One of the words frequently associated with the Camino, to the point that the pilgrim will come across it in all kinds of contexts when beginning his journey, is "Ultraia!" What does it mean, and where does it come from?
«Ultraia» is a Latin word, and literally means "beyond!" Originally comes from "Codex Calixtinus", the well-known medieval manuscript that could be considered the first "travel guide" to the Camino, and which constitutes a valuable document on what pilgrimage was like during the Middle Ages. In said manuscript, in a religious hymn preserved in one of its appendices, the stanza appears:
«E ultreia, e suseia,
God help us"
(Beyond, above, protect us God).
"Suseia", in turn, means "higher up." Legend has it that in ancient times, when pilgrims crossed paths, these words were exchanged as a greeting: "Ultreia!" "Et susaea!"
