Analysis Of The Pilgrim's Guide To Saint James De Compostela '

The act of pilgrimage is scared to the devoted followers of any faith as it requires a commitment to religious obligations and the utmost sacrifice to an unseen deity. As one takes part in a religious journey, he or she renounces worldly obligations in efforts to fulfill the greatest form of piety.
The Pilgrim’s guide to Saint James de Compostela provides guidance to pilgrims while also serving as a cultural travelogue for the surrounding environment. The author of the text provides the reader with instructions and information’s about the passage of the pilgrim. Tips and tricks are provided on how to avoid dangers, the people that the pilgrims will encounter, a description of the landscape, relics along the pilgrimages, and descriptions of

The author brings to the attention of the pilgrims who read his text that there are many dangers that they might not be aware of, especially in the landscape of their soundings. The text provides the reader with instructions on things that the pilgrims should avoid that could harm them such as poor water sources, insects, and difficult terrain.
At Lorca, the author warns of the Salt River, “beware of drinking from it or of watering your horse in it, for this river brings death” (252). While on the pilgrimage to Saint James, the author witnessed two men who were sharping their knives, ready

to take the victims of the Salt Rivers. In an attempt to trick the pilgrims the men stated that water was good, after which they watered the horses in the river, “and at once two of them died and were forthwith skinned by the two men” (252). Further into the pilgrimage, the author warns of more stream of which are lethal. He warns of the streams in Los Arcos, Torres del Rio, and Cuevas (252). Sources of water are pivotal to the survival of any travelers, as streams and rivers served as their only sources from which they can drink and bath themselves and their horses. As horses are one of their limited forms of transportation, horses served as crucial aids to ease the strain of the strenuous journey through tough terranes. As pilgrims in a foreign country, many were unaccustomed to their surroundings and the author’s account informs those who read it about their upcoming