{{Short description|Walking stick used by Christian pilgrims}} [[File:Jakobsweg - Pilger 1568 - Hurden IMG 5664.JPG|thumb|[[Way of St. James]] pilgrims with pilgrim's staffs (1568)]] [[File:CHE_Bever_COA.svg|thumb|The coat of Arms of [[Bever, Switzerland]], featuring a pilgrim with a staff]] A '''pilgrim's staff''', '''palmer's staff''', or ''bourdon'' is a [[walking stick]] used by Christian [[pilgrim]]s during their [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimages]], like the [[Way of St. James]] to the shrine of [[Santiago de Compostela]] in Spain or the [[Via Francigena]] to Rome.<ref name="navarra">"[http://www.turismo.navarra.es/eng/propuestas/camino-santiago/informacion-general-camino/curiosidades-camino.htm Pilgrim's Way to Santiago in Navarre: Curiosities]". Navarre Tourism Board.</ref>
==Background== In Rome, in the [[Middle Ages]] the pilgrims used to leave their stick in the church of [[San Giacomo Scossacavalli]], whose first denomination was ''San Salvatore de Bordonia'', where ''Bordone'' is the Italian word for Stick.<ref name="gi8">Gigli (1992) p. 8</ref><ref name="bo156">Borgatti (1926) p. 156</ref> After that, they bought a new stick by sellers named ''Vergari'', whose shops were in today's [[Borgo Santo Spirito]] near the church of Santa Maria dei Vergari.<ref name="bo51">Borgatti (1926) p. 51</ref>
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.<ref name="heraldsnet">Pilgrim'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 is [http://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/images/m460b.gif figure 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 in [http://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/images/m460b.gif figure 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. [http://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/Jpglossj.htm heraldsnet.org]</ref> The pilgrim's staff has a strong association with the veneration of [[James, son of Zebedee|Saint James the Great]] and the Way of St. James.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The pilgrim's staff on the Way of St. James |url=https://vivecamino.com/en/el-bordon-del-peregrino-en-el-camino-de-santiago-no-752/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=vivecamino.com |language=en}}</ref> The pilgrim's staff commonly features in [[heraldry]], especially [[ecclesiastical heraldry]].<ref name="heraldsnet" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-14 |title=Pilgrims and Heraldry |url=https://www.theheraldrysociety.com/articles/pilgrims-and-heraldry/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=The Heraldry Society |language=en-GB}}</ref>
A pilgrim's staff features prominently in the design of [[Luce (mascot)|Luce]], the official mascot of the [[2025 Jubilee]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mares |first=Courtney |title=Meet ‘Luce’: The Vatican’s cartoon mascot for Jubilee 2025 |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260129/meet-luce-the-vatican-s-cartoon-mascot-for-jubilee-2025 |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en}}</ref>
==See also== *[[Cross of Saint James]] *[[Crozier]] *[[Jacob's staff]] *[[Khakkhara]] *[[Pilgrim badge]] *[[Pilgrim's hat]]
==References== <references /> ==Sources== *{{cite book | last=Borgatti | first=Mariano | title=Borgo e S. Pietro nel 1300–1600–1925 | publisher=Federico Pustet | location = Roma | language=Italian | year=1925 }} *{{cite book | last=Gigli | first=Laura | title=Guide rionali di Roma | volume=Borgo (II) | publisher=Fratelli Palombi Editori | location = Roma | issn=0393-2710 | year=1992 | language=Italian }}
==External links== {{commonscat|Pilgrim's staff}} *[http://vrcoll.fa.pitt.edu/medart/texts/saints/Jameson/AJ-SLA-JamesMajor.html St James Major and the Pilgrim's staff] *[http://www.paintedchurch.org/wisgreen.htm St. James with pilgrims]
[[Category:Christian pilgrimages]] [[Category:Christian symbols]] [[Category:Heraldic charges]] [[Category:Walking sticks]]