belt fitting

This pilgrim souvenir is a badge in the form of a belt end, a metal fitting on the end of a strap that protects it and makes it easier to fasten. There are few surviving examples of belt-end pilgrim souvenirs in England, mostly found in or associated with London. This one is likely from Westminster Abbey, where a relic of the Virgin’s girdle (belt), or the Girdle of Thomas, was supposed to have been kept.

Saint Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles, is often called Doubting Thomas, because he did not believe in Christ’s resurrection until seeing and touching Christ and his wounds. He also doubted the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, when Mary’s physical body entered heaven upon her death. Upon hearing Thomas’ disbelief, Mary appeared in the heavens and dropped her girdle into his hands. Medieval churches across Europe claimed to have this original girdle, or girdles which had touched the original (known as third-class relics). Much of the veneration (honouring) of the Virgin focused on relics associated with her body, such as milk, hair, and the girdle, especially after Marian devotion exploded in popularity in the late Middle Ages. The story of the Assumption was particularly well-loved in England, appearing frequently in plays and ecclesiastical art.

The girdle at Westminster Abbey was lent to queens to ease the pains of labour, and many churches across England had similar ‘lady girdles,’ or birthing girdles, that were available to parishioners for a price. Very few of these girdles survive today because they were targeted for destruction during the English Reformation, when Catholic religious institutions were forcibly dissolved.