In the medieval period, with little medical or scientific knowledge, people relied heavily on the power of prayer and the help of saints. People prayed to saints as intermediaries between themselves and God and because they often had responsibilities for particular areas of life, or even trades. St Christopher was the patron saint of travellers, for example, and from the 15th century AD onwards St George was the national saint of England. Places associated with saints, where they were venerated (given holy respect), were called shrines. Sometimes shrines contained the body of a saint or perhaps only some remains, like bones. Often these relics were encased in caskets of precious metal called reliquaries.

All levels of society went on pilgrimages to shrines to show their devotion to the saints, to ask forgiveness for their sins or for help with a problem. Some individuals or groups travelled as far as Rome (the burial place of St Peter and St Paul) or Jerusalem, but many visited local shrines. The most famous shrine in England was that of St Thomas Becket (1118-70), at Canterbury, Kent. After visiting a shrine, pilgrims could buy badges or phials of holy water associated with its saint. These were not just souvenirs, but were considered to contain some of the spiritual power generated by the saint.