Medieval pilgrimage badges, popular in the 1300-1400s, were small, often mass-produced tokens worn by travelers as keepsakes from holy sites, typically depicting saints or religious symbols. However, some took a playful or risqué turn, such as the “wandering vulva,” featuring humorous anthropomorphized body parts.
These subversive designs may have served dual purposes: while some see them as charms against the evil eye and the Black Plague, others interpret them as a satirical critique of religious piety. Through humor, these badges reveal the complex interplay of faith, superstition, and societal commentary in the medieval era.
© THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM
We asked our old friend Alice of the Dead, who also designed our subincised fascinus logo, to have her way with the wonderfully lighthearted traveling vulva for this year's new SD logo; not really sure what we're going to do with it (I've already ordered stickers) but we're pleased as punch to be adding it to the collection of totally unmarketable, explicit Sacred Debris swag.
Let me know what you think- too much for a teeshirt?
For more info on the traveling vulva: click here.
