Medieval

Hagiography: The
Life of a Saint

Leah Sanson

Medieval
Hagiography

Covers a vast number of texts, perhaps the

greater part of medieval literature
Saints lives, passions, miracle collections, visions,
inventions and translations (Taylor 2)

Hagiography was present from the second

century
Rise of Christianity in the Middle Ages
Abounding with historical information
This genre is still being studied today and more
modern versions are arising

Different Categories

Legitimately established in the Church and has

received the sanction of the centuries
Christina of Markyate

Real persons whose cultus has been brought

about irregularly
Junipero Serra

Imaginary people to whom real existence has

eventually been attributed (Delhaye 86-91)
Saint Barbara

Structure

Prologue
Main body of text
Dealing with the subjects life
and then their miracles
Sometimes add a section for
canonization or after death miracles

Reoccurring Elements

Pictorial tradition
For the audience
Exemplify motifs

Themes and ideals

Expression of saints as a reflection
of the Godhead
Lamentation, especially in women

Women in Medieval
Hagiographies

Body associated with women while spirit was

associated with men
Women take on more of a masculine role when
they have a bigger role within the church
Seen as lesser than men
Not as rational
Only time that women are empowered is when
they are emotional

Manuscripts

A key component to analyzing a medieval text

More of a generator of meaning rather than
simply a container for the text

Seen as holy artifacts

Also give historians a more detailed account of
the origin of the story
Size and context

Written on some unusual objects

Birthing girdle

Audience

Mostly Christian audience

Embedded in peoples daily lives within the
Middle Ages (Long 52)
Today, read by students, historians, religious
figures, and still the general public

The Life of Christina

of Markyate

Representative because it follows the common

structure
Portrayal of women
Shows her transformation to a more masculine
figure when she becomes closer with God

Hagiography in the
st
21 Century

Todays society has taken this ancient tradition

and transformed it to adapt to the current
culture
A new academic hagiography is developing
The New Hagiography

Adaptations
Tone
Improving credibility
Including ore social evidence

The Importance of
Hagiography

Still holds importance today due to its

commentary and portrayal of societal
values of the Middle Ages
Also, hagiography contains many
unique literary characteristics

Works Cited

Bailey, Anne E. "Lamentation Motifs In Medieval Hagiography." Gender & History

25.3 (2013): 529-544. Humanities Source. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
Beldekos, Dimitris et al. The Medical Vestment and Surgical Instruments of
Saint Cosmas and Damian on Sinai Icons From the Seventh to the Eighteenth
Century Journal of Religion and Health 54.6 (2015): 2020-2032. ProQuest. 11
Jun 2014. Web. 20 Oct 2015.
Bernau, Anke. Gender and Sexuality. A Companion to Middle English
Hagiography. Ed. Sarah Salih. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 2006. 104-121. Print.
Clary, Ian Hugh. Evangelical Historiography: The Debate over Christian History
Evangelical Quarterly 87.3 (2015): 225-251. EBSCO Host. Web. 20 Oct 2015.
Delehaye, Hippolyte. The Legends of the Saints. Trans. Donald Attwater. New
York: Fordham University Press, 1962. Print.
Goodich, Michael. A Note on Sainthood in the Hagiographical Prologue. History
& Theory 20.2 (2001): 168-174. EBSCO Host. Web. 19 Oct 2015.
Hagiography: Religious Study and Literature. Encyclopdia Britannica.
Encyclopdia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015

Works Cited

Kennedy, Rick. "The New American Hagiography: Academically Responsible

Biography Of Holy Persons--A Review Essay." Christian Scholar's Review 44.3
(2015): 293-305.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
Long, Mary Beth. Corpora and Manuscripts, Authors and Audiences. A
Companion to Middle English Hagiography. Ed. Sarah Salih. Cambridge: D.S.
Brewer, 2006. 47-69.
Print.
Marsden, George M. Jonathon Edwards: A Life. New Haven: Yale University
Press, 2003.
Print.
Mayeski, Marie Anne. New Voices in the Tradition: Medieval Hagiography
Revisited.
Theological Studies 63.4 (2002): 690-710. ProQuest Research
Library. Web. 19 Oct 2015.
Riches, Samantha. Hagiography in Context: Images, Miracles, Shrines and
Festivals. A
Companion to Middle English Hagiography. Ed. Sarah Salih.
Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 2006.
25-46. Print.
Salih, Sarah. Introduction. A Companion to Middle English Hagiography. Ed.
Sarah Salih.
Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 2006. 1-23. Print.
The Life of Christina of Markyate. Trans. C.H. Talbot. New York: Oxford University
Press,
2008. Print.
Taylor, Anna. "Hagiography And Early Medieval History Hagiography And Early
Medieval History." Religion Compass 7.1 (2013): 1-14. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.