Search

The article presents a report from an April 21-25, 2015 conference in Weingarten, Germany on the history of holy objects and saints hosted by the hagiography department of Rottenburg-Stuttgart diocese academy and the Middle Ages and Early Modern sacrality and sacralization working group of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft research society. Topics of presentations delivered included the design and use of cast metal pilgrims' badges in the Middle Ages, descriptions of relics in the medieval manuscript "Flores epytaphii sanctorum" by Thiofried von Echternach, and the deification of swami Vidyatirtha of the Srngeri Hindu temple in India as the god Svayambu-Linga.

The development of devotion to saints and the development of pilgrimage are closely linked. The urge to mark one's pilgrimage can be traced from the 11th century. Before then, pilgrimage souvenirs were made of fragile materials: ceramic or glass ampullas, pieces of cloth, earth, palm leaves and similar. In the period between the 11th and 15th century, we can observe the development of pilgrim badges made of lead and tin alloys. At the beginning, such badges represented a certain personal status symbol. In the 14th century, their mass production began, and in the 15th century they obtained the role of amulets or ornaments. Pilgrim pendants are tin objects which were worn as pendants on a ribbon, or sewn onto clothes. Their shape and method of production do not allow their classification in the medal category, but put them much closer to pilgrim badges. This paper presents eight pilgrim pendants found within the territory of Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on an April 2010 conference in Prague, Czech Republic, titled "Medieval Pilgrim Badges. Prospects of European Research - Perspektiven der europäischen Pilgerzeichenforschung." The meeting addressed such topics as European pilgrimage medallions, such medals discovered in the southern Baltic region, and the use of metal detectors to locate the badges.

The article discusses a 13th-century document signed by Pope Gregory IX in 1228, which deals with the rights of the chapter of St. Peter's Cathedral with regard to the production and distribution of pilgrim badges. After providing background information on the social and historical significance of medieval pilgrim batches and on the administrative processes involved in papal grants in the Middle Ages, the author points out that, unlike similar, previous papal decrees, this source was not entered into the papal registry of legal documents. He suggests possible historiographical interpretations as to the meaning of this fact.

The article explores connections to possible pilgrimages in the manuscript "Belles Heures" commissioned by Jean de Berry. It discusses marks possibly left by Jean de Berry and the manuscript illuminators, the Limbourg brothers, on the manuscript of Belles Heures which started in the form of badges imprinted on a blank page. The imprints of the badges appearing in the manuscript are described and the late 15th century practice of adding badges commemorating pilgrimages to devotional books is also explored.