in believing that the bishop realised the inherent paganism of the cult, and sought some means to detach it from its megalithic associations. Exactly what happened we can only surmise, for the first account of the transaction occurs in the Historia Compostellana, sive de rebus gestis, written by D. Didacus Gelmirez, first Archbishop of Compostella, in the beginning of the twelfth century, when the story had already gathered around itself an accumulation of myth.
The account he gives is as follows: "But it is related that Theodomir succeeded to the aforesaid bishops, raised by divine providence to the said see, and in his time the might of divine majesty deigned to visit and enlighten the western church by revealing the tomb of this great apostle. But how it was revealed to him the following page makes clear. Certain personages and men of great authority told the said bishop that they had seen lights in a copse, which had grown for a considerable time over the tomb of the Blessed James, frequently burning at night time; and that there an angel had frequently appeared to them. Having heard this, he himself went to the place where they said that they had seen these things, and saw the lights burning in the said place unmistakeably with his own eyes. Inspired thereby with divine grace he speedily approached the said little copse, and looking carefully around him discovered among the trees and shrubs a little house, containing within it a marble tomb. Having found this he gave thanks to God and sought the presence of King Alfonso the Chaste, who was then reigning in Spain, and to him truthfully narrated what he had heard and seen with his own eyes. He (the king), gladdened by such great news, when the way had been shown to him, entered these parts, and restoring the church in honour of so great an apostle, with the authority of many bishops and servants of God, and of noble men, and by his royal prerogative, moved the bishopric
