Sanctum Hex

Medieval European Symbols

50 symbols to explore

Meaning & historical context

Browse medieval european symbols

50 symbols.

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Woolstaplers' Guild Monogram Mark preview
Guild Marks£0.99

Woolstaplers' Guild Monogram Mark

Medieval Woolstaplers’ Guild monogram preserved at St Michael’s, Southampton.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Thomas Horton Wool Merchant Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

Thomas Horton Wool Merchant Mark

Merchant mark of Wiltshire wool merchant Thomas Horton.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Thomas Howell Draper's Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

Thomas Howell Draper's Mark

Personal merchant mark of London draper Thomas Howell.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
William Young Grocer's Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

William Young Grocer's Mark

Personal merchant mark of Bristol grocer and mayor William Young.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Sir Richard Yorke Merchant Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

Sir Richard Yorke Merchant Mark

Probable merchant mark associated with York civic figure Sir Richard Yorke.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
William Holbeck WH Merchant Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

William Holbeck WH Merchant Mark

Probable merchant mark associated with York mercer and mayor William Holbeck.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
John Youle Draper's Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

John Youle Draper's Mark

Personal merchant mark of fourteenth-century York draper John Youle.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Richard Hughson Grocer's Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

Richard Hughson Grocer's Mark

Personal merchant mark associated with Norwich grocer Richard Hughson.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Alexander Thurston Merchant Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

Alexander Thurston Merchant Mark

Personal merchant mark of Norwich grocer and mercer Alexander Thurston.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Chape Norwich Merchant Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

Chape Norwich Merchant Mark

Norwich merchant mark associated with the Chapp or Chape family.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
St Clement's Sandwich Wine Merchant Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

St Clement's Sandwich Wine Merchant Mark

Unidentified merchant mark at St Clement’s, Sandwich, probably associated with the wine trade.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Passau Running Wolf Blade Mark preview
Makers Marks£0.99

Passau Running Wolf Blade Mark

Running Wolf blade mark associated with the swordsmiths of Passau.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Mill-Rind Swordsmith Mark preview
Makers Marks£0.99

Mill-Rind Swordsmith Mark

Unidentified armourer’s mill-rind blade mark on a fifteenth-century sword.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Witham Crescent Sword Maker's Mark preview
Makers Marks£0.99

Witham Crescent Sword Maker's Mark

Crescent mark on a medieval sword from the River Witham, possibly a maker’s mark.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
William Greville Merchant Mark preview
Merchants Marks£0.99

William Greville Merchant Mark

Personal merchant mark of Cotswold wool merchant William Greville.

3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityHistorically supported
Foliate Head preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Foliate Head

Faces sprouting, biting or surrounded by leaves peer from medieval churches and buildings across Europe, creating one of the period's most strange and memorable forms of architectural ornament.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialRenewalTransformationBalanceHistorically supported
Wheel of Fortune preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Wheel of Fortune

The medieval Wheel of Fortune turns kings upward and casts them down again, a stark reminder that status, success and worldly fortune can change without warning.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialTransformationDeathWisdomHistorically supported
Wyvern Tail Crest preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Wyvern Tail Crest

The wyvern's long serpent tail gives the two-legged winged dragon much of its heraldic character. Isolated as a crest, that curling weapon becomes a contemporary emblem of identity, strength, vigilance and power held ready.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialStrengthTransformationProtectionHistorically supported
Portolan Wind Rose preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Portolan Wind Rose

Portolan charts transformed medieval seafaring knowledge into dense networks of coasts and directional lines; the later wind rose distils that navigational tradition into an emblem of orientation and guidance.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialGuidanceResilienceProtectionHistorically supported
Keys of Saint Peter preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Keys of Saint Peter

The keys given to Saint Peter became one of medieval Christianity's clearest images of apostolic authority, linking the Gospel promise of the 'keys of the kingdom' with Peter and the Church of Rome.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithIdentityGuidanceHistorically supported
Palmer's Palm preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Palmer's Palm

Palm-frond badges joined the ancient Christian symbolism of the palm with medieval pilgrimage, evoking martyrdom, spiritual victory and Jerusalem without every surviving badge necessarily identifying a Holy Land pilgrim.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithResilienceHopeHistorically supported
Tree of Jesse preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Tree of Jesse

Growing from the reclining figure of Jesse, the medieval Tree of Jesse transformed Christ's ancestry into a living tree of kings, prophets and sacred lineage.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFamilyFaithIdentityHistorically supported
Pelican in Her Piety preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Pelican in Her Piety

Medieval bestiaries told of a pelican piercing her own breast to revive her young with blood, turning the bird into a powerful Christian image of sacrifice, love and redemption.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialCompassionLoveFaithHistorically supported
Bestiary Phoenix preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Bestiary Phoenix

The phoenix entered medieval bestiaries as a legendary bird consumed and renewed through death, becoming a vivid Christian image of resurrection, rebirth and hope.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialRenewalTransformationHopeHistorically supported
Saint Christopher Badge preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Saint Christopher Badge

Medieval pilgrim badges showed Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child through water, an image that made the giant saint one of the period's most recognisable patrons of travellers.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionGuidanceFaithHistorically supported
Pilgrim Ampulla preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Pilgrim Ampulla

Small lead-alloy ampullae let medieval pilgrims carry water, oil or other shrine-associated substances home, turning a sacred journey into something tangible that could be kept and remembered.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithMemoryHealingHistorically supported
Basilisk Crown Mark preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Basilisk Crown Mark

Medieval writers called the basilisk the king of serpents, making the crown more than decorative shorthand. This modern mark turns that lethal reputation into an emblem of dangerous authority, vigilance and power that demands distance.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialDeathStrengthTransformationHistorically supported
Basilisk Eye Seal preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Basilisk Eye Seal

Basilisk stories made danger almost impossible to approach safely: sight, breath or mere proximity could become lethal. This eye-centred seal turns that reputation into a modern emblem of vigilance, fear and dangerous power recognised before it strikes.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialDeathStrengthTransformationHistorically supported
Dragon Coil Emblem preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Dragon Coil Emblem

The medieval dragon was often imagined less as a noble mount than as an immense serpentine threat. Coiled into a closed emblem, that dangerous body becomes a modern image of concentrated strength, resilience and guarded power.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialStrengthTransformationProtectionHistorically supported
Dragon Gate Sigil preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Dragon Gate Sigil

A dragon placed across a gate turns strength into a question: what must be faced before passage is possible? This contemporary sigil uses medieval European dragon imagery to explore thresholds, courage, protection and deliberate change.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialGuidanceStrengthTransformationHistorically supported
Griffin Wing Seal preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Griffin Wing Seal

Lion strength and eagle flight meet in the griffin, a hybrid whose imposing form became well suited to guarding valuable or sacred spaces. The wing seal distils that character into protection, courage and watchful strength.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialStrengthTransformationProtectionHistorically supported
Horned Wyrm Mark preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Horned Wyrm Mark

Wyrm once named serpents and dragons more broadly, while medieval artists freely combined horns, wings, scales and long tails. This modern horned form uses that shifting visual language to express strength, danger and resilience.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialStrengthTransformationProtectionHistorically supported
Scallop Shell Badge preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Scallop Shell Badge

The scallop shell became one of medieval Europe's most recognisable signs of pilgrimage, carried home from Santiago de Compostela as a visible marker of journey, devotion, and return.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithIdentityGuidanceHistorically supported
Sea Dragon Banner preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Sea Dragon Banner

Medieval seas were imagined as places where familiar forms could become strange and dangerous. This banner combines European dragon imagery with maritime movement to evoke strength, uncertainty and courage at the edge of the known world.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialStrengthGuidanceTransformationHistorically supported
Pilgrim Staff and Scrip preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Pilgrim Staff and Scrip

The staff and scrip were practical companions of the medieval pilgrim and became instantly recognisable attributes of pilgrimage, evoking the road, endurance, dependence, and devotional purpose.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithResilienceGuidanceHistorically supported
Hand of Benediction preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Hand of Benediction

Raised in blessing by Christ, saints and bishops, the benediction hand became a familiar medieval image of sacred authority, prayer and the giving of divine favour.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithCompassionProtectionHistorically supported
Pilgrim Bell preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Pilgrim Bell

Small bells survive among the material traces of medieval pilgrimage, including examples linked with Thomas Becket's shrine at Canterbury, where they served as portable reminders of a sacred journey and place.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithIdentityMemoryHistorically supported
Marian Star preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Marian Star

The star became a Marian attribute in medieval Christian art and devotion, echoing Mary as Stella Maris — the Star of the Sea — a guiding light associated with faith, hope and safe direction.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialGuidanceFaithHopeHistorically supported
Vernicle Badge preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Vernicle Badge

The vernicle carried the Holy Face of Christ on a small pilgrim badge, allowing medieval travellers to Rome to take home an image associated with the celebrated relic of Veronica's veil.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithMemoryCompassionHistorically supported
Jerusalem Cross preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Jerusalem Cross

A large cross surrounded by four crosslets, the Jerusalem Cross is rooted in medieval heraldic and eastern Mediterranean contexts and later became strongly associated with Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithIdentityGuidanceHistorically supported
Cross of Saint James preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Cross of Saint James

The sword-shaped Cross of Saint James is the distinctive emblem of the medieval Order of Santiago, linking Christian devotion with the military and institutional history surrounding Saint James.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithIdentityStrengthHistorically supported
Tau Cross preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Tau Cross

The simple T-shaped Tau Cross became closely associated with Saint Anthony and the medieval Antonines, linking Christian devotion with care for the sick and hopes for healing and protection.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithHealingProtectionHistorically supported
Vesica Piscis Mandorla preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Vesica Piscis Mandorla

In medieval Christian art, the almond-shaped mandorla framed sacred figures and heavenly appearances, visually separating divine presence from the ordinary world around it.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithGuidancePeaceHistorically supported
Late Medieval Wounded Heart preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Late Medieval Wounded Heart

A pierced or bleeding heart belonged to the intense visual language of late-medieval Passion devotion, inviting contemplation of Christ's suffering, wounds, sacrifice and compassionate love.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithCompassionLoveHistorically supported
Shrine Pilgrim Badge preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Shrine Pilgrim Badge

Small, affordable shrine badges allowed medieval pilgrims to carry a holy place home with them, serving as wearable signs of devotion, remembrance, and a journey completed.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithIdentityMemoryHistorically supported
Manticore Thorn Emblem preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Manticore Thorn Emblem

Medieval accounts made the manticore dangerous from several directions at once: lion body, human face, formidable teeth and a weapon-like tail. The thorn frame turns that hostile perimeter into a modern emblem of boundaries, resilience and defence.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionStrengthResilienceHistorically supported
Agnus Dei Seal preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Agnus Dei Seal

The haloed Lamb of God, often carrying a cross-staff or banner, was a familiar medieval image of Christ whose apparent gentleness carried powerful ideas of sacrifice and redemption.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithCompassionHumilityHistorically supported
Chi-Rho Monogram preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Chi-Rho Monogram

Formed from the Greek letters Chi and Rho, this ancient Christogram became one of Christianity's most enduring signs of Christ and continued to appear throughout medieval religious art.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithIdentityHopeHistorically supported
Alpha and Omega Mark preview
Heraldry & Emblems£0.99

Alpha and Omega Mark

Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, became a Christian declaration of Christ as beginning and end and remained a powerful motif in medieval art.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithIdentityHopeHistorically supported
Twin Griffin Emblem preview
Mythic Beasts£0.99

Twin Griffin Emblem

One griffin already combines the strength of lion and eagle; two facing one another turn that hybrid power into symmetry. This modern paired emblem speaks to balance, mutual guardianship and strength held in deliberate opposition.

3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialStrengthBalanceTransformationHistorically supported

About medieval european symbols

Medieval European symbols and their researched historical, cultural, and practical relationships.

Sanctum Hex Journal

Read beyond the catalogue.

Editorial research connected to medieval european and its historical settings.

Medieval Pilgrim Protective Symbols (1100-1600): Meanings, Origins, and Visual Language

Medieval Pilgrim & Protective Symbols from 1100-1600 evoke spiritual journeys and divine safeguard, blending iconic badges and crosses with sacred geometry in a vivid contemporary curation.

Read article →

Curated sets

Collections with related symbols.

Collection overlap is shown against the symbols on this meaning page.

25 matching symbols

Medieval Pilgrim Protective Symbols (1100-1600) Collection

Medieval Pilgrim Protective Symbols (1100-1600) gathers 25 symbols shaped around pilgrim badges, journey signs, devotional monograms, protective emblems, shrine souvenirs, manuscript motifs, and symbols of faith, endurance, healing, identity, and safe return, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.

15 matching symbols

Premodern European Merchants' and Makers' Marks

A curated collection showcasing authentic merchant and maker marks from premodern Europe, reflecting historical identities and trade authentication across regions and crafts.

10 matching symbols

Symbolic Forms Mythological Creature Collection

Symbolic Forms Mythological Creature gathers 25 symbols shaped around mythic beasts and legendary creature symbols shaped as compact, cut-safe emblem forms, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.