Holy Blood of Wilsnack

Part of a pilgrim badge from the shrine of the Holy Blood at Wilsnack in Germany. The village became a pilgrimage destination for around 100,000 pilgrims a year after it burnt down in 1383. The parish priest said that he had found three untouched hosts (circular wafers taken during Holy Communion) in the ruins of the village church. These were stuck together and were marked with drops of blood. Miracles were soon associated with the bleeding hosts and pilgrims came to see the Holy Blood. Badges were made as souvenirs – these depicted the hosts as three connected roundels containing scenes of the Flagellation of Christ, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Only one of the roundels has survived on this badge, which is rather damaged but appears to depict the Resurrection.