The Milky Way?
Why is the Way of St. James called The Milky Way?
shareBecause is said that a star lead some farmer on the way to his body
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MovieChat Forums > La voie lactée (1969) Discussion > The Milky Way?
Short version
According to legend, Compostela derives from the Latin Campus Stellae (i.e., "field of the star")
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela
Bunuel makes the connection, via the narrator, from "Field of Stars" to the "field of stars" in the sky: the Milky Way.
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It's not that the earthly Way of St. James is called the Milky Way, but rather that historically the Milky Way galaxy has also been called the Way of St. James. In medieval astronomy, both of these names were used to refer to this galaxy of stars.
In other words, astronomically, the Milky Way/La Voie Lactée/La Vía Láctea was also called the Way of St. James/Le Chemin de St. Jacques/el Camino de Santiago.
And that is because, as related by a previous respondent, the stars of the Milky Way galaxy were thought to have guided people to the discovery of St. James's body, under a "campo estrellado" or field of stars, near Santiago de Compostela. This became part of the name of the city of Santiago de Compostela. In France, the Milky Way galaxy does "point the way" to a certain extent toward Santiago. The same is not true once one gets closer to Santiago within Spain.
Nowadays, the Way of St. James nearly always refers to the physical routes one can follow through France into Spain to reach the city of Santiago de Compostela.
If you would like to read more about religious references and themes in films by Buñuel and other Spanish directors, here is a book on the subject:
http://www.press.umich.edu/6981447/religion_and_spanish_film
also available on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Religion-Spanish-Film-Contemporary-Directors/dp/ 0472052454
and from Target
http://www.target.com/p/religion-and-spanish-film-paperback/-/A-164968 96