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 in the southern part of Flanders over a period running from the ninth to the end of the eleventh century. The central contention is that the communities produced their narrative for a specific time and purpose, frequently as a response to or intended resolution of the 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.