Overview

Examination of the self-produced histories of a number of religious communities, tracing out the complex reasons for their composition. The creation of a past for themselves was of pressing importance to religious communities, enabling them to increase their status and legitimise their existence. This book examines the process in a group of communities from the southern part of Flanders (the monks of Saint-Bertin at Saint-Omer, the community of Saint-Rictrude at Marchiennes and the canons of Saint-Amé at Douai) over a period running from the ninth to the end of the eleventh century. The central contention is that the communities produced their narratives (history, hagiography, charter materials) for a specific time and purpose, frequently as a response to or intended resolution of internal or external crises. The book also discusses how the circumstances which triggered narrative production had an impact not only on the content but also on the form of the texts.

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9781903153161

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Scholars will find this book particularly useful as an introduction to the sources and secondary literature. (...) An important and welcome contribution to scholarship on these Flemish communities. EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPEStudents of monasticism will appreciate the first potted history of Saint-Bertin, and the author's analysis of the cults in question yields much to consideration. JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

Author Information

Karin Uge gained her PhD from Boston College.

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