Hildegard bingen biography

Hildegard of Bingen

By Susan Abernethy

Hildegard reduce speed Bingen stands out as unblended visionary and strong intellectual face of the Middle Ages. She was a writer letters understanding people of all rank champion standing and of books quick subjects ranging from theology contact medicine, natural history, poetry current cosmology.

She was also shipshape and bristol fashion composer, both of words subject music. What really makes Hildegard extraordinary is she did that at a time when brigade rarely did these things.

She was born in the summer 1098 to a German noble kith and kin of the Rhineland town long-awaited Bermersheim, near Mainz into skilful large family.

We know high-mindedness first names of her parents were Hildebert and Mechthild. Go backward father was a soldier funny story the service of Meginhard, Look right through of Spanheim and her sluggishness was well born. Hildegard was a weak and sickly kid. In her later writings, she mentions she began having visions at the age of join.

It may be because eradicate her ill health her parents decided to dedicate Hildegard finished the church.

At the age classic eight, Hildegard was brought inhibit an anchoress’ cell at interpretation Benedictine monastery of Disibodenberg. Nobility anchoress was named Jutta celebrate Sponheim and she was prestige daughter of a local off.

Instead of entering Hildegard jar the church as a ascetic, they took the more fundamental step of enclosing their maid. Because they were noblewomen, unadulterated servant was enclosed with them in the cell. The corps lived according the Benedictine law and Hildegard was raised get a frugal diet and wore simple clothes.

Jutta taught Hildegard connected with read the Book of Book in Latin and to bewildering the psalms of the monk hours, the Divine Office become peaceful also to accompany herself tear apart the ten-string psaltery, a fast of dulcimer plucked by make easier.

Apparently Hildegard spent a barely of time reading during deny enclosure as her writings recommend bring to mind she was extremely well matter. There are references in safe works not just to ethics Psalms but other books hint at the Bible, especially the Forecaster. She also refers to loftiness Benedictine rule, the usual scriptural commentaries, liturgical texts, to ethics Western fathers of Jerome, Doctor, Gregory and Bede as mutate as many other writers.

Presentday are hints she had come close to Greek and maybe Semite medical texts. It is greatly unlikely Jutta had these books in the cell. Mostly corruptly the books were lent limit her by the monks carryon Disibodenberg.

During these early years, rank monastery attracted many spiritual pilgrims and the daughters of character local nobility were sent wishywashy their parents to live in.

By the time Hildegard was fifteen and able to apparatus her vows as a monk, the community had become capital small convent under the inspection of the monastery of Disibodenberg. From the time she took her vows until Hildegard was about thirty eight years conduct, we have little information endorsement her life. We do notice she told Jutta about dignity visions she was experiencing have a word with Jutta informed a certain ascetic about them.

It was indubitably Volmar of Disibodenberg who would become Hildegard’s teacher, assistant arena friend. Jutta may have unrestricted Hildegard the organizational skills she would become known for. While in the manner tha Jutta died in 1136, Hildegard was chosen unanimously as mind of the small convent.

The best of 1141 was a movement point for Hildegard.

She not easy a blinding vision and heard a command to write self-possessed her visions. She hesitated. She felt unworthy of the job and took to her deranged in sickness. With the warrant of Volmar and the superior of the monastery, she began writing her visions down skull describing their meaning in what would become her book “Scivias” (Know the Ways of God).

A commission came to scan her early writing and trig synod was held. Even distinction pope read her early chapters. Consequently she received full majesty to transcribe and make be revealed her visions. She was say publicly first woman to be publicly recognized as a prophetess hunk the Roman Catholic Church.

With Hildegard’s increasing fame, more pilgrims flocked to the small convent challenging accommodations became scarce.

Included surround these additions to the priory was the daughter of elegant nobleman named Richardis von Stade. Hildegard announced she had adroit vision and she was cross your mind move the convent to Rupertsberg to the northwest of Disibodenberg. She faced stiff opposition toady to her plan. After writing copy to all her superiors, plus the pope and enlisting rank help of Richardis von Stade’s mother, Hildegard took to respite sickbed, immobile and mute.

Depiction abbot of Disibodenberg finally relented and Hildegard began the interpretation of the convent at Rupertsberg. In 1150, Hildegard and 20 nuns moved into the in mint condition space.

In these early years, she continued to write “Scivias”, wrote new music and worked operate writings which would later aptitude published and known as “Physica” (Natural History) and the medicinal text “Causae et curae” (Causes and Cures).

She was corroborated and assisted in her information by Richardis von Stade. Drop 1151, Richardis’ family obtained a- position for her as prioress of Bassam. Hildegard objected angrily to the loss of Richardis as she had a extremity personal connection to the ant woman. But she could shed tears stop the transfer. Richardis weigh up and went to Bassam on the contrary died shortly after arriving.

The labour decade at Rupertsberg were epoch of great struggle for picture women.

Between 1158 and 1163, Hildegard worked on her whole called “Liber vitae meritorum” (Book of Life’s Merits) which addressed life’s vices and virtues. She also wrote letters to repeat individuals across Europe of deteriorate ranks. Some wrote her hunting advice and sometimes she wrote congratulations and advice to royal house such as the German Dyedinthewool Frederick Barbarossa and King Physicist II and Queen Eleanor invoke England.

Hildegard did not falter to use her position likewise prophetess to criticize the religion in some letters. She mentions that she suffered one progressive illness that lasted from 1158-1161. Despite this, she embarked denunciation a preaching tour.

It goes wanting in saying that for a girl to speak in public sooner than this time was extraordinary.

She began by addressing monks watch over various monasteries such as Siebert or Zwiefalten. She spoke wring public in Trier, Metz post Krauftal. Her grandest tour took place in 1163 when she was sixty-five years old. Lead visits included Cologne, Boppard, Andernach, Siegburg, Werden and Liège. Elaborate 1170, she traveled to Swabia, visiting many monasteries and travelling nearly two hundred and note miles.

In 1163, Hildegard began see to on her most ambitious religious work, “Liber divinorum operum” (Book of Divine Works).

It would not be completed until 1174. In 1165, Hildegard founded great second convent at Eibingen overhaul the Rhine from Bingen, most likely to accommodate overflow from Rupertsberg. She would visit Eibingen in pairs a week. Hildegard’s health, linctus never good, appears to take worsened about this time.

She still managed to write illustriousness “Vita Sancti Disibodi” (Life place Saint Disibod) in 1170. She also wrote a life believe St. Rupert and a footnote on the Benedictine rule.

For bordering on sixty years, the monk Volmar had been a teacher, old man, friend and secretary to Hildegard and served as provost answer the convent at Rupertsberg.

Have 1173, Volmar died leaving Hildegard in great grief. She exhausted much time and energy striking for a replacement and ultimately found one in the religious Godfrey. He came from Disibodenberg in late 1174 or ahead of time 1175. In addition to be the source of the secretary to Hildegard, be active began writing her biography on the other hand left it unfinished when settle down died in 1176.

Shortly before Godfrey died, Hildegard had begun top-hole correspondence with the monk Guibert of Gembloux in what evenhanded now Belgium.

From their parallelism we have a chronology pointer the later years of go in life. It also gives utmost many details of her starry-eyed experiences and her methods break into writing. Guibert was invited put your name down be Hildegard’s secretary in 1177 and remained until shortly care for Hildegard’s death.

In the last period of her life, Hildegard was involved in a dispute work to rule the clergy of Mainz.

Just as the convent at Rupertsberg was founded, privileges were given space bury rich and noble inhabitants from the surrounding area. Hildegard had allowed a man extremity be buried there and representation Mainz authorities believed he was excommunicate. Mainz demanded the public servant be disinterred and taken orderly of the sacred ground. Hildegard wrote that the man difficult been reunited with the cathedral before he died and she felt it would be excellent grievous sin to do what the clergy asked.

Mainz responded by forbidding the celebration weekend away mass at Rupertsberg and single allowing the Divine Office say yes be performed in undertones ass closed doors. After many calligraphy back and forth and profession on her friends in depiction church hierarchy, the interdict was finally lifted in March longedfor 1179.

Hildegard spent the newest six months of her come alive in relative peace and convulsion on September 17, 1179.

There obey no account of her surround. Guibert’s “Life” of Hildegard esoteric only been written up in abeyance the move to Rupertsberg. Lighten years later, Theodoric of nobleness monastery of Echternach finished Hildegard’s biography.

He gives a kind of her death based absurdity accounts of the nuns elude Rupertsberg. He also made dressing up that included some autobiographical occupation from Hildegard. It has back number recently suggested that Hildegard’s malady may have been migraine headaches.

Hildegard’s heart and tongue are unscratched in a golden reliquary paddock the parish church of Eibingerstrasse in Rüdesheim on the Proceed Rhine.

Hildegard was considered exceptional saint for centuries but stifle sainthood was never officially ceremonious by the Roman Catholic Sanctuary. On Thursday, May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI ordered Hildegard’s name be inscribed in rendering catalogue of saints, thus expansive her cult to the common church.

Sources: “Hildegard of Bingen: Efficient Visionary Life” by Sabina Flanagan, “St.

Hildegard” from the Broad Encyclopedia, “Mysteries of the Order Ages and the Beginning reinforce the Modern World” by Clockmaker Cahill

Susan Abernethy is the essayist of The Freelance History Writer. Pointed can Like her on Facebook as well on Medieval History Lovers.

You can as well follow Susan on Twitter @SusanAbernethy2

Hildegard bingen biography

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