Beta maṣāḥǝft working papers 4: Ethiopic Hagiography: History, Saints and Texts

In the context of Christian Orient and Sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopic hagiography represents a remarkable literary and cultural phenomenon which merits close attention. The creation of hagiographies has been one of the most dynamic undertakings in the history of the Ethiopian civilization. The number of Acts of the local saints by far exceeds two hundred, and from time to time previously unknown works are still being discovered. Many dozens of Ethiopic hagiographic texts (primarily Acts) have been edited and translated by scholars, and a number of them have been printed by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Hagiographic literature is still a constituent part of the Ethiopian Orthodox culture. Although on a more limited scale than before, the old way of copying hagiographic texts by hand on parchment still continues. The present paper seeks to provide a summary of the history and geographical distribution of Ethiopic hagiography and highlights some of its main properties.