are given in the present volume, and
compare them with the lives of other Irish saints. In studying all
these documents we must bear in mind that none of them are, in any
modern sense of the word, biographies. A biography, in the proper
definition of the term, gives an ordered account of the life of its
subject, with dates, and endeavours to trace the influences which
shaped his character and his career, and the manner in which he
himself influenced his surroundings. The so-called lives of saints are
properly to be regarded as _homilies_. They were composed to be read
to assemblies of the Faithful, as sermons for the festivals of the
saints with whom they deal; and their purpose was to edify the hearers
by presenting catalogues of the virtues of their subjects, and,
especially, of their thaumaturgic powers. Thus they do not possess
the unity of ordered and well-designed biographies; they consist
of disconnected anecdotes, describing how this event or that gave
occasion for a miraculous display.

It follows that to the historian in search of unvarnished records
of actual fact these documents are useless, without most drastic
criticism. They were compiled long after the time of their subjects,
from tales, doubtless at first, and probably for a considerable time,
transmitted by oral tradition. It would be natural that there should
be much cross-borrowing, tales told about one saint being adapted to
others as well, until they became stock incidents. It would also be
nothing more than natural that many elements in the Lives should
be survivals from more ancient mythologies, having their roots in
pre-Christian beliefs. Nevertheless, none of these writings are devoid
of value as pictures of life and manners; and even in descriptions of
incredible and pointless miracles precious scraps of folk-lore are
often embedded. In most, if not in all, cases, the incidents recorded
in the Lives are to be criticised as genuine traditions, whatever
their literal historicity may be; few, if any, are conscious
inventions or impostures.[2]

In the Lives of Ciaran there are many conventional incidents of this
kind, which reappear in the lives of other saints. In the Annotations
in the present edition a few such parallels are quoted; though no
attempt is made to give an exhaustive list, the compilation of which
would occupy more time and space than its scientific value would
warrant. But there are certain other incidents of a more individual