hagiográfiák

Hagiográfiák are literary works that recount the lives of saints and the events surrounding their veneration. They belong to a distinct genre of religious literature and typically combine biography, miracle stories, martyrdom accounts, and moral exempla with the aim of edification, worship, and promoting the cult of holy figures.

Etymology and scope: the term derives from Greek hagios ("holy") and graphia ("writing"). Hagiographies differ from secular biographies in their evaluative purpose and theological framing; they present saints as models of virtue and instruments of divine intervention, often embedding their narratives in liturgical calendars and local devotional networks.

Historical development: early Christian tradition produced acts and passion narratives of martyrs, which evolved into more extended vitae in late antiquity and the medieval period. The genre flourished across Western and Eastern Christian traditions, shaping monastic culture, pilgrimage, and ecclesiastical politics. Notable milestones include the Legenda aurea by Jacobus de Voragine in the 13th century, which popularized saintly legends, and the later scholarly Acta Sanctorum by the Bollandists beginning in the 17th century, which systematized critical collection and study of hagiographies. Hagiographies often served to legitimize cults, inscriptions, relics, and the authority of particular churches or rulers.

Forms and function: common forms include vita (the saint’s life), passio (martyrdom account), and miracula (miracle stories). They are frequently organized around feast days and used in sermons, liturgy, and iconography to communicate theological and social ideals.

Modern perspective: scholars treat hagiography as a valuable historical and literary source that reveals religious imagination, community networks, and political motives, while recognizing the legendary and legendary-infused elements that may obscure historical fact.

In Hungarian scholarship, hagiographies appear in Latin and vernacular traditions, contributing to Christianization, regional identity, and medieval literary culture, and they remain a relevant area for studies of church history and devotional practice.