It captures hildegards love of happiness, mankind and their connectedness to faith. Despite this outpouring of religious creativity, her visions were called into question and she was put on trial by the church in 1148. Hildegard produced major works of theology and visionary writings the scivias. The film portrays an original woman best known as a composer and religious. She was a mystic writer, who completed three books of her visions. She was an abbess who is well known for her literary works and her songs. However, on balance, the film shows that the church very much valued her as a prophetic visionary and a brilliant intellect. The journal of digital scholarship in the humanities, oxford university press. She also wrote about medical and scientific things, and wrote letters to many important politicians hildegard was born into a noble family. Abbess hildegard of bingen gothic voices 2 with emma. I can well understand why a catholic might approach this film with trepidation. Our favorite viewing of the unruly mystic was at the dairy center in boulder, colorado, where michael. Hildegard of bingen was a brilliant composer, artist, visionary, and also an herbalist.
Hildegard of bingen biography hildegard early life. To be fair, hildegard s work spanned so many disciplines, it would be a difficult task to address all in depth. From the rupertsberg manuscript perhaps due to hildegards visions, or as a method of political positioning, hildegards parents offered her as an oblate to the church. Complete your abbess hildegard of bingen gothic voices with emma kirkby directed by christopher page collection. Accomplishments or why hildegard of bingen was famous. Her belief in the greening of man, or viriditas as she called it, led her to trust that god had given mankind herbs, spices, and foods to serve our bodies and keep us not.
Monastic life biography christian mysticism scivias i. Disibod abbey on the diessenberg, of which hildegard herself become abbess in. Michael conti first released his movie on hildegard of bingen, the unruly mystic in 2014, around the same time we embarked on our own hildegard inspired creative project, healthy hildegard. In 1141, god granted her a vision of flaming tongues descending upon her from heaven, and she devoted her life to following this mystic vision. Hildegard of bingen says she was threeyears old when she first saw a vision of the shade of the living light. She believed that it could redirect our hearts towards heaven and put us back on the pathways of god. 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. Hildegard took her vows at the age of 15, and on juttas death in 16 succeeded her as prioress of the small eremitic community. Many biographies of hildegard of bingen read like lists of accomplishments, focusing on her many contributions to humanity and spirituality.
Hildegard of bingen 1098september 17, 1179 was a medieval mystic and visionary and abbess of bingen s benedictine community. In 2012, hildegard was canonized and named a doctor of the church by pope benedict xvi. Even at this age, hildegard knew that her visions were a gift from god. Born in 1098, she was beset by the most extraordinary religious visions from the age of eightvisions which she wrote down. Hildegard of bingen, also known as saint hildegard, was a renowned german benedictine abbess, writer, philosopher, composer, and visionary, widely regarded as. Biopic on the life of the fascinating 12th century bendectine nun who saw visions of god and was also a composer. Hildegards sources are not known, but it is likely that she used medieval herbals and older texts by pliny, galen, soranus, and st. She was sickly, and when she was eight her parents sent her to the church under the care of a popular and cheerful anchorite named jutta, the sister of count meinhard of sponheim, whom hildegards father once served as a knight. 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 could be considered a 12thcentry combination of joan chittister, hilary clinton and joan baez. Her parents sent her to a monastery because she was the tenth. At a time when few women wrote, hildegard, known as sybil of the rhine, produced major works of theology and visionary writings. 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 of bingen, mystic, writer, composer, saint. Bingensis september 16, 1098 september 17, 1179 was a german magistra, monastic leader, mystic, author, and composer of music. The monks and nuns at the convent become a kind of family, offering both confidants and enemies. 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. Hildegard of bingen, the twelfthcentury writer, composer, healer, prophet, visionary, and leaderand the most influential woman of her time. I personally wished to see more about her spirituality, and how it was influenced by her music. 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. Leadersusers guide to the video program hildegard of bingen. Before purchasing this dvd, i recommend reading a biography of hildegard. When few women were accorded respect, she was consulted by and advised bishops, popes, and kings.
On september 16, 1098, hildegard of bingen was the tenth child born into a noble family in the service of the counts of sponheim. He praised the humility with which she received gods gifts, and the obedience she gave church authorities. She used music as a healing device, it was said to soothe the soul and heal illness. And musical composer some of her liturgical music is still performed today.
Hildegard of bingen, whose feast day we celebrate with vigor every september 17, was not only a brilliant composer, artist, and visionary, she was also an herbalist. The medieval prophetess who used her visions to criticize the church hildegard of bingen fought the patriarchy from her cloister. She also wrote about medical and scientific things, and wrote letters to many important politicians. The film portrays an original woman best known as a composer and religious visionary whose grand claims often run counter to the patriarchal world around her. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her life. Physiologus, an allegorical natural history book created in 2nd century in egypt with unknown attribution. This is a four part dvd setone part dramatic vignette of a few scenes from hildegard s life very well acted, one part interviews with scholars of hildegard, one part interpretations of her artwork in a classroom setting, and one part performance of her ordo virtutem. Dramatization of the later life of hildegard of bingen intellectual, visionary, a poet, composer, naturalist, healer and theologian she has never been officially canonized but many regard her as having achieved sainthood and refer to her as st. And she was fiveyears old when she grasped that others wouldnt understand what she was experiencing. Feb 01, 2018 doctors of the church with sister judith sutera. With barbara sukowa, heino ferch, hannah herzsprung, lena stolze. Famous for her visions of celestial wonders and vivid descriptions of an ordered and divine universe, she was a spiritual beacon to thousands of people who flocked to her monastery, seeking her advice and.
Hildegard of bingen tv movie 1994 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Visions and validation barbara newman some years ago, wrote the flemish monk guibert to his friend radulfus, strange and incredible rumors reached his ears at the benedictine monastery of gembloux. Theoderic utilized sources guibert had left behind to complete the vita. Hildegard of bingens correspondence with many people is an important element of her. Since then, weve had the pleasure of watching this moving piece several times and in various settings. Hildegard of bingen died in 1179 at the age of 82 years of age. Given her farreaching impact and longlasting legacy, we face a challenge in writing succinctly about a person widely researched with differing. Colour online the heavenly city, miniature from scivias c. Hildegard of bingen is currently considered a single author.
At the age of 42, hildegard of bingen experienced a. Aug 26, 2014 so now that the project is over and classes are starting back, it is finally time to draw a conclusion as to the basis of hildegards visions. Hildegard of bingen 1098september 17, 1179 was a medieval mystic and visionary and abbess of bingens benedictine community. 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. An abbess, visionary, naturalist, playwright and composer, hildegard of bingen played by patricia routledge was a remarkable woman of the middle ages, her legacy comprising some of the most. For st hildegard in recent years has been transformed into a patron saint of feminism, new age and holistic medicine. The medieval prophetess who used her visions to criticize. It works well for group viewing and discussion as well as for individual enrichment. Hildegard as a person within visual and graphic arts, literature, and film. Beside theological, medical and botanical treatises, a large repertoire of music is attributed to hildegard of bingen. She was also a prolific composer and the author of several books on spirituality, visions, medicine, health and nutrition, nature.
Hildegard of bingen biography facts, childhood, family. Hildegard of bingen given by lauren artress during the grace cathedral pilgrimage organized by veriditas, 910 march 2012. Vision made its european debut in 2009 and is being distributed in the u. Hildegard is mentioned in a long list of witches through history along with anne boleyn but theres no evidence hildegard actually had any magical powers.
Hildegard was born into a family of nobles in the service of the counts of. The collection of compositions preserved in contemporary manuscripts includes some 80 monophonic songs and the mystery play ordo virtutum play of the virtues. The film depicts hildegards diplomatic sometime manipulative skills to understand men and their vanities in order to found her own convent. Saint hildegard, german abbess, visionary mystic, and composer. In film, hildegard has been portrayed by patricia routledge in a bbc documentary called. This was to be a move towards poverty, from a stone complex that was well. She believed god gave us herbs for health, joy and peace. Hildegard of bingen simple english wikipedia, the free. Isidore of seville, augmenting published information about illnesses and treatments with local folk and medical lore, observation, and experimentation. They concerned an old woman, abbess of the benedictine foundation at bingenamrhein, who had gained such fame that multitudes.
Columba aspexit as hildegard of bingen 1997 american perfekt vision o euchari in leta via show composer 2 credits show music department 2 credits show writer 1 credit. Stylometry and the complex authorship in hildegard of bingens oeuvre. Hildegard of bingen was one of the most remarkable women of the middle ages an abbess and woman. Her life has been the subject of a feature film, and in germany a system of. The beloved benedictine abbess stood at the epicenter of medieval europe as a visionary and mystic. A visionary in every sense of the word, this famed 12thcentury benedictine nun was a christian mystic, composer, philosopher, playwright, poet, naturalist, scientist, physician, herbalist and ecological activist. Joachim lally, csp catholic information center, grand rapids, m. Pope benedict spoke about hildegard of bingen during two of his general audiences in september 2010.
The documentary was first shown on 18 july at the digital humanities 20 conference in lincoln, nebraska, usa, replacing the authors original contribution. Hildegard of bingen biography hildegard early life, vision. Now to be specific, we cannot definitively determine the origin of hildegards visions see my first update on exploring religious experiences from a scientific perspective, but we can. Hildegard of bingen was also believed to have been the illustrator of the scivias and therefore one of the few identifiable women. With patricia routledge, janet suzman, peter vaughan, amanda root. Hildegard of bingen is currently considered to be the best known woman from the middle ages. 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 pioneer of faith. Hildegard of bingen primary author only author division. Hildegard of bingen 10981179 was a remarkable woman, a first in many fields. A film on the life of hildegard of bingen posted by stuart chessman. Charles singers retrospective diagnosis of hildegard of bingen as a migraine sufferer. She is one of the bestknown composers of sacred monophony, as well as the mostrecorded in modern history.
Although hildegard of bingen writings never explicitly reference any particular sources for her knowledge of medicine and nature it is widely believed that she must have known of, and was influenced by, some of the following works. Late in life, she did run afoul of church authority. For those who are captivated by hildegard, this dvd will fan your interest, but its not the end of the road for serious seekers. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author.
Hildegard and the sybil of the rhine, was an enormously influential and spiritual woman, who paved the way for other women to succeed in a number of fields from theology to music. Hildegard was born in 1098 in bermersheim, on the rhine, the tenth child of a noble family. Hildegard of bingen was the founder of scientific natural history in germany. Until recently, hildegard of bingen has been known only to a ha.