Description
This silver colored key ring has the shape of the famous “Botafumeiro”. This small sized replica of the famous metal censer in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is a famous element of the Camino de Santiago.
The name “Botafumeiro” which describes the large censer of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is a Galician word, that consists of the words “bota” (eject) and “fume” (smoke).
The Botafumeiro in the cathedral contains incense and is attached to a rope that is swung almost to the ceiling during pilgrim mass by eight Tiraboleiros, that are periodically pulling on a rope to have the Botafumeiro swing in a pendulum motion. In the past, arriving pilgrims were tired and unwashed, and thus it served to spread a pleasant fragrance in the crowded church. It was also believed that incense smoke had a prophylactic effect at the time of plagues and epidemics. Incense burning is also an important part of the liturgy, being an “oration to God”, or form of prayer.
