Hagiography and the history of Latin Christendom, 500-1500

"Every medieval saint's cult required a set of narratives, for every saint was defined by the story that revealed his or her sanctity. Such narratives were often transmitted as Latin texts, although they could be written in the vernacular or composed and preserved orally- and indeed many stories about saints circulated in some combination of these forms. Those still accessible to scholars are primarily the written works on which this book focuses. The fundamental text related the saint's story as his or her devotees wished to tell it- his or her life (vita), if the saint died peacefully, or passion (passio), if he or she was martyred. Miracle collections recorded and publicized the wonders that were said to have occurred at the saint's tomb (and elsewhere)"--