At a time when few women wrote, hildegard, known as sybil of the rhine, produced major works of theology and visionary writings. Hildegard of bingen 1098september 17, 1179 was a medieval mystic and visionary and abbess of bingens benedictine community. Muserk rights management, and 3 music rights societies. Hildegard of bingens correspondence with many people is an. Leadersusers guide to the video program hildegard of bingen. Beside theological, medical and botanical treatises, a large repertoire of music is attributed to hildegard of bingen. She used music as a healing device, it was said to soothe the soul and heal illness. Her life has been the subject of a feature film, and in germany a system of. Hildegard of bingen was born at bermersheim in germany in 1098 into a wellestablished noble family and given as an oblate or offering to the church at the age of eight, taking the veil a. Hildegard of bingen and premodern medicine, studies in medieval history and culture, 19 new york and london. Hildegard of bingen, also known as saint hildegard, was a renowned german benedictine abbess, writer, philosopher, composer, and visionary, widely regarded as. She was a writer of letters to people of all rank and standing and of books on subjects ranging from theology to medicine, natural history, poetry and cosmology. Hildegard protested bitterly when the local bishop forbade the celebration of or reception of the eucharist at the bingen monastery, a sanction that was lifted only a few months before her death.
Hildegard of bingen 1098september 17, 1179 was a medieval mystic and visionary and abbess of bingen s benedictine community. In her creative interpretation, belcanto leader dietburg spohr waives claims to objective historical literalness. Saint hildegard, german abbess, visionary mystic, and composer. Columba aspexit as hildegard of bingen 1997 american perfekt vision o euchari in leta via. Choral music voices of ascension licensed to youtube by naxosofamerica on behalf of delos. Born in 1098, she was beset by the most extraordinary religious visions from the age of eightvisions which. That is, hildegard did it all, she did it her way, and everyone who hears about her is amazed. She is considered to be the founder of scientific natural history in germany. Aug 16, 20 hildegard of bingen stands out as a visionary and strong intellectual power of the middle ages. She was canonized in 2012, when pope benedict xvi declared her to be a saint through equivalent canonization, a papal proclamation of canonization based on a standing tradition of popular veneration.
She believed that it could redirect our hearts towards heaven and put us back on the pathways of god. Hildegard of bingen christian history christianity today. Consider the great 12thcentury german abbess hildegard of bingen 10981179, a contemporary of eleanor of aquitaine and bernard of clairvaux both of whom she corresponded with. Hildegard of bingen, mystic, writer, composer, saint.
The process of becoming a saint began after her death, but. Week 2 nature as a mirror of god monday, march 12, 2018 long ago, st. Hildegard of bingen, the twelfthcentury writer, composer, healer, prophet, visionary, and leaderand the most influential woman of her time. In the summer of 1098, a child was born to noble parents in bermersheim, near alzey, in modernday rheinhessen, and was christened hildegard.
The yorck project, public domain wikimedia commons literary works. Disibod abbey on the diessenberg, of which hildegard herself become abbess in 16. Hildegard of bingen shows philippa the liberating power of christianity for women she forcefully corrected the emperor, prolifically composed celebrated music and founded scientific natural history in germany how can this shining light and saint from the dark ages be so little known and appreciated by roman catholics. Hildegard of bingen finally achieved recognition as a saint and a doctor of the church in 2012. She is one of the bestknown composers of sacred monophony, as well as the mostrecorded in modern history. Hildegardis bingensis 1098 17 september 1179, also known as saint hildegard and sibyl of the rhine, was a german benedictine abbess, writer, composer, philosopher, christian mystic, visionary, and polymath. Hildegard of bingen wrote physica during the period 1150 to 1158. Nonetheless, one has to note that the rise of feminism and the rise of interest in hildegard coincide.
They offered her to god as tithe, acording to her biographersecretary. She was a poet, author, philosopher, theologian, singer, musician, composer, playwright, artist, architect, biographer, doctor, botanist, herbalist, visionary, preacher, seer, prophet and a saint. Hildegards holistic approach to wellness linda smith productions page 5 chapter 1 hildegards life journey hildegard of bingen was born in 1098, nearly a thousand years ago yet her words speak to us today as if they were only just now written. In this onewoman film, international mezzo soprano linn maxwell embodies the extraordinary life of 12th century german prophetess, healer and composer, hildegard of bingen, who was canonized in 2012 and named a doctor of the church. Hildegard of bingen biography facts, childhood, family life.
Bingensis september 16, 1098 september 17, 1179 was a german magistra, monastic leader, mystic, author, and composer of music. She is also a professor of film at the european graduate school in saasfee, switzerland, and remains an important personality of german cinema. Hildegard of bingen biography facts, childhood, family. Hildegard of bingen simple english wikipedia, the free. Hildegardis bingensis 1098 17 september 1179, also known as saint hildegard, and sibyl of the rhine, was a german writer, composer, philosopher, christian mystic, benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath. She also wrote about medical and scientific things, and wrote letters to many important politicians hildegard was born into a noble family. She was also a prolific composer and the author of several books on spirituality, visions, medicine, health and nutrition, nature. Please dont talk about hildegard and feminism in the same. Precarious health and a visionary gift were obvious from age three, when she experienced a. In 2012, hildegard was canonized and named a doctor of the church by pope benedict xvi. O ignee spiritus 2002 911 tv movie documentary writer. Begleitpublikation zur ausstellung, bingen 2002 binger museumshefte 2. Hildegard of bingen project gutenberg selfpublishing.
Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her life. Hildegard of bingen the most influential religious women of the medieval era worshipped the feminine spirit associated with the virgin mary rather than mary magdalene. This beautifully done film explores the spiritual impact of saint hildegard on people from various places and ways of life, beginning with the film maker himself. Hildegard was born in 1098, the tenth and last child of apparently noble parents in mainz. Charles singers retrospective diagnosis of hildegard of bingen as a migraine sufferer, first made in 19, has become commonly accepted. Hildegard of bingen biography hildegard early life, vision. Choose from 73 different sets of abbess hildegard of bingen flashcards on quizlet. This article uses hildegard as a case study to shift our focus from a polarised debate about the merits or otherwise of retrospective diagnosis, to examine instead what happens when diagnoses take on lives of their own.
Hildegard of bingen was one of the most remarkable women of the middle agesan abbess and woman of god, a visionary, naturalist, playwright, political moralist, and composer. Her accomplishments and her standing are extraordinary, particularly as she remains virtually the only known female figure of her time who achieved such intellectual stature and whose contributions have had lasting impact. The complete english translation of her classic work on health and healing by hildegard of bingen and priscilla throop sep 1, 1998 4. Hildegard of bingen hildegard of bingen 10981179 was born at the castle bockelheim, germany. The collection of compositions preserved in contemporary manuscripts includes some 80 monophonic songs and the mystery play ordo virtutum play of the virtues. Hildegard of bingen 10981179, named a doctor of the church in 2012, communicated creation spirituality through music, art, poetry, medicine, gardening, and. Hildegard communicated with popes such as eugene iii and anastasius iv, statesmen such as abbot suger, german emperors such as frederick i barbarossa, and other notable figures such as saint bernard of clairvaux, who advanced her work, at the behest of her abbot, kuno, at the synod of trier in 1147 and 1148.
Please dont talk about hildegard and feminism in the same breath. As an eight year old originally from a noble family, hildegard comes into benedictine disibodenberg. She was an abbess who is well known for her literary works and her songs. Hildegard of bingen archives center for action and. And musical composer some of her liturgical music is still performed today. The sequentia recordings of hildegards complete musical works are now contained on 8 releases for the dhm label and include all of hildegards 77 symphoniae as well as her music drama ordo virtutum almost 12 hours of music. Hildegard of bingen, considered a prophet by her contemporaries, was a benedictine abbess, writer, and composer.
Selected writings st hildegard of bingen internet archive. She also wrote about medical and scientific things, and wrote letters to many important politicians. The critics of feminist hildegard studies do have a point, as becomes obvious in a survey of twentiethcenturypublications about hildegard and her works. Hildegard of bingens ordo virtutum was written around 1150 and generally considered the first largescale musical work beyond the prescribed form of the mass liturgy. With patricia routledge, janet suzman, peter vaughan, amanda root. Today, saint hildegard stands for holistic teaching, finding harmony within the spirit, mind, body the interconnectivity among all of man and all of nature, and the cosmic presence of our universe in each individual. Hildegard of bingen and the living light 2012 imdb. It works well for group viewing and discussion as well as for individual enrichment. Hildegard of bingen through her studies and writings, twelfthcentury benedictine abbess hildegard of bingen 10981179 helped german scholars to emerge from the dark ages 1 by presenting a revisioning of the cosmos and the interrelationship between man and his environment. Hildegard of bingen 10981179 was a remarkable woman, a first in many fields. Hildegard of bingen biography hildegard early life. Recently, an eminent scholar in the field of hildegard studies suggested to me that in giving my upcomingpaper on one of hildegard of bingenssongs, i.
This was done with both music and plants, but also training courses about nutrition, in france and elsewhere. For those of us interested in hildegard of bingen medicine, or german herbal remedies in general, physica and causae et curae are valuable primary resources. Hildegard was born into a family of nobles in the service of the counts of sponheim, close relatives of the hohenstaufen emperors. Far ahead of her time and in a maledominated world, hildegard challenged the established authority of the church, both philosophically and musically. When few women were accorded respect, she was consulted by and advised bishops, popes, and kings. Hildegard of bingen was the founder of scientific natural history in germany. Week 1 hildegard of bingen wednesday, september 27, 2017 throughout the ages, the mystics have kept alive the awareness of our union with god and thus with everything. Hildegard of bingen stands out as a visionary and strong intellectual power of the middle ages. Please dont talk about hildegard and feminism in the. Lushly shot in original medieval cloisters of the fairytalelike german countryside, vision is a profoundly inspirational portrait of a woman who has emerged from the shadows of history as a forwardthinking.
Physica natures healing power hildegard of bingen wrote physica during the period 1150 to 1158. Learn abbess hildegard of bingen with free interactive flashcards. Charles singers retrospective diagnosis of hildegard of bingen as a migraine. Hildegard, the youngest of 10 children, was 8 years old when she was given by her parents as a tithe to god. Jutta, a woman recluse, and sister of count meginhard of spanheim, took over her education at an early age, and raise her at the st. For recent discussions on the question of hildegards authorship of causae et curae see victoria sweet, rooted in the earth, rooted in the sky. Both were originally combined in liber subtilitatum diversarum naturarum creaturarum the book of the subtleties of the diverse nature of. She called these visions the shades of the living light kept these divine messages to herself, understandably, until age 42, when god sent her a more pointed message, write down what you see and hear. By her own account, she was having visions at the age of five.