Looking for info on symbolism of leaving a rock

[mammalama]

Greetings fellow pilgrims-
I know someone out there can help. Please, if you have any information or a good link regarding the history and mystery of leaving a stone at the cross erected by Charlemagne's men, I would be most greatful. Also interested in hearing from anyone who partook in this custom and would like to hear why you were moved to do so. I thank you in advance for your inofrmation.

If any are interested, I am sharing the preparation stage of my Camino journey with friends, family and enthusiasts at Angels and Longshots At this stage it is all about the prep...humor mixed with philosophy mixed with inspiration. My partner and I are off in June to complete the Camino from SJPDP and are absolutely stoked! We are a gay couple, documenting our experience to inspire and encourage others. Feel free to pass on our link, subscribe or stop by and share your thoughts as well.
Cheers!

[Covey]

I met an American lady two years ago on the road to Roncesvalles who was bashing a large stone on the ground trying to break it in to small pieces. When I enquired why she was expending so much precious energy breaking rocks, she told me the story.

Her Church in the USA had heard she was going to Spain to walk the Camino and asked her if she could carry a stone to place on the Iron Cross Hill on behalf of the congregation. She was delighted with the support and prayers of her community and on the Sunday before she left for Spain, they held a special Service of Blessing for the stone and presented her with said stone at the service.

Obviously, no one in the congregation had ever been on the Camino, because the beautiful stone from her local river bed weighed around 1.5KGS.

Not being terribly religious myself, I could just imagine the dilemma the lady had in being lumbered with a bloody great rock, instead of the small pebble most carry, and having the burden of her congregation expecting pictures of her laying said rock on the Iron Cross Hill.

Anyway, she carried the rock for some 10kms out of St Jean, before reality overtook sentiment, and she was trying to reduce the rock to a more manageable size. How she was going to fudge the pictures so that the small piece she was going to carry still looked like the mighty boulder she had started out with was a matter she was going to have to solve another day.

[HuskyNerd]

Take a look at Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan for an example of the symbolism of leaving a rock. Here are a couple of quotations:

That is that which I seek for, even to be rid of this heavy burden; but get it off my self I cannot: nor is there a man in our Country that can take it off my shoulders; therefore am I going this way, as I told you, that I may be rid of my burden.

So I saw in my Dream, that just as Christian came up with the Cross, his burden loosed from off his Shoulders, and fell from off his back.

Pilgrim's Progress was published in 1678 and, of course, is not about the Camino, but it is about pilgrimage -- and not so long after the Middle Ages that the concept would likely have changed much.

Hope this helps ~
Sandy Brown