Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard von Bingen was an astonishing woman in medieval Germany. Hildegard was born the tenth child of a wealthy family in Bemersheim, West Franconia (which is now modern day Bockelheim, Germany) in 1098. From a young age, Hildegard had illness connected visions, such as migraines, and when she was eight, her parents sent her to a Benedictine monastery which had just added a separate section for women. At the monastery, Hildegard was under the care of a noble woman and resident there named Jutta who taught her to read and write. Eventually, Jutta became the abbess to the convent and this attracted other young women of noble background to come to learn. At this time, convents were places of learning for gifted women. In the convent, Hildegard and the other women learned Latin, read scriptures, and had access to many religious and philosophical books, which Hildegard spent much time reading.

When Jutta died in 1136, Hildegard was elected the new abbess, and in 1148, rather than continuing as part of a double house with men and women, Hildegard decided to move the convent to Rupertsburg where it was not under the watch of a male house, but on its own. This gave her plenty of freedom as the administrator, and she took this chance to travel frequently around France and Germany. After she was elected abbess she received a vision which she said clarified her knowledge of "the psaltery..., the evangelists and the volumes of the Old and New Testament". She spent her early years at Rupertsburg in nursing and "illuminating" manuscripts.The Rupertsburg convent had much success, and grew to as many as 50 women which was quite impressive at that time. Hildegard later founded a daughter convent in Eibingen in 1165, which still exists today. Hildegard von Bingen died in 1179, an her feast day was established as September 17. She was celebrated a saint in Rhineland in the 15th century.

Bibliography
Lewis, Jone Johnson. "Hildegard of Bingen." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/hildegard-of-bingen-3529308 (accessed February 24, 2019).

Hildegard was a remarkable woman in medieval Germany. A first in many fields for women, Hildegard von Bingen was a poet, artist, musician, playwright, writer, scientist, theologian, doctor of medicine, abbess, educator and philosopher^[1]. She shows us that if you work hard, it is indeed possible to gain respect and power even in the Middle Ages which was very much a patriarchal society. As an example, when she was making the move to a separate house in Rupertsburg, she claimed that she was following God's order in making the move, she assumed a rigid position, lying on the ground like a rock, until the Abbott gave his permission for the move. The move was completed in 1150.^[2]

Yes, Hildegard of Bingen is well known for her art, scientific and theological writings and songs, but in my opinion the biggest factor into her significance and success was her correspondence. She was writing with some of the most powerful and well known people of her time such as kings, popes, priests, emperors and monks (men, mostly). She would address issues within the church, philosophy, social justice, laws, and calling them out on what they were doing wrong- and what's most impressive is that they would actually listen to her. These highest ranked men would take in her advice, fix what they were doing wrong, and write back. This lead Hildegard to rise to a position of great influence especially in the catholic church, which is very impressive considering that the catholic church was pretty much like government now- there was no greater authority except for kings.

Hildegard of Bingen has made a very impressive reputation for herself in the modern era. She has become of interest first and foremost to feminist scholars, seeing that Hildegard granted herself authority to speak in a time and place when very little women were allowed a voice. Additionally, Hildegard has been known within the contemporary New Age movement mainly because of her natural and holistic views on healing and also her status as a mystic. Her name as a healer and a medicinal writer was used by people to advocate for women's rights to attend medical schools. June Boyce-Tillman's Hildegard Network is a healing center inspired by and named after Hildegard that focuses on "a holistic approach to wellness and brings together people interested in exploring the links between spirituality, the arts and healing"^[3]. As for Hildegard's music, many artists have produced celebrated musical works directly linked to Hildegard's songs. She has a great influence on modern day Christian music. ^[3]

Bibliography

[1] Baker, Brittany. “Hildegard Von Bingen: Why Is She Important?” A Medieval Woman's Companion, 21 Feb. 2016,

amedievalwomanscompanion.com/hildegard-von-bingen-why-is-she-important/.

[2] Lewis, Jone Johnson. "Hildegard of Bingen." ThoughtCo.

https://www.thoughtco.com/hildegard-of-bingen-3529308 (accessed February 24, 2019).

[3] “Hildegard of Bingen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen#Scientific_and_medicinal_writings.

Seventy-five of Hildegard's songs are existent today- sequences, hymns, antiphons, responsaries and versicles.^[1] Near the end of her life, she gathered them all together into a collection called "The Symphony of the Harmony of the Heavenly Revalations". Additionally, she wrote an opera titled "Ordo Virtutum" which means "Play of the Virtues". This is the first morality play we know of in the West put entirely into music. It is very important that we do not only recognize and reproduce her letters, scientific and theological writings, but her music as well. Because her mystical experiences were so deep and profound, she often communicated her visions as forms of art, music being one. Hildegard was a very innovative person who turned to different techniques of expressing herself, which is a very special characteristic to have. It is said that because she demands so much of the lungs and diaphragm, that anyone who sings her music either gets high, faints, or has to lie down.^[2] As Matthew Fox asserts, "Hildegard is not just talking about body and spirit; in her music, she brings spirit out of the body. " He claims that her music is a type of yoga that opens up imagination. Found in her music, her poetry is exceptionally rich. "Sensual and earthy, yet soaring and cosmic" is how Matthew Fox distinguishes Hildegard of Bingen's poetry. ^[2]

Bibliography

[1] Bingen, Hildegard av, and Sabina Flanagan. Secrets of God: Writings of Hildegard of Bingen. Shambhala, 1996.

[2] Fox, Matthew, and Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard of Bingen's Book Of Divine Works. Bear & Company, Inc., 1987.

Though HIldegard of Bingen was one of the smartest and influential women in history, her visions were extremely irrational. Hildegard began to receive unusual spiritual gifts at an extremely young age. She often explained her early visionary experiences as "a great light from which came a speaking voice". Her more complex visions contain coloured and bright images of buildings, mountains, composite animals and denizens from Heaven and Hell .^[1] Her experiences were so deep that they were often too powerful to communicate in words so she represented them in symbols and imagery. ^[2] Hildegard produced three visionary works. Her first (1141-1151), Scivias, which translates to 'Know the Ways' was her longest. It is divided into three sections/books, each containing six, seven and thirteen visions. The Book of Life's Merits (Liber Vitae Meritorum) is Hildegard's second visionary work, which she produced 1158-1163. It's quite a bit shorter than the Scivias, only made up of six visions. Lastly, Hildegard's third visionary work is The Book of Divine Works (De Operatione Dei), 1163-1173. This is, like the Scivias divided into 3 parts. ^{[3] [4]}

Citations

[1] Bingen, Hildegard av, and Sabina Flanagan. Secrets of God: Writings of Hildegard of Bingen. Shambhala, 1996.

[2] Fox, Matthew, and Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard of Bingen's Book Of Divine Works. Bear & Company, Inc., 1987.

[3] Hildegard, Fiona Bowie, and Oliver Davies. Hildegard of Bingen: Mystical Writings. New York: Crossroad, 1990.

[4] “Hildegard of Bingen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen#Scientific_and_medicinal_writings.

Hildegard of Bingen was one of the first women to write about science in the middle ages. Hildegard's knowledge of science, nature and medicine did not root from her theological experiences, but rather from helping out at the monastery's herbal garden (which she later managed), and from theoretical information which she gained from her intensive reading at the monastery's library. [1] Even though her understanding of science did not come from religious experiences, she had faith that the man was the peak of god's creation and everything was put in the world for man to use. In other words, science comes from god. As Hildegard acquired practical skills of diagnosis and treatment, she came up with treatment for diseases centered on "spiritual healing" as well as healing methods involving applications of tinctures, herbs, and precious stones. [1]

Hildegard classified both her theory and practice into two works, which are together known as Liber Subtilatum ("The Book of Subtleties of the Diverse Nature of Things"). The first work, Physica, which is divided into nine books, is about the scientific and medicinal properties of numerous plants, animals, fish, reptiles, stone, trees and metal. [1] It also describes her types of herbal medicine. Her second work, Causae et Curae, ("Causes and Cures"), starts off diving into cosmology and cosmography and then continues to explain the place of mankind in this world. Hildegard then proceeds to describe the human body and in addition descriptions of more than two hundred diseases causing suffering to mankind, not to mention causes and cures for many of these illnesses too. She also documented remedies for common injuries such as burns, fractures, dislocations, and cuts. It is guessed that she used these books to help teach assistants at the monastery. Hildegard's scientific writings are historically significant because they show areas of medieval writing that were poorly documented because their practitioners (mostly women) rarely wrote in Latin, noted Melanie Lipinska who is a Polish scientist. [1] Hildegard's writings inspired many future generations of scientists, and most importantly they are some of the very few scientific and medicinal compositions that still exist from the middle ages. [1]

Bibliography
[1] “Hildegard of Bingen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen#Scientific_and_medicinal_writings.

Hildegard of Bingen has been displayed under several aspects in almost four hundred letters ascribed to her name. ^[1] From her correspondence, we come to see her perhaps differently from how we see her through her close to unapproachable and complex visionary works. In her letters, instead we find a practical abbess and a woman of authority, who communicates issues in her community, issues in the Church, politics, philosophy, social justice, and laws. Her letters vary in length, from a few lines to several pages. She was in touch with popes, abbots and abbesses, bishops and archbishops, nuns, monks, priests, kings and queens, an emperor, noblemen and noblewomen and laymen and laywomen, and inspired anyone who worked with her. ^[1] She wrote to some of the most powerful men of her time, and what's remarkable is that they would listen to her, take in her advice and respond. She would call them out on things and they would fix what they were doing wrong. Powerful people such as kings and popes knowing her name and communicating with her was a key factor to all of her success, fame and authority in the church.

Bibliography

[1] Hildegard, Joseph L. Baird, and Radd K. Ehrman. The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen. Vol. 1. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Baker, Brittany. “Hildegard Von Bingen: Why Is She Important?” A Medieval Woman's Companion, 21 Feb. 2016, amedievalwomanscompanion.com/hildegard-von-bingen-why-is-she-important/.

Hildegard, Fiona Bowie, and Oliver Davies. Hildegard of Bingen: Mystical Writings. New York: Crossroad, 1990.

Hildegard, Joseph L. Baird, and Radd K. Ehrman. The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen. Vol. 1. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Bingen, Hildegard av, and Sabina Flanagan. Secrets of God: Writings of Hildegard of Bingen. Shambhala, 1996.

Fox, Matthew, and Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard of Bingen's Book Of Divine Works. Bear & Company, Inc., 1987.

“Hildegard of Bingen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen#Scientific_and_medicinal_writings.

Lerman, Kristina. “The Life and Works of Hildegard Von Bingen (1098-1179).” Internet History Sourcebooks, Fordham University, sourcebooks.fordham.edu/med/hildegarde.asp.

Lewis, Johnson. "Hildegard of Bingen." ThoughtCo, Jun. 14, 2018, thoughtco.com/hildegard-of-bingen-3529308.

Hildegard of Bingen

1098-1179