Apilgrim's stafforpalmer's staffis awalking stickused by Christianpilgrimsduring theirpilgrimages,like theWay of St. Jamesto the shrine ofSantiago de Compostelain Spain or theVia Francigenato Rome.[1]
Background
editIn Rome, in theMiddle Agesthe pilgrims used to leave their stick in the church ofSan Giacomo Scossacavalli,whose first denomination wasSan Salvatore de Bordonia,whereBordoneis the Italian word for Stick.[2][3]After that, they bought a new stick by sellers namedVergari,whose shops were in today'sBorgo Santo Spiritonear the church of Santa Maria dei Vergari.[4]
Generally, the stick has a hook on it so that something may be hung from it. The walking stick sometimes has a cross piece on it.[5]The pilgrim's staff has a strong association with the veneration ofSaint James the Greatand the Way of St. James.[6]The pilgrim's staff commonly features inheraldry,especiallyecclesiastical heraldry.[5][7]
A pilgrim's staff features prominently in the design ofLuce,the official mascot of the2025 Jubilee.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Gigli (1992) p. 8
- ^Borgatti (1926) p. 156
- ^Borgatti (1926) p. 51
- ^abPilgrim's or Palmer's Staff, (fr. bourdon): this was used as a device in a coat of arms as early at least as Edward II.'s reign, as will be seen. The Staff and the Escallop shell(q.v.) were the badge of the pilgrim, and hence it is but natural it should find its way into the shields of those who had visited the Holy Land. The usual form of representation isfigure 1,but is some the hook is wanting, and when this is the case it is scarcely distinguishable from a pastoral staff as borne by some of the monasteries: it is shown infigure 2.While, too, it is represented under different forms, it is blazoned as will be seen also, under different names, e.g. a pilgrim's crutch, a crutch-staff, &c., but there is no reason to suppose that the different names can be correlated with different figures. The crutch, perhaps, should be represented with the transverse piece on the top of the staff (like the letter T) instead of across it.heraldsnet.org
- ^"The pilgrim's staff on the Way of St. James".vivecamino.Retrieved2024-10-29.
- ^"Pilgrims and Heraldry".The Heraldry Society.2018-02-14.Retrieved2024-10-29.
- ^Mares, Courtney."Meet 'Luce': The Vatican's cartoon mascot for Jubilee 2025".Catholic News Agency.Retrieved2024-10-29.
Sources
editExternal links
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