Royal Heraldry Society of Canada lecture by Dr. Ann Marie Rasmussen of the University of Waterloo, Ontario

A Proliferation of Signs: Badges in the Medieval World

Heraldry is but one of the complex visual signifying systems that were familiar across medieval Europe. This lecture discusses another: the sign systems of badges, small, cheap, mass-produced objects (usually made of lead-tin alloys) that bore a familiar image and were made to be pinned or sewn onto clothing. Medieval people wore specific badges to create and claim social relationships in all spheres of life. Although best known to modern audiences as pilgrim badges, where a religious badge signaled an affiliation with a specific saint or holy site, badges were also produced for secular aims, some of which overlap with, or refer to, heraldry.

This ninety-minute lecture will take place on Zoom and incorporate the use of breakout rooms at regular intervals to allow participants to get to know one another better.