A biblical and historical name for a person; in modern context, sometimes refers to wanderers or pilgrims (from historical/religious usage).
From Hebrew 'Hagar,' possibly meaning 'flight' or 'stranger.' Hagar is primarily known as a biblical figure in the Old Testament and Islamic tradition, mother of Ishmael.
Hagar is one of history's most important but overlooked figures—she's the mother of Ishmael in three major world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), which means billions of people trace ancestry to her, yet her story is often secondary in the texts!
Hagar is a biblical figure often portrayed as subordinate, powerless, and victimized in traditional interpretations, despite her own agency, survival, and role as a progenitor.
When referencing Hagar, acknowledge her as an agent with her own narrative and survival strategies, not merely as a supporting figure to Sarah's story.
Hagar negotiated her own exile, named God, and secured survival for her son; feminist and postcolonial readings center her agency and resistance against erasure.
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