pilgrim badge

This badge is shaped like the handle of a miniature scourge (a whip with multiple cords). The shape tells us that it is probably associated with the shrine of Saint Guthlac (674-714) at Crowland Abbey in Lincolnshire.

According to the writings about his life, Saint Guthlac was born to a noble Anglo-Saxon family in the large kingdom of Mercia. After spending many years as a successful pagan warrior, he converted to Christianity. He entered the monastery at Repton as a monk, but eventually sought to live an ascetic (isolated and self-disciplined) life as a religious hermit. He travelled to the island of Croyland (now called Crowland) in the Fens. His boat arrived there on the day of the feast of Saint Bartholomew, and Guthlac regarded this as a sign of Bartholomew’s importance in his solitary life. He built a small chapel and rooms on the side of an ancient burial mound there, and, despite being a hermit, received many important visitors who sought his religious advice. However, his life in the wilderness brought difficulties – Guthlac was haunted by demons, which at one point nearly carried him to Hell. Saint Bartholomew appeared to him at a crucial moment, bestowing a scourge which Guthlac used to defend himself.

Guthlac was one of the most important saints of the early Christian period in England, indicated by the large number of literary and artistic manuscripts that describe his life. Though his widespread popularity faded over time, the shrine at Crowland Abbey remained an important destination for pilgrims, who may have purchased souvenirs like this badge.