Pilgrim Badges of St Edmund of East Anglia

Resource type
Journal article
Creator (person)
Lewis, Michael
Date published
2021
Abstract
It was common for medieval pilgrims visiting holy sites to purchase souvenirs celebrating the cults of local saints and then touch these upon associated relics. Such items not only became signs of the places journeyed to, but also – it was believed – took on mystical properties that might cure or protect the owner, or others to whom the badge or trinket was passed. Pilgrim badges, therefore, are not only ephemera, but also practical items. This paper considers badges of St Edmund of East Anglia within the wider sphere of those badges reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), and examines how these badges relate to those of similar form, with a view to better understanding their wider use and context.
Editor
Lewis, Richard
Journal title
The Journal of Breckland Studies
Volume
4
Article number
107579
Publisher
The Breckland Society
ISSN
2516-0818
Official URL
Keywords