St Bridget

Pilgrim badge from the shrine of St Bridget at Syon Abbey, Isleworth, West London. Syon Abbey was a monastery dedicated to St Saviour and St Bridget of Sweden (also known as Birgitta) and housed both monks and nuns. It was founded in 1415 and quickly became a popular pilgrimage destination, especially as it granted pilgrims pardons for their sins at certain times of year. St Bridget was famous for having visions of Christ’s Passion and of the future. She spent much of her later life on pilgrimages. This badge includes a standing figure of St Bridget, with a large halo around her head, wearing a long robe. There is a figure of an angel touching her right shoulder. This represents the angel speaking to St Bridget and is a reference to her visions. Underneath the saint is a circular frame decorated with alternate floral and fleur-de-lys motifs. This frame would have contained a mirror (mirrors were used on some pilgrim souvenirs to catch the reflection of holy relics at a shrine and so absorb some of their power). The saint’s shrine at Syon continued to attract many pilgrims into the early 16th century.