Way of St.James by Arzúa
A Mota Chapel
A scarce kilometre away from “Santo Estevo do Campo Church”, surrounded by a small oak grove, is "Capela da Mota", small, built in local stone and with a covered side shelter, supported by round columns, also made of small stones.
It is humble, with a taste of farming poverty. It seems as if, on purpose, this was its greatest value, blending in with the mountain in a simplicity that conveys harmony.
Three saints inhabit this temple: Saint Bartholomew, Saint Matthew and Saint Simon.
They hold a festival in honour of Saint Bartholomew on the 24th of August. Hundreds of people come to him so that, with the wooden sword-knife he holds in his hand, they can have their "lobiños" cut, commonly known as goitre, which is very abundant in these iodine-scarce inland lands. The procedure consists of a causal representative of the festival passing the knife across the throat of the sacrificed and the latter leaves alms, either in money or in kind.
He is also an advocate for women in labour, against storms, and protector of herds of animals.
There is a saying, which almost sounds like a prayer, that summarizes this power:
“Where your name shall be named,
no woman shall die in childbirth,
nor a drowned child,
nor shall any fierce beast
enter your flock”.
According to the oldest people in the area, there has never been a lightning strike or an evil hailstorm in this parish. All it takes is for the sacristan to ring the bell on a stormy day for all the land where its sound is heard to be protected, as if it were a lightning rod.
"We are a living legend".
Xosé Luís Rivas Cruz and Baldomero Iglesias Dobarrio
