Pilgrims Mass and Swinging of the Botafumeiro

I went to the Pilgrims Mass on Saturday. Very little English, so I did not get much of the message but it felt special somehow and by now I was over my initial disgust of all the tourists who were doing the pilgrim thing!

The most amazing part of the mass was the swinging of the Botafumeiro. On Friday night I met a pilgrim who walked the Portuguese Route and he told me that the Botafumeiro was swinging on the Friday and that it was still hanging there, which meant it would swing again. Well, it swinged!!! This is a highlight of the pilgrimage and I felt very priviledged to see it. (I did smile when the priests were applauded very loudly at the end of it and realised that most people were there not for the mass but for the Swinging of the Thingy)!

The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is the largest censer in the world, weighing 80 kg and measuring 1.60 m in height. It is usually on exhibition in the library of the cathedral, but on holy days it is attached to the pulley mechanism and filled with 40 kg of charcoal and incense. It takes 6 to 8 men (priests) to pull the ropes and bring it into a swinging motion almost to the roof of the transept, reaching speeds of 60 km/h and dispensing thick clouds of incense. One tradition has it that the use of a swinging censer in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral began in the 11th century to mask the smell of the tired and unwashed pilgrims. It was also believed that incense smoke had a prophylactic effect in the time of plagues and epidemics. Of course, incense burning is also an important part of the liturgy, being an "oration to God", or form of prayer.

Some technical info for those of you who are interested : The Botafumeiro can reach speeds of 68 km/h as it dispenses thick clouds of incense. At the top of the swing, it reaches heights of 21 meters. It swings in a 65 meter arc between the Azabachería and Praterias doorways at the ends of the transept. The maximum angle achieved is about 82°. The maximum can be reached after about 17 cycles, and requires about 80 seconds of swinging. It costs about R3000 to fill it and swing it, so I was really very surprised to find myself being part of this.


It is quite spectacular and goes hand in hand with people shrieking and sighing as it swings above their heads and miss the stained glass windows. I am sure there would be a video on Youtube for those of you who would like to see this.

Incensed Peregrino