It is not, as most assume, a detailed record of one's pilgrimage route, but rather an official acknowledgement by the church that one was present at the tomb of St James, with a devotional spirit. So when one arrives at the Compostela office, one must declare that one walked the Camino for a "religious" or "spiritual" reason. However, the Compostela does not, as some assume, remove sins or grant religious "merit" or any other religious "boon."
Info on Compostela rules/history:
http://caminoways.com/pilgrims-certificate-the-compostela#.V5EaRhnRbqA
Early pilgrims used to simply collect a scallop shell at "the end of the earth" (Finesterre, which has now become a Camino in it's own right, with its own certificate) at the ocean past Santiago, where the body of St James was supposed to be returned from the sea on a bed of scallop shells. It was proof that one went to the end of the pilgrimage, and could be used as a cup or plate on the long journey home again. However, the church felt more secure evidence was required, as shrewd vendors started selling scallop shells to anyone anywhere, and so the church started issuing official certificates. Later, the church opened a hospital where pilgrims could stay free for three days and heal the wounds of their pilgrimage. It was said to be the oldest hospital in Spain. Today, that hospital is the Parador hotel.
I was also asked why the certificate is called a Compostela. I have not found an exact answer for that, but it might help to look at the etymology for "Santiago de Compostela."
Wikipedia info about "Santiago de Compostela":
"Santiago is the local Galician evolution of Vulgar Latin Sanctus Iacobus "Saint James". According to legend, Compostela derives from the Latin Campus Stellae (i.e., "field of the star")..."
[Legend: The relics were said to have been later rediscovered in the 9th century by a hermit named Pelagius, who after observing strange lights in a local forest went for help after the local bishop, Theodemar of Iria, in the west of Galicia. The legend affirms that Theodemar was then guided to the spot by a star, drawing upon a familiar myth-element, hence "Compostela" was given an etymology as a corruption of Campus Stellae, "Field of Stars."]
"... it seems unlikely, however, that this phrase could have yielded the modern Compostela under normal evolution from Latin to Medieval Galician. Other etymologies derive the name from Latin compositum, local Vulgar Latin Composita Tella, meaning "burial ground", or simply from Latin compositellam, meaning "the well-composed one". Other sites in Galicia share this toponym, akin to Compostilla in the province of León."
My best guess is that the current usage of the word Compostela to mean the certificate is that it is a shortened version of "official certificate of visiting the tomb (Compostela) of St James (Santiago)."
As I mentioned in a previous post (Day 21), if one walks for "cultural" or "health/fitness" reasons, one receives a different certificate of completion. It lists the route, distance, start and finish dates, and the fact that one visited the tomb of St James. If one walks for "religious/spiritual" reasons, one can receive both certificates, as I did, for a small fee of 3 Euro. Here is my certificate of Camino Completion, which I rather like:
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