a. and sb. [ad. med.L. legendārius adj. and sb. (F. légendaire, OF. also as sb. legendier), f. legenda: see LEGEND sb. and -ARY.]
A. adj.
1. Pertaining to or of the nature of a legend; connected or concerned with legends; celebrated or related in legend. Legendary period, age: one of which the accounts are mostly of the nature of legends.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 66/2. All which legendarie miracles I leave to the reader to judge of them as shall seeme good unto him.
1641. Milton, Prel. Episc., Wks. 1851, III. 78. That other legendarie piece found among the lives of the Saints … does bear the name of Polycrates.
1679. J. Goodman, Penitent Pardoned, III. iv. (1713), 332. These things are no Romances, nor have I dressed up any legendary Hero.
1748. Anson’s Voy., III. ix. 393. The character given of them in the legendary accounts of the Roman Missionaries.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), V. 6. Confining his labours almost wholly to religious and legendary histories.
1796. Bp. Watson, Apol. Bible, 237. Had they agreed in nothing, their testimony ought to have been rejected as a legendary tale.
a. 1854. H. Reed, Lect. Eng. Hist., ii. (1855), 47. The legendary period of British history.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., ii. (1858), 132. The view, whether historical or legendary, of Mahomet over Damascus.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 261. The legendary Pythagoras is said to have sacrificed a hecatomb.
1900. J. G. Frazer, Pausanias, etc. 45. Relics of a mythical or legendary past.
absol. 1871. Earle, Philol. Eng. Tongue, 25. Something of the legendary hangs over his personal history.
b. Of writers: Relating legends.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. viii. 33. Not to meddle at all with miraculous Authours, or any Legendary relators.
1685. Stillingfl., Orig. Brit., i. 45. These Proofs … depend chiefly on the authority of Simeon Metaphrastes or other Legendary Writers.
1748. Anson’s Voy., II. vii. 212. These legendary writers, of whose misrepresentations and falsities we had almost daily experience.
2. Containing the ‘legend’ on a coin.
1830. [E. Hawkins], Anglo-Fr. Coinage, 9. Between the outer angles and the inner legendary circle.
B. sb.
1. A collection of legends, esp. of lives of saints; occas. = the Golden Legend.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 2586. Amonge her systers all She caused to be redde … The swete legendary, for a memoryall.
1571. Grindal, Injunc. at York, B iv. Antiphoners, Masse bookes … Processionals, Manualles, Legendaries.
1577. De L’Isle (title), A Legendarie conteining an Ample Discourse of the life and behaviour of Charles Cardinal of Lorraine, and the house of Guise.
2. A writer of legends.
1625. Jackson, Creed, V. xxxii. § 3. The Legendaries, the latter Iewish Rabbines, and the Poeticall Encomiasts of heathen Gods or Heroikes.
1630. W. T., Justific. Relig. Professed, x. 80. Their shamelesse Legendaries report indeed, that we haue put men into Beares skinnes, and set dogges to worry them.
1663. J. Spencer, Prodigies (1665), 398. The ancient Grecian Historians and more Modern Legendaries studied onely to make their Relations miraculous enough.
1749. Bp. Lavington, Enthus. Methodists & Papists (1752), 57. The Legendaries own that St. Catharine was slandered as a fond and light woman.
1849. Jas. Grant, Kirkaldy of Gr., vii. 67. A … monastery, built … by special desire (say the legendaries) of St. Michel the archangel.
† 3. A legendary or unhistorical personage. Obs.
a. 1662. Heylyn, Laud (1668), 474. The expunging of some Saints (which they falsly call Legendaries) out of the Kalendar.
