hangs with the hinge pointing upwards - towards my head, my nose. The shell itself hangs in front of my heart.

@Robo, perhaps consider the hinge pointing into your house, such that your home becomes the treasured destination of those who visit you.

Did anybody notice the advertisment alongside the OP? The new credential with the hinge at the top!

Resin shell outside of my front door - hinge at top

Rabanal shell patch - hinge at top

Ceramic tile in my porch - hinge points south arrow points north!

Shell petrol (gas) station down the road - hinge to bottom

I was once told the shell on the cairns were like the rays of the setting sun and so pointed west.

Each to their own - as long as YOU'RE happy with it I'M happy with it

Here's my eschatological slant. The rays of the scallop supposedly represent all of the different paths leading to our destination. In terms of things to come, mine was a pilgrimage to the tomb of St James, but my ultimate destination is Heaven. The traditional idea was that Heaven was "up" and this particular slant is reflected in Psalm 19.

This is one way of looking at it. Another is that Heaven starts here and now with what we do and how we treat others.

This doen't really help all that much perhaps but may provide a few things to think about.

And actually, when I walked, there were shells pointing the opposite way tonthe believed convention. It got me lost several times.

De colores

Bogong

I vote for the Non Galicia way ( I'm sorry Galicia still love you

zzotte