Hildegarde of Bingen - Abbess and Writer:
1098-1179
Hildegard of Bingen was a remarkable woman, a "first" in many fields. At
a time when few women wrote, Hildegard, known as "Sybil of the Rhine", produced
major works of theology and visionary writings.
Hildegarde was born in 1098 AD and received a religious education from
Jutta the anchorite. Upon the death of Jutta in 1138, she became the superior
of the budding convent in the anchorage at Disibodenberg. In 1147, she and a
group of her nuns moved to a new convent near Bingen where she functioned as
Abbess.
She began her major work, Scivias (Know the Ways of the Lord) in
1142. Scivias is a detailed account of 26 of the visions she
experienced. Some of these visions are said to throw light on meaning of the
religious texts. She submitted some of her writings to Church officials and
Pope Eugenius (1145-53) gave her a Papal Imprimatur and encouraged her to
continue writing.
She completed Scivias in c. 1151. It contains prophetic visions
and cautions about sinful living. The work is divided into three main parts,
the first book describing six of her visions, the second describing seven
visions, and the third book explaining 13 visions. She continued to write other
works and ever since her work has attracted by a wide readership of people who
respected her wisdom and guidance including bishops and kings.
Hildegarde also had a great passion was music and she is the first
composer whose biography is known. She composed many hymns and plays, often in
plainchant, which utilized just a single line of vocal melody.
