Product Description The Pilgrim Shell Scallop Pendant is the perfect gift for someone going on a pilgrimage (or for yourself if you’re about to go on a pilgrimage). Celebrating St. James the Greater as well as the great tradition of pilgrimage in Christian history, this tasteful and petite pendant will serve as a reminder of the unbroken link the pilgrim shares with the generations of pilgrims in Christian history. At 1 inch in size, this scallop shell pilgrimage pendant is made entirely of polished bronze, radiant with the joy and excitement that suffuses a new journey. A Perfect Pilgrimage Gift One of the most important aspects of a pilgrimage is actually remaining in the right state of heart and mind once you’re there. It’s so easy to get swept up in the practicalities of travel, the mass of humanity, and the mundane questions of day-to-day living in an unfamiliar place, that you can be easily shaken from your spiritual goals. That’s why having something as simple as a pendant that is a symbolic reminder of your purpose and of your connection with the generations of pilgrims that come before you can be exactly what you need to cultivate spiritual growth on your pilgrimage. Much more than a souvenir if your pilgrimage, the Pilgrim Shell Scallop pendant can be an important part of the spiritual goals of your pilgrimage. See the “history/story” tab for information on the history of the scallop shell as a symbol for pilgrimage. El Camino de Santiago de Compostela Saint James (in Spanish, Santiago) is the patron saint of Spain. According to ancient local tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to James while he was preaching the Gospel in Iberia. Afterwards, Saint James returned to Judea where he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in 44 a.d. According to tradition, his remains were miraculously transported back to Spain where they are now enshrined in the Church of Santiago de Compostela. The pilgrimage route to this shrine – El camino de Santiago de Compostela – has been traveled by pilgrims since 900 A.D. The scallop shell (depicted here on the pilgrim staff of St. James) is worn by pilgrims on their way to this shrine. The shell is both a symbol of baptism (as used by St. John the Baptist) and as a symbol of pilgrimage since thirsty pilgrims used the shell to draw water to drink as they made their way to the shrine. (For a modern depiction of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, see the moving film The Way by Emilio Estevez, which has Martin Sheen making this pilgrimage as a bereaved father.)
