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Primary sourceArtifact

Saint Thomas Becket Pilgrim Badge

Unknown (England)

A cheap metal badge sold to pilgrims visiting Thomas Becket's shrine at Canterbury, showing devotion to his cult.

This badge, bought by pilgrims at Becket's shrine, shows the mass popular devotion his cult inspired.

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Grey metal pilgrim badge of a figure with a tall pointed hat decorated with raised studs, a face with eyes, nose and mouth, and a studded garment, against a dark-to-light grey background.
Pilgrim badge of Saint Thomas Becket, England. Walters Art Museum.

About this source

What it is

This is a pilgrim badge made in England by an unknown maker, showing a mitred figure. Badges like this were sold to pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket at Christ Church Cathedral in Canterbury.

Why it matters

After Becket's murder in 1170, a cult quickly grew around him as a symbol of the conflict between church and royal power. Stories of miracles at his tomb spread, making Canterbury a major pilgrimage site, and Becket was canonised only a few years after his death. Cheap mementos like this badge show how his fame reached ordinary people across northern Europe, not just the wealthy or powerful.

Look closer

  • Why might pilgrims want to buy a badge like this to take home?
  • What does the existence of mass-produced badges tell us about how popular Becket's cult became?
  • How might an object like this have helped spread stories about Becket to people who never visited Canterbury?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Becket on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Document

Primary source

Constitutions of Clarendon

Henry II of England · 1164

Exterior view of Canterbury Cathedral under a clear blue sky. A tall Gothic central tower with pinnacles rises above the stone nave and side chapels, with large pointed windows and a sloping roof visible. Grass lies in the foreground.Artifact

Primary source

Canterbury Cathedral

founded 597

A rectangular gilt copper reliquary casket with blue champlevé enamel, set with oval glass gems along its lid and four feet. Front panels show gilded figures in scenes, including a bishop-like figure at an altar with a chalice, and an upper scene of a tomb or bier with mourners.Artifact

Secondary source

Becket Casket

c. 1180-1190

A large semicircular textile, likely a chasuble, displayed flat in a curved glass case mounted on a white wall. Its faded beige fabric has repeating circular medallions containing small figures and patterns, with a vertical band down the center. Lights run along the top of the case.Artifact

Secondary source

Fermo Chasuble of St. Thomas Becket

12th century

Display case in a museum showing a pale cream silk liturgical robe with gold-embroidered borders on a mannequin, a pair of cream shoes, two long red-edged gold-patterned embroidered bands (stoles or orphreys), and a dark purple garment with gold trim at right.Artifact

Secondary source

Becket Liturgical Garments, Sens Cathedral

12th century

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