'''Hagiography''' is the study writing of [[saint]]s' lives. It comes from the Greek words ''agiosάγιος;'' and ''graphasγραφή'' = "holy writing" or "writing about the holy (ones).".
*A ''hagiographyHagiography'' refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy persons; and specifically, the [[biography]] biographies of persons publicly [[ecclesiastic]]al and [[secular]] leaders, [[canonizeGlorification|glorified]]d (canonized) by the Christian Church.
*''Hagiology'', by contrast, is the study of saints collectively, without focusing on the life of an individual saint.
==Hagiography as a form of biography==
Hagiography is unlike other forms of biography in that it does not necessarily attempt to give a full, historical account of the life of an individual saint. Rather, the purpose of hagiography is [[soteriology|soteriological]]—that is, the life of the saint is written so that it might have a salvific effect on those who encounter it.
As such, hagiography often fails to include details which are standard for most biographical works, such as birthdate, childhood, career, and so forth. Rather, the details included are those which pertain to the saint's life as an [[icon]] of Christ, as one who points us to the abundant life available from our Lord.
The secondary purpose of hagiography is to glorify persons in whom Christ has powerfully worked. Therefore, one often can notice a dearth of mention of the saint's sins in this life. Sometimes, those sins are mentioned (as with St. [[Mary of Egypt]] or the Prophet King [[David]]) so that their great repentance can be demonstrated, but other times, hagiography includes no mention of the saint's sins at all. This character of the genre should not be understood as propaganda—after all, it is axiomatic that only Christ is without sin—but rather that such details are not germane to the purpose of hagiography.
==Development of hagiography==
Hagiography comprised an important literary genre in the early millennia of the Church, providing informational history as well as inspirational stories and legends. A hagiographic account of an individual saint can comprise is often referred to as a [[''vita]]'' or ''life''.
The genre of lives of the [[saint]]s first came into being in the [[Roman Empire]] as legends about collections of traditional accounts of Christian [[martyr]]s and were , called [[martyrologies]]. In the 4th century, there were 3 main types of catalogues of lives of the saints:
*annual calendar catalog, or ''menaionMenaion'' , an annual calendar catalogue (in Greek, μηναίον ''menaios'' means "month") (biographies of the saints to be read at [[sermon]]s); *''synaxarionSynaxarion'', or a short version of lives of the saints, arranged by dates; *''paterikonPaterikon'' (in Greek, πατήρ ''pater'' means "father"), or biography of the specific saints, chosen by the catalog catalogue compiler.
In Western Europe hagiography was one of the more important areas in the study of history during the Middle Ages. The ''Golden Legend'' of Jacob de Voragine compiled a great deal of mediæval hagiographic material, with a strong emphasis on miracle tales.
The Bollandist tradition continues In the study10th century, academic assemblythe work of St. [[Simeon Metaphrastes]]—an Orthodox [[monk]] who had been a secretary of state—marked a major development and codification of the genre. His ''Menologion'' (catalogue of lives of the saints), compiled at the request of Emperor [[Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus]] while Simeon was still a civil servant, became the standard for all of the Western and Eastern hagiographers. Over the years, appraisal hagiography as a genre absorbed a number of narrative plots and publication poetic images (often of materials relating pre-Christian origin, such as dragon fighting etc.), mediaeval [[parable]]s, short stories and anecdotes. Simeon's contribution was to the collect these saints' lives from written and oral traditions, copying directly from some sources and reworking others, then arranging them in order of Christian the saints' feast days.
In the 10th century, a Byzantine [[monk]], St. [[Simeon Metaphrastes]], was the first one to change the The genre of lives of the saints into something different, giving it a moralizing was brought to Russia by the South Slavs together with writing and [[panegyric]]al characteralso in translations from the Greek language. His catalog of lives of In the saints became 11th century, the standard for all of Russians began to compile the Western and Eastern hagiographers, who would create relative biographies and images original life stories of the ideal first Russian saints by gradually departing from the real facts of their lives. Over In the years16th century, Metropolitan Macarius expanded the genre of lives list of the Russian saints had absorbed a number and supervised the compilation of narrative plots and poetic images their life stories. They would all be compiled in the so called ''Velikiye chet'yi-minei'' catalogue (often, of preВеликие Четьи-Christian originМинеи, such as dragon fighting etc.or "Grand monthly readings"), mediaeval [[parable]]s, short stories and anecdotesconsisting of 12 volumes in accordance with each month of the year.
The genre of lives ==Usefulness== Even though some of the saints was brought writings seem to Russia by the South Slavs together with [[writing]] and also in translations from the Greek language. In the 11th centurycontain embellishments, as one may assume when reading of the Russians began to compile the original life stories of the first Russian saints, e.g. SsSt. [[Boris and GlebNicholas of Myra]], [[Theodosius Pechersky]] etcthey are still quite useful. In the 16th century, Metropolitan Macarius expanded the list of the Russian saints and supervised the compiling process words of their life stories. They would all be compiled in the so called ''Velikiye chet’yi-minei'' catalogue (Великие Четьи-Минеи, or Grand monthly readings), consisting of 12 volumes in accordance with each month of the yearFr.[[Thomas Hopko]]:
The genre :''They may be used very fruitfully for the discovery of the meaning of the Christian faith and life. In these "lives " the Christian vision of God, man, and the world stands out very clearly. Because these volumes were written down in times quite different from our own, it is necessary to read them carefully to distinguish the essential points from the artificial and sometimes even fanciful embellishments which are often contained in them. In the Middle Ages, for instance, it was customary to pattern the lives of saints after literary works of previous times and even to dress up the lives of the lesser known saints after the manner of earlier saints of the same type. It also was often used as an ecclesiastic the custom to add many elements, particularly supernatural and miraculous events of the most extraordinary sort, to confirm the true holiness of the saint, to gain strength for his spiritual goodness and truth, and to foster imitation of his virtues in the lives of the hearers and readers. In many cases the miraculous is added to stress the ethical righteousness and political propagandainnocence of the saint in the face of his detractors. Today :''Generally speaking, it does not take much effort to distinguish the sound kernel of truth in the lives of the saints from the works additions made in this genre represent the spirit of piety and enthusiasm of the later periods; and the effort should be made to see the essential truth which the lives contain. Also, the fact that elements of a valuable historical source miraculous nature were added to the lives of saints during medieval times for the purposes of edification, entertainment, and reflection even amusement should not lead to the conclusion that all things miraculous in the lives of different social ideasthe saints are invented for literary or moralizing purposes. Again, world outlook a careful reading of the lives of the saints will almost always reveal what is authentic and aesthetic concepts true in the realm of the pastmiraculous. Also, the point has been rightly made that men can learn almost as much about the real meaning of Christianity from the legends of the saints produced within the tradition of the Church as from the authentic lives themselves.'' <sup>[http://www.oca.org/OCchapter.asp?ID=7]</sup>
==Sources==
* ''Article adapted from [[Wikipedia:Hagiography]]''*''The Orthodox Faith'' Written by the V. Rev. Thomas Hopko ([http://www.oca.org/OCchapter.asp?ID=7 OCA web site]) ==External links==*[http://www.chrysostompress.org/lives-of-the-saints The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints] English translation of the work by Saint Demetrius of Rostov from Chrysostom Press*[http://www.holyapostlesconvent.org/hac-products.shtml Great Synaxaristes - Lives of Saints] English translation from Greek from Holy Apostles Convent and Dormition Skete [[Category:Saints]]
== External links ==*[http[ro://www.kbr.be/~socboll/ Societé des BollandistesHagiografie]]
