St Giles

Pilgrim badge of St Giles, from the shrine at Saint-Gilles-du-Gard in France. This rectangular badge depicts St Giles in the centre; his bearded head with its beaded halo projects from the top of the badge. He is raising his right hand in a gesture of blessing and holds a crosier in his left hand. He wears ecclesiastical vestments and has a fringed maniple hanging from his left arm. On the left of St Giles’ body is a deer standing on its back legs; on the right is a plant. A small arrow pierces St Giles’ right elbow. These are references to the legend that St Giles lived in a cave and survived on the milk of a pet hind (female deer). One day the hind was being hunted by the king’s huntsmen so St Giles prayed for its protection. As a result, a thicket of bushes sprang up around the hind. One of the huntsmen’s arrows struck St Giles and so the king helped St Giles found an abbey (later called Saint-Gilles) by way of apology for his injury. Badges of St Giles usually have four stitching loops but two loops have broken off this badge. Its owner would have worn it sewn to their clothes or hat.

St Giles’ shrine at the abbey was very popular with pilgrims between 1050 and 1250, as it was en route to two major pilgrimage centres: Rome in Italy and the shrine of St James at Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Ships also took pilgrims from Saint-Gilles to the Holy Land.