Camino conspiracy

[WannabePilgrim]

Hi guys,

Well I'm new to this whole Camino thing, but my friend is thinking about doing it sometime in the next year. I did some asking about (I'd never heard of it before), and some interesting things came up.

Someone ventured that the Camino is actually a conspiracy between hiking equipment companies, travel firms and accommodation groups to make money off gullible religious people. That can't be true. Surely? I know some people will believe anything they read on the internet but to fall for a whole false pilgrimage? :?

Anyway, what IS the Camino? I can't find anything in your FAQ. I gather it's a pilgrimage. But for what? To where? Why? Again with the presumptions, I take it it's for christians or catholics or something. Does it work for Buddhists, Jains, Hindus and Muslims, or is god too selective to allow that?

Just curious

Wannabe

 

[Martin0642]

Hi there - yes you're right. The Camino is an enourmous conspiracy. The descendants of the Knights Templar went on to establish a number of large companies - amongst them the big names of outdoors gear (lowe alpine, deuter, scarpa...gore tex etc). The families have therefore perpetuated the Camino, selling it as a religious pilgrimage in order to make enourmous amounts of money from the thousands of pilgrims travelling each year. Indeed - I do believe they seed the clouds over northern spain in order to make the weather a bit wetter (waterproofs are obviously more expensive than dry weather clothes.)

This is all backed up by a collusion with the Freemasons....well known for their involvement in the manafacture of Compeed (the design of which was given to them by aliens landing at Avebury along the clearly delineated ley lines).

It is predominantly supposed to be a catholic pilgrimage but other christian faiths are allowed to go as they tend to be the easiest to part from their money.

Of course....you could always do a little research yourself but if I was you I would just take my word for it all, get yourself some monstourously expensive outdoors gear and start walking. I get the impression there are many many answers on the Camino - perhaps even yours?

Hope you find what you're looking for.

 

[ivar]

Hi there Wannabe and welcome to the forum,

Great question!

If you have a look at the links below you will see that the camino has been around for a few years. But the conspiracy theory is interesting; there is a pinch of "Da Vinci Code" over it...

http://www.csj.org.uk/
http://www.csj.org.uk/history.htm
http://www.csj.org.uk/2000-years.htm

Who is it for?
Everyone, it's just a walk... have a look at these statistics to get an idea of who is the "typic" pilgrim:
http://www.archicompostela.org/Peregrin ... istics.htm

I am sure you will get many responses to your post.

Greetings from Santiago de Compostela,
Ivar

 

[Peter Robins]

don't forget Mary Magdalene. She's in charge of the publishing side of things, making sure millions of people buy poorly researched books full of half-baked theories

 

[sillydoll]

Ah - many a true word spoken in jest!

The conspiracy theory leads back to about 389 AD when an avant-garde priest by the name of Prisciliano was executed - for being a heretic - wanting to grow his hair long and dance at mass, the abolition of slavery and the promotion of the equality between men and women (hippy long before his time!) He was then buried in Galicia. His followers were really miffed when he was snuffed so they started trekking to his tomb in ever increasing numbers until a whole legend built up around him. Old King Teodomiro decided he'd had a guts full of this so he invented the story about finding James the Greater's bones in the tomb and the rest is history (legend? Conspiracy?) You decide!