Definition: A hagiography is a biography, usually of a saint or saintly person, and usually written to idealize their life or justify their sainthood. In other words, a hagiography is usually a positive presentation of a life, rather than an objective or critical biography. When using a hagiography as a research source, the purpose and style must be taken into consideration, as the writer probably omitted negative information and exaggerated or even created positive information about the subject of the hagiography. Lives of the saints are typically hagiographies.
Pronunciation: HAG-ee-OG-ra-fee
Also Known As: hagiographies
Examples:
Extant, relatively contemporary accounts of the Tamil poet Andal can be described as hagiographies. Raymond of Capua wrote a hagiography of his protégé, Catherine of Siena.
