The Sacred Way: The Pilgrimage Route of Saint Sebastian (Yumbel, Chile)

Abstract

[eng] Routes can be understood not only in their spatial dimension but also have to be considered as a temporal way. Spatiotemporal links and dimensions run deep into the sense of place, and have often been used as a way to understand cosmogony. The way therefore becomes a sacred achievement, in a journey of initiation, as a pilgrim. This article will focus on the rediscovery of a historic route along the river Bío- Bíothanks to the traces of a present Catholic pilgrimage's devotion to Saint Sebastian but also based on an older Mapuche tradition. The temporal link related to the date of the 20th January is the common fact that permits us to prove the adaption of both cultural traditions and the present rebuilding of the old route. The pilgrimage route of Saint Sebastian in Yumbel (Chile) is an example of the survival of a sacred way in an historic frontier land over time. This case allows us to underline the importance of routes as key elements for a spatial embodiment of vernacular understandings. Sacred ways become the invisible markers of cosmogonies.