Pilgrims

Pilgrims

Most badges are pilgrim badges. Going on a pilgrimage was the main way to see a bit of the world in the Middle Ages. And people brought back souvenirs even back then. When pilgrimages became really popular after 1150, a market for cheap mass-produced badges popped up. Until the 16th century, they were part of a pilgrim's standard outfit. You can recognise the specific pilgrimage site by the image on the badge.

A badge is not just a beautiful souvenir, it also had a religious function. It ensures that the holy powers of the relic come home with you. By pressing the badge onto the reliquary, it took on some of the powers of the relic. This way, you could take the powers with you or hang it up in your home as a talisman. Sometimes badges were embedded in foundations, buried in a field, incorporated into a clock or sewn into books. There are even medical recipes in which a badge had to be soaked in a liquid. In this way, a sick person who was unable to beg for healing in a sanctuary could still benefit from its powers.

You can recognise the three kings on this badge. It is a pilgrim badge from Cologne.

Santiago de Compostella

Perhaps the most popular place of pilgrimage in medieval Europe is Santiago de Compostela. Walking routes to this sanctuary depart from all over the continent. This is where the tomb of St James the Greater is located. According to legend, St James was responsible for the “Reconquista” or the expulsion of the Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula. He is therefore the patron saint of Spain. The symbol of Santiago de Compostela is the scallop shell, named after the saint. Pilgrims pinned the shell to their hats. But there are also pewter and lead badges in the shape of a shell.

As early as 1172, a text refers to the sale of St James's shells to pilgrims. In fact, there was a whole trade. In addition to badges, the church also sold wineskins, shoes, knapsacks, other bags, leather laces and belts, herbs and other items. In other words, everything you need for the return journey. This makes Santiago de Compostela one of the earliest pilgrimage sites. And extremely popular. The shell became the universal symbol for pilgrims. Anyone wearing the shell clearly indicated that they were on a pilgrimage.

In addition to badges, there are also ampoules with the motif of the Saint James shell. These are small, hollow objects. Like badges, they were worn on clothing or on a string around the neck. Ampoules are usually decorated on both sides. At the pilgrimage site, you filled the ampoule with holy oil or medicinal water. Sometimes even soil from the sanctuary was taken home.

Saint Eligius of Noyon

In addition to Compostela, there are hundreds of pilgrimage sites scattered across Europe. In Noyon, for example, Saint Eligius was worshipped. Below you can see a badge from this pilgrimage site. Eligius (also known as Elooi) is a saint from the seventh century. He was a blacksmith, but worked his way up to become the monarch's personal advisor. Later, he became bishop of Noyon & Tournai.

There is a lot going on in this insignia. On the left, Eligius is depicted as a farrier at his anvil. Above the anvil, an angel is watching. On the right, a cripple is throwing away his crutches, which he no longer needs. He was healed thanks to the saint. On the far right, a horse peeks around the corner. This is a reference to a popular legend surrounding Eligius. When he had to replace the horseshoes of a particularly unruly horse, he removed the horse's leg, fitted the hoof with a new shoe and put the leg back on the horse. He is therefore the patron saint of horses.

The mass screening in Aachen

The insignia of Eligius of Noyon is one of the older insignia in our collection. It dates from the second half of the 13th century. We know this because of the type of insignia: a solid plaque insignia. Openwork insignia did not appear until the 14th century. This allowed the insignia to be made much larger, without the image becoming too heavy. The insignia of Mary's tunic dates from the 15th century and, at 12.3 cm high, is the largest insignia ever found in Flanders.

Mary's tunic, the garment she wore when she gave birth to Jesus, is venerated in Aachen, together with Christ's loincloth and John the Baptist's execution cloth. These items are kept in the Shrine of Mary. The remains of Charlemagne also lie in Aachen Cathedral. This makes it an important place of pilgrimage. Initially, the robe was taken out once a year to be shown to pilgrims. From 1349 onwards, this was only done every seven years. The display became a mass event that attracted tens of thousands of visitors.


There are fears for the safety of the pilgrims. They want to get as close as possible to the relic. At the beginning of the 15th century, a solution is found in the form of the mirror insignia. A small mirror was incorporated into the insignia. In this example, the mirror glass was incorporated into the rose window. The mirror captures the reflection of the relic and thus also captures its healing power. In this way, you could take the power of the relic home with you without the insignia having to be in physical contact with the reliquary.