Alongside sacred motifs, medieval pilgrim badges often featured grotesque and erotic imagery. Popular themes included phallic symbols, vulvas, satirical monks and nuns, and anti-clerical humour. These badges reflect the dark humour of the Middle Ages, addressing faith and daily life with irony. Cast in lead or pewter, they spread across Europe. We offer authentic replicas based on historical finds, crafted with attention to detail. Discover the boldness of a time unafraid to mock its own taboos.
Pilgrim Badges – Grotesque Symbols and Secular Humor of the Middle Ages
In the High and Late Middle Ages, pilgrim badges were not only spiritual souvenirs but also vivid reflections of secular views on faith, sexuality, and everyday life. Alongside traditional depictions of saints, relics, and pilgrimage sites, a wide variety of badges spread across Europe bearing openly grotesque, erotic, and satirical motifs.
Popular themes included phallic symbols, vulvas, monks with inappropriate attributes, nuns riding rocking penises, and scenes mocking religious customs or moral hypocrisy. These objects became a form of medieval dark humor, allowing both pilgrims and townsfolk to confront religious and daily realities with irony and wit.
Most badges were cast in pewter or lead, enabling mass production and distribution across Western Europe, especially in England, the Netherlands, and France. Today, they are highly valued archaeological finds that reveal a lesser-known—but deeply fascinating—side of medieval culture.
Our collection features faithful replicas of grotesque pilgrim badges, including realistic phalluses, symbolic vulvas, and other provocative designs. Each item is handcrafted and inspired by genuine historical discoveries, with an emphasis on authenticity.
Discover the dark humor of the Middle Ages and its bold perspective on the body, faith, and hypocrisy. These badges are more than curiosities—they are powerful expressions of a time unafraid to speak plainly.
