Saint Werburga was an Anglo Saxon abbess. Her body was translated to Chester from the Midlands due to the Viking threat. This badge depicts one of St Werburga’s miracles. The story being that a flock of geese was destroying her abbey’s crops and as punishment St Werburga instructed a servant to enclose the geese within a fence. The geese remained within the fence overnight and the following morning St Werburga chastised and then forgave the geese who flew away. However, the geese soon returned as one of them was missing. When it was found that the missing goose had been killed and eaten the previous night, St Werburga took the bones and restored them to life. Now reunited, the flock flew away never to return.

Original found in London.

15th Century.

41x29mm Five Geese within a wattle fence.