Santiago in Brazil: Experiencing the Way of the Sun

Luiz Armando Capra Filho1, Judite Sanson de Bem2

(1. University Center of Serra Gaúcha, Brazil; 2. La Salle University, Brazil)

Abstract: The Way of Saint James refers to the journey made by pilgrims who flock to Santiago de Compostela (Spain), since the 9th century, to venerate the relics of the apostle Santiago. In Brazil, in the early 2000s, the Way of the Sun — Caminho do Sol — was created in the countryside of the state of São Paulo, which is, according to its creators, a route that resembles the Way of Saint James. This study aims to understand the idea of invented tradition (Hobsbawm, 1984) in the constitution of the Way of the Sun (Brazil), having the Way of Saint James (Spain) as a reference. Methodologically, it is a qualitative exploratory/descriptive research. Similarities are found between the Way of Saint James and the Way of the Sun, and there is also a search, in the experience of the former, through traditions and symbols, for the constitution and mode of operation of the Way of the Sun.

Key words: invented tradition, Pilgrimage, way of Saint James, way of the sun