The Old Man, also called the pilgrim, is a forty-five-year-old wandering pilgrim, venerable for his age, who travels in brown tunics with a wooden cross and a staff that radiates something. His home is the road.
| Type | Character |
| Spanish entry | El Viejo, peregrino |
Description
He wears plain brown tunics and sandals, with a wooden cross at his neck. His face “conveys a really wild calm”.
- The staff “has some special qualities, above all because it sort of radiates something”; what it radiates is not recorded.
- A hidden amulet: under his tunics hangs something “like an amulet”, a second, concealed religious symbol.
Role
He is a figure of conversation, not conflict: “He’s one of those pleasant people you like to chat with.” His status rests on age, not wealth: at forty-five he “is venerable”, as old age comes early in his era. He was described in detail on two independent occasions, a mark of significance.
Conflicting accounts
- Pale skin and long blond hair “starting to turn gray”, so “the blond blends with the white”; or gray-haired and medio aplatado (sense unclear).
- Eyes light blue, or “like sapphire”.
Open questions
- Whether “the Old Man” and “the pilgrim” are one man is possible, not established.
- Whether the amulet and the cross are one object, and if not, what cult it serves.
- His name, and any order or church.
- His origin, destination and how often he has walked the route.
- Height, build, voice and smell.