Cults of saints originated in Late Antiquity, when the graves of holy men and women became holy places of veneration and the sites of eventual shrines and churches. Worshippers made pilgrimages to these sites, where the intercession and pity of the once-human saints was thought to be obtained. Texts devoted to relating the lives of these saints developed into a form collectively referred to as “hagiography” (from the Greek hagio – “saint” and –graph “writing”). One early text is the late fourth-century vita (life) of St. Martin of Tours by Sulpicius Severus. This work, which became a prototype for the form, introduces the common theme of the saint’s good deeds and miracles

This article in full comprises 2555 words but only the first 150 or so words are available to non-members.

All our articles have been written recently by experts in their field, more than 95% of them university professors. To read about membership, please click here.

Published 11 July 2003

Citation: Anderson, Rachel. "Anglo-Saxon Saints' Legends". The Literary Encyclopedia. 11 July 2003.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1291, accessed 9 February 2010.]