Monastic Cartularies, Institutional Memory and the Canonization of the Past. The Two Libri Traditionum of St Peter’s Abbey, Ghent
Georges Declercq
For medieval monasteries, composing a cartulary was strategy of memory. In this paper I argue that in the case historical or commemorative cartularies - i.e. which copies charters were prefaced by, interwoven with, narrative about origins institution deeds its abbots it even amounts to canonization past. To illustrate this, two belonging category are examined some detail, namely libri traditionum St Peter’s Abbey Ghent. The first, known as Liber Traditionum Antiquus (LTA), composed between 944 and 946, shortly after so-called restoration monastery by Count Arnulf Flanders; second (LT) compiled 1042 immediately thereafter, wake reform Richard Vanne. An analysis their structure contents shows how authors both copybooks interpreted adapted monastery’s past suit needs own time. More particularly, ...
The Medieval low countries. An annual review