Stories & Legends
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St. James Appears to Charlemagne
Charlemagne contemplating the Milky Way;
below, St. James appears to explain its meaning
Charlemagne himself fought the Saracens in Saxony, France, Germany, Lorraine, Burgundy, Italy, Brittany and other countries, taking cities with great effort. After many years he was ready to retire from making war and to allow himself to live in peace.
Every night, however, he would look at the stars of the Milky Way, which begin at the Friezeland Sea, and pass over Germany and Italy, between Gaul and Aquitaine, in a straight line over Gascony, Bearne and Navarre, and through Spain to Galicia, where laid still undiscovered the body of St. James.
As he meditated on what it might all mean, a beautiful vision appeared to him, and asked what he was trying to discover.
"Who are you?" asked Charles.
"I am James the Apostle," was the reply. "Christ’s disciple, the son of Zebedee, and brother of John the Evangelist, whom the Lord, in His goodness, chose on the Sea of Galilee to preach the Gospel to His people and whom King Herod killed with a sword and whose body until now rests unknown in Galicia, which has been disgracefully oppressed by the Saracens.
"I marvel that you, who has conquered so many lands, have not liberated my land from the Saracens.
"Therefore I make it known to you that, since God has made you more powerful than all the Kings on earth, you must prepare my way, and rescue my country from the Moabites, so that you may receive an eternal crown for your reward."
The great St. James continued:
"The road of stars which you have seen in the sky signifies that you, with a great army, will journey to Galicia to conquer the pagan people and liberate my land, and visit my basilica and my tomb. And after you all the people of the world will travel there, asking forgiveness for their sins, praising God and His miracles performed in your time and in all times.
"Go then, as quickly as you can. I am your friend and helper. Your name shall become famous to all eternity, and a crown of glory shall be your reward in Heaven.”
Thus did the blessed Apostle appear thrice to the Emperor, who, confiding in his word, assembled a great army, and entered Spain to fight the infidels.
The Milky Way leading to Santiago
Adapted from Historia Karoli Magni et Rotholandi,
trans. by Denis Murphy, Dublin.
Posted February 26, 2022
trans. by Denis Murphy, Dublin.
Posted February 26, 2022
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