Why the Scallop Shell?

During the return of St. James’ remains to Spain, while arriving in Bouzas, the first miracle story recounts how in the midst of playing a game of lance throwing during wedding festivities, the groom’s aim was poor and his lance fell into the sea. Pursuing it on horseback, both the groom and the horse disappeared into the water, only to rise up miraculously, covered in scallop shells, alongside the boat carrying St. James’ body. The groom was moved to convert to Christianity, along with some of his guests.

In alternative versions, the horse, carrying the bridegroom (or in some stories, a knight) was spooked and dashed into the sea with its rider, or conversely, the groom. Through the intercession of St. James, though, the horse and bridegroom were returned to safety from the waters, though they were both covered by sea shells. An alternative, equally fanciful tale, recounts how St. James’ ship was sunk in a storm, and his body was recovered undamaged on the shore, covered in scallop shells.

This symbol of the saint’s concern for others became, in turn, the symbol of pilgrimage to Santiago. After a time, because of the popularity of the medieval pilgrimage to Santiago, the scallop shell was used by pilgrims to other holy sites as well. For example, San Roc, the patron saint of plague victims, who went on pilgrimage to Rome, rather than Spain, was almost always depicted with a scallop on each shoulder.

At Canterbury, among the very earliest of mementos for pilgrims to the shrine of St. Thomas à Beckett, were ampules in the shape of a scallop shell, suggesting it had come to be a universal symbol for pilgrims to sites other than Santiago.

The lines on a scallop shell, all tightening towards the hinge of the shell, symbolize for some the convergence of the many camino roads leading to Santiago.

The trouble is actually with the English form of the name, which is not particularly close to the original biblical name. The closest English name would actually be “Jacob.”

Over time, the name has had a variety of forms in various languages:

1. Hebrew: יַעֲקֹ֑ב or Ya’acov, commonly pronounced and spelled as “Jacob” in English.
2. Greek: pronounced “Yácobos.”
3. Latin: Iacobus, and later Iacomus.
4. In English, the middle syllable, “co,” of the Late Latin Iacomus, dropped out. As happens often in English with Biblical names, the initial syllable hardened from a “y” sound into a “j” sound – “Jesus,” from Yeshua, is an example. With all these gradual changes, Yacob evolved into Jamus, and with yet more time, into “James.” The English name went through many more changes than the Spanish.
5. In Spanish, Iacobus evolved into Iago, with the result that Sanctus Iacobus (“Saint Jacob”) evolved a much shorter distance to Santo Iago, hence, Santiago.

This may be more than you ever wanted to know…but there it is.