Legenda aurea (Golden Legend)

The "Legenda aurea," the "Golden Legend," was the most popular and widely distributed religious folkbook of the Middle Ages, far more widely read than the Bible. It was written between 1263 and 1273 by the Dominican monk Jacobus de Voragine, later Archbishop of Genoa. He compiled a collection of the lives of saints, drawing on diverse source material such as the Bible, Passions, apocryphal Gospels, Acts of the Apostles and Martyrs, as well as stories handed down in monasteries and among the people. In popular yet artistically poetic Latin, he recounted the lives of Jesus and the saints and derived moral applications. In this context, legends about the Apostle James and the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela are also found in this book. The Legenda aurea is one of the oldest written records of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages.

By Saint James the Great
James the Apostle was called Jacobus
Zebedee; Jacobus brother of John;
Boanerges, that is: son of thunder; and
Jacobus maior. He is called Zebedee's son, not
only according to the flesh, but also for the
meaning of this name; because
Zebedee is translated as one who gives,
or one that is given; Sanct Jacobus
but gave himself to God in his martyrdom, and
was given to us by God to be
spiritual patron. He is called Brother of the
John, because he is not only John's
biological brother, but because he also
was equal in his customs; for they were
both of the same zeal, of the same
Desire of learning, and desired the
same promise from the Lord. They had
both the same zeal to avenge the Lord;
because the Samaritans did not want Christ
James and John spoke
'Lord, if you want, we say, that fire
fall from heaven and consume them.' They had
the same desire for knowledge, for it
were they especially those who asked Christ about
the Day of Judgment and the other future
Things. They desired the same promise
from the Lord, as they begged him to send them to
on his right and on his left
sit in his glory. James is also
Son of Thunder called by the Violence
his resounding sermon, so that he could
frightened, woke up the lazy and made everyone
Admiration compelled by its great depth. So
Bede also speaks of John that he is so
mightily said: if only he had a little more
thundered, the whole world would not have
may grasp. This Jacobus is also called the
Great, like the other Jacobus the Small
Firstly because of his calling, because
He was called earlier by Christ. Secondly,
because of his special familiarity with the
Lord; for it seems that he Christ
was more familiar than the other Jacobus; the
We see from this that the Lord allowed him to
his secrecy, as to the awakening of the
Maidens, and to his Transfiguration. To
thirdten because of his suffering, for he suffered
first of the apostles martyrdom. For
if he is called greater than the other
James, because he was sooner committed to the apostolate
called, he may be greater than that
be called because it rather contributes to the glory of the eternal
Life was called.

James the Apostle, son of Zebedee,
preached after the Ascension of the Lord
through Judaea and Samaria, and then went to
Spain to sow the Word of God. But there
he saw that he was not doing anything and not
more than nine disciples there, so
He left two of them there to
preach, the other seven he took with him
and returned to Judaea. Master Beleth
even writes that he only has one person
Now when he had been in Judaea,
preached the Word of God, a magician sent,
Hermogenes by name, his disciple Philetus
to him with some Pharisees, who was supposed to
to convince all Jews that he was preaching lies.
But the apostle overcame him before all the people
with reasons of reason and did many miracles
before his eyes; then Philetus returned to
Hermogenes and told him what miracles
Jacobus would have done, and that he would have taught
want to keep and become his disciple; and advised
his master that he should do the same.
Hermogenes became angry and made him
his art immobile, so that he
didn't want to move anymore and said 'Now
Let us see if your Jacobus can free you.'
Philetus conveyed his distress to James
his servant, the apostle sent
him his kerchief and said to him 'He shall
take the cloth and say: the Lord judges
the broken ones and dissolves the
bound'. Immediately Philetus
sweat cloth, he was
spell, and mocked the magic arts of the
Hermogenes and hurried to Jacobus. There was
Hermogenes, angry, called his spirits
and commanded them to send James and Philetus
bound before him so that he could
avenge them and his students will not
so they would like to mock. The spirits came to
Jacobus and began to howl in the air and
said 'Jacobe, holy apostle, have mercy
you ours, for behold, we burn before our
time'. Jacobus said 'Why did you come to me
came?'
They replied 'Hermogenes sends us that
we should bring you and Philetum to him;
but as soon as we came to you, the angel
God there and bound us with fiery chains and
tormented us greatly'. James said 'The angel
of the Lord release you, return to him
and bring him bound before me,
but nothing is too painful for him.' So they went there,
grabbed Hermogenes, tied his hands
on his back and brought him tied up
before Jacobus and said to him 'You have given us
sent there where we were burned and
tormented'. And to James they said, 'Give
us power over him, that we may destroy the wickedness
avenge what he has done to you, and the fire that
we have suffered.' Jacob said, 'See,
Philetus stands before you, why do you attack this
not?' They replied 'We can't either
touch the ant that is in your chamber'.
Jacob said to Phileto 'Let us do evil with
Repay good, as the Lord has commanded:
Hermogenes has bound you, so do
him free'. Thus Hermogenes was freed from his bonds
and stood there in great shame.
Jacobus said to him 'Go freely wherever you
want, because it is not our custom that we
convert someone against his will.' Said
Hermogenes 'I know the wrath of the evil
Spirits, don’t you give me something of yourself that
I may carry with me, so they will
kill'. Then Jacobus gave him his staff, and he
went and brought all his magic books
the apostle to burn them. But
Jacobus did not want anyone to
The smell of the fire would be harmful, so
he told him to throw all the books into the sea.
After Hrmogenes had done that, he came back to
the apostle, took hold of his feet and said
'Savior of souls, receive the penance of,
whose envy and insult have so far
persecuted'. So he began and became
perfectly in the fear of God, that many signs
through him. When the Jews saw that
Hermogenes was converted, they went full of hatred
to Jacobus and punished him for not
crucified Jesus. But he proved
them from the Scriptures Christ's birth and suffering
quite clear; many of them became believers. Abiathar
but, the high priest of the year, made
an uprising among the people and let the
Jacobus put a rope around his neck and
before Herod Agrippa, who commanded that
he should be beheaded. Since he was now
was led to the place of execution, a lame man lay on
ways, he called on Sanct Jacobum that he
heal. Then the apostle said, 'In
Name of Jesus Christ, for whom I now
be led, rise up healthy and praise
your Creator'. Immediately the lame man stood
healthy and praised God. When that was a
scribe, Josiah by name, who saw the
Rope around Jacobi's neck and led him,
He threw himself at his feet and asked him for
Forgiveness and desired to become a Christian.
When Abiathar saw this, he seized him, and
said to him 'If you do not respond to the name
Christ, I will leave you with this
behead Jacobus.' Josias replied
'Cursed be you and all your days,
Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
forever'. Then Abiathar let him have his mouth
beat with fists. And sent messengers to
Herod, and commanded that he be joined to James
Since they were both to be beheaded
Jacobus asked the executioner for a
Bottle of water, from which he baptized the
Josiah. After that their heads were
beaten off, and so they suffered together
martyrdom.

But it was on March 25th that Sanct Jacobus
was beheaded, on the day of the proclamation of
Lord. On July 25th he was transferred to
Compostella, on December 30th he was
But because the construction of his tomb
was postponed from August to January,
The Church decreed that his day should be on July 25,
than in better times, there would be celebrations everywhere.

Now Johannes Beleth, who
Transfer has described with diligence that
after Jacobi's beheading his disciples
Body secretly for fear of the Jews at
night, and put him on a ship and
recommended the burial entirely to God
Wisdom; and they went up to it and did not steer,
but the angel of the Lord led them to
Galicia, where they landed in the kingdom
the Lupa; because in Hispania it was a
Queen, so called by name and by
Merit of her life; for Lupa is
spoken a she-wolf. They wore the
body from the ship and placed it on
a large stone. But behold, the stone gave
the corpse like wax and formed
miraculously into a coffin. The disciples
but went in to the queen and said
'Our Lord Jesus Christ sends you the
body of his disciple, that you found him dead
whom you did not want alive
suffer'. And they told her the miracle of how she
without tax to the country, and
asked for a worthy place to bury the body
When the queen heard this, she sent
the disciples, as the same Master John
Beleth writes, in great malice to a very
cruel people, or, as others say,
to the King of Hispania that they
advice on the matter; he let them
and throw them in prison. But meanwhile
As he sat at the table, the angel of the
Lord of the dungeon opened the door and welcomed them free from
When the king heard this,
He immediately sent his soldiers behind
them to catch them. But since the
Soldiers crossed a bridge, broke
the bridge, and they all drowned in the river.
Remorse came over the king, and he feared for
himself and his family. Therefore he sent messengers to
them and asked them to turn back,
he wants to give them everything they
So they came to him again and
converted the people of the city to
Christian faith. Since Queen Lupa had such
heard, she was very sad; and since the
disciples came to her again and did to her
King's will, she said to them 'Go
and take some of my cattle that I have on
that mountain, and harnesses with it the
Dare, so may you carry the body of your Lord
and prepare for him the place which you
wanted'. The she-wolf said this with wolfish
Treachery, because she knew that these cattle
were untamed wild bulls, and thought
no different, because these bulls do not
would let them catch or harness, or
when it happened, they would be
Run against the car, break the
Throw down the body and kill the disciples.
But no wisdom can prevail against the Lord.
For behold, the disciples went about without knowledge
the woman's cunning up the mountain; there they found
a dragon that breathed fire and flew back
them. But they made the sign of the cross,
His body burst in half. Even over the
They made the cross to the bulls; then they came
come as tame as lambs; and the disciples
They harnessed them and laid the body
together with the stone on which it rested, on which
chariot, and the bulls pulled him by themselves without
a human guide into the middle of the palace
the Lupa. She was frightened when she saw this, and
was converted and received
Christian faith. And gave the disciples everything,
what they desired, consecrated their palace in
Sanct Jacobi Church and gifted the church
delicious; and ended her life in good
works.
There was a man in the diocese of Modena,
Bernardus by name, who was imprisoned and lay
chained in a deep tower; and cried without
He stopped at Sanct Jacobum. Then he appeared
the saint and said 'Stand up and follow me
to Galicia'. Immediately his chains were
broken, but the saint had disappeared.
So the man hung the chains around his
neck, climbed to the top of the tower and jumped
with a jump down without any damage, because
but the tower was sixty cubits high.

Beda tells that one of them several times
great sin had been committed, and the bishop
did not dare to grant him indulgence. Therefore
he sent him with a note on which the sin
written, after Sanct Jacobs Church.
On the feast of the saint, man laid the
Note on the altar and asked Sanct Jacob that
he wipes out sin through his merit.
Then he took the sheet again and found the
Sin wiped out; and thanked Saint Jacob and
made the story public.

Thirty men from the country of Lotharingia
pilgrims around the year of our Lord 1070, when
Hubertus of Besançon writes, after Saint
Jacob, and swore to each other except one
Faithfulness and help in all things. Now that one of
When they became ill, his companions remained
fifteen days with him, but finally they left
him; and only the one who does not with faithfulness
had sworn, stayed with him and guarded
him at the foot of Mount Saint Michael; but
When evening came, the sick man died. Then the
Survivors are very afraid of the
Loneliness of the place, from the proximity of the dead,
from the impending darkness of the night and from
the savagery of the barbaric people. But
behold, Saint James appeared to him in one of
Reiter's figure, comforted him and said 'Give
me the dead and sit behind me
my horse.' So they rode through the night fifteen
Day trips far and came before
Sunrise to the mountain of joys, the
is half a mile from Sanct Jacob; there
the saint dismissed them both and commanded the pilgrim,
that he appointed the Canonici of Sanct Jacob to
Burial of the dead pilgrim; his
But he should tell the journeymen that the
pilgrimage is worthless because they have broken their vow
would have broken. Man fulfilled the
commandment, and told his companions who were
his journey were very surprised by what Sanct
Jacobus had told him.

Pope Calixtus tells us that in the year 1020
a German with his son to Sanct Jacob
wanted to go on a pilgrimage. When he arrived in the city of Toulouse
had to take lodging, the innkeeper made him
drunk and hid a silver cup
in his coat pocket. Now that she was
moved on, the innkeeper ran after them and stopped
They were held like robbers and accused of
they had stolen his silver cup.
They said that he might punish them
if the cup were found with them. And
When the coat pocket was opened, the
Becher, and they were immediately brought before the judge
dragged, the verdict was given that
all their belongings remained with the innkeeper and one of
They would be hanged. The father wanted to
son die, the son for the father; last
the son was hanged, and the father went to
Saint Jacob continues with great sadness. About
thirty-six days he came again and
lingered at the gallows, where the body
his son and complained about him
pitiful. But behold, the son began to
speak and comforted him 'Dearest father, cry
not, because I have never been so well: know, Saint
Jacob has held me until this hour
and refreshes me with heavenly sweetness'.
When the father heard this, he hurried to the
city; and the people came out with him,
took the son from the gallows, who was
unharmed, and hanged the innkeeper on his
Instead of.

Hugo of Sanct Victor tells us that
Pilgrim who was on his way to Saint James,
the devil appeared in the form of the saint. He
told him many things about the misery of
present life and promised him that
he would be blessed if he could, to his glory,
wanted to kill. Immediately the pilgrim drew his sword
and stabbed himself. Now the man in whose
House of the pilgrims was in Herberg, the murder
suspicious, and was very worried that he
had to die. Suddenly the dead man was
alive and told that the devil who had
death had already advised him to the torment of hell
wanted to lead: then appeared Saint Jacob and
rescued him from the devil and led him before the
Throne of the Judge. And even if the devils
complained against him, Sanct Jacob nevertheless obtained
that he was given back to life.

Hugo, Abbot of Cluny, tells that a
Young man from the March of Lyon often with great
devotion to Sanct Jacob. Once,
Since he also wanted to go there, he fell into
that same night in unchastity. Since he continued
One night the devil appeared to him in
Saint Jacob's figure and said 'Do you know,
who I am?' He replied that he did not know.
Said the devil 'I am James the Apostle,
that you have been going to every year so far.
Know that I had great joy in your
devotion; but this time you are in fornication
fallen when you went out of your house, and
you have not confessed it, but you dare
to approach me, as if your pilgrimage
To be pleasing to God and me. That is not
quite, because whoever wants to make a pilgrimage to me must
confess his sins first and then
through pilgrimage'. According to these
The devil disappeared.
the young man was very much and decided in his
Heart that he wanted to go home again
return and confess his sin, and then
begin the journey again. But behold, the
The devil appeared to him again in the form of
Apostle and advised him against his intention,
and said: Sin would never again
forgive, unless he cuts off his sex
off; he would be better off if he killed himself
and want to be a martyr for his name.
At night, when the other journeymen were sleeping,
the youth took his sword, cut himself
his genitals and then prodded
the sword through the body. When his
Companions woke up and saw this, they fled,
because they were afraid that this
When the dead man was given the
grave was prepared, he was suddenly
alive; they were all afraid and
wanted to escape, but he told them what he
had happened, and said 'Since I was on
the devil's counsel had killed, the evil
Spirits grabbed me and led me to
Rome; but behold, Saint James drove behind
us and scolded the devils for their deceit.
They argued back and forth for a long time; finally
Sanct Jacobus us to a meadow, there sat the
Holy Virgin in conversation with many saints.
He asked her for me, and she scolded the devils
very much and commanded that I should come back to life
would be awakened; and Saint James took
my soul and brought it back into the body,
than you see'. After three days, when only the
Scars from the wounds were visible on him,
the young man set out again,
caught up with his companions and told them
everything that had happened to him.

A man from France went around the year
1100 on the journey to Sanct Jacob, including
his wife and children; because he wanted
flee a great death that was taking place at that time in
France was, and also wanted Sanct Jacob
When he came to the city of Pampelona,
his wife died and the innkeeper took all his
his money and the beast of burden on which he
children. So the poor pilgrim had to
sadly move on, and he carried several children
on his shoulders, some he led on his
hand. So a man met him with a
Donkey, who took pity on him and lent him the
donkey to lead the children on it. Since he now
to Sanct Jacob and prayed
awake, the apostle appeared to him and said
'Don't you know me?' The pilgrim replied,
he did not know who he was. Then the
Saint 'I am the Apostle James and I have
lent you my donkey, and lend it to you
again, so that you may return home; but
you should already know that the evil host
from his balcony will fall to his death and you
everything he gave you shall be restored
taken'. Everything happened as he said
and the pilgrim went home happily. And since he
took the children from the donkey, the donkey was
soon disappeared.

A merchant was opposed by a tyrant
deprived of rights and imprisoned
Then he called Saint Jacob for
Help with all devotion. And Saint Jacob
appeared to him, whether the guards were awake,
and led him to the top of the tower. Then the
Tower so that its top of the earth
became equal, and the merchant could without
descend a jump and went free from
The guards wanted to pursue him, but
whether they were walking right next to him, their
Eyes do not see him.

It happened that three knights from the diocese
Lyon to Saint James. On the way
took one of them around Sanct Jacobs
the sack of an old woman who
asked to ride on his horse. After that he saw
a sick man lying half dead on the road;
he dismounted, put the sick man on his horse,
took the woman's sackcloth and the
Sick person on his back and went next to
the horse. But when they came to Galicia,
he broke from the heat of the sun and the effort
of the way and fell into a heavy
illness. His friends asked him how
the salvation of his soul was at stake; but he remained three
Days silent. On the fourth day, when the friends
waiting for his death, he sighed deeply and
said 'Thanks be to God and Saint Jacob, through
whose merit I am redeemed. For know, as
I wanted to do what you warned me to do, when
the devils came to me and choked me so much,
that I didn’t want to talk about anything, to
save me. I heard you, but I could
did not answer. But afterwards Saint
Jacobus, in his left hand he carried the sack of
woman, in his right hand the staff of
Beggars, both of whom I had on the way
helped; and held the staff like a spear and
the sack like a shield in front of him and drove
so that as in anger against the evil spirits; the
were frightened by the raised staff and
fled. So the grace of Saint James
redeemed me and gave me back my speech. Now
Call the priest, because I don't want to stay much longer
be in this life'. And turned to the
one of his journeymen and said to him
'Friend, serve your warlord no longer,
for he is truly condemned and will soon
die a bad death'. When the knight
was buried, the journeyman went and said
that to his master. But he paid no attention,
and did not want to improve; then he was
recently in a fight by a lance
pierced and died.

Calixtus the Pope tells that a man from
Vezelay on the pilgrimage to Sanct Jacob was
without money; but he was ashamed to beg.
As he rested under a tree, he dreamed
him, Saint Jacob would lead him to the pasture. Since he
awoke, he found a loaf of bread covered in ashes
baked, lie at his head.
he lived for fifteen days until he came home again;
and every day he ate twice from
the bread and yet found it the other
All day long, he's always in his pocket.

Calixtus the Pope also tells that a
Citizens of the city of Barcelona around the year
1100 to Sanct Jacob and nothing else
from him, because that no one
enemy may catch. As he now went home over
Sicily, he was captured by the Saracens
and several times from them in the market
sold; but the chains always fell from him,
with which he was bound. Now he was already
sold thirteen times and was sold with double
bound in chains, he called upon Saint Jacob; and
the apostle appeared to him and said 'Because you are in
my church desires physical freedom and that
You have forgotten the salvation of your soul, therefore you are in
this danger will come, but the Lord is
merciful, that is why he sends me to you, that
I will release you.' Immediately the chains broke
and the man went free through the land and
Saracen castles back to his country and
carried a part of the miracle as a sign
the chain with him, and everyone was amazed,
who saw him. But someone who caught him
wanted, he had to look at the chain
immediately flee from there in terror. When he
wandered through the desert, lions and
other wild animals attack him, but
When they saw the chain, they were so afraid,
that they immediately turned to flee. •

In 1238 it happened on Jacobi evening
at Prato Castle between Florence and
Postoja, that a young man in peasant simplicity
set fire to his guardian's grain, from
Revenge for the fact that he robbed him of his
He wanted to bring his inheritance. He was taken aback by this,
confessed to his crime and was sentenced to
Horses tied by the tail and then
to be burned. He confessed and ordered
himself in Saint Jacob's hat; and although he only
wearing a shirt over rocky ground
was dragged, he remained unharmed, and
There was no damage to his shirt either
see. After that he was tied to the stake
and wood was piled around it: the
Wood and the shackles burned; he himself
but, who incessantly invoked Saint James, did
The fire did no damage. When he was taken to
other times wanted to throw it into the fire, tore it
the people out and praised God loudly in his
Apostle.


Source:
Published by Lambert Schneider in Heidelberg.
We would be grateful for any further information.

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