The changing dichotomy between the sacred and the profane: a historical analysis of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage

ABSTRACT In a world where belief systems are constantly evolving, the number of people making a religious pilgrimage has skyrocketed. The Camino (Road) to Santiago (Saint James) de Compostela has been part of this general fervor. The present study looks at the dichotomy within this particular pilgrimage between the sacred and the profane, applying a historical method toward this end. It will demonstrate that at each of the three periods used here as units of analysis (Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Postmodernity), the sacred and the profane have combined in specific ways around the constructs of separation, encapsulation, and hybridization. This categorization justifies pilgrimages’ depiction as societal and commercial phenomena; shows that this particular, mythical pilgrimage has always been associated with markets and consumption behavior; and offers insights into these elements’ development and operationalization in the marketing arena.