Mysteries

1. unknown insect

The first insignia is described in the inventory as an “insect”, but the exact species is unknown. A survey of entomologists led to the hypothesis that it was a mayfly larva. A mayfly larva is the larva of a mayfly. The insignia does indeed closely resemble a mayfly larva, except that a mayfly larva is very small: only 3 to 30 mm. Today, we can study all the details of the animal under a microscope, but was this possible in the Middle Ages without the tools we have today? Furthermore, there are no other known images of mayflies from the Middle Ages. There is also no symbolism associated with the animal. So why would anyone want to wear a badge of this?

Another hypothesis is that the insignia is incomplete. If you look closely, you can see a broken piece on the left and right sides of the head. If this is correct, it could well be a lobster. This animal from the zodiac was often used in iconography during the Middle Ages. The crab often appears in decorated calendars. And those miniatures often closely resemble this badge: three legs, a tail, a body divided into three parts and antennae or tentacles at the front. What is missing from the badge are the front legs with their characteristic claws. But these may have broken off.

2. Church donation

Our collection includes several very similar depictions. In total, only eight badges of this type are known to exist in Europe. Four of these were found in Ypres, three in the northern French city of Valenciennes and one in Bruges. The depictions differ greatly from one another, but each one shows a religious leader and a secular ruler with a miniature building between them. These are large badges, too large to be pinned to a hat. There are two theories about the meaning of this piece.

3. city gate

One insignia from our collection depicts a gatehouse. Possibly a city gate. Perhaps this insignia represents urban autonomy? The city gate plays an important symbolic role in this regard. The privilege of building a city wall and controlling who enters and leaves the city is one of the foundations of urban autonomy. It would therefore be an example of a badge that can be placed entirely in a secular, urban context.

There are many known insignia of a similar gatehouse, with the main difference being that there is a figure in the centre. These are mostly monsters and animals, but mainly figures of Mary. This immediately gives the insignia a religious connotation. Some of these representations can be specifically linked to the pilgrimage site of Tombelaine. This is a small island not far from the famous Mont Saint-Michel. The island had a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and many pilgrims passed through here. The arch in the gatehouse on the badge suggests that there was also a figure here initially. Unfortunately, we will never know whether it was Mary or someone else.