Front matter
The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen
This page intentionally left blank
The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen
VOLUME II
Translated by Joseph L. Baird Radd K. Ehrman New York Oxford
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Oxford University Press Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Bogota Buenos Aires Calcutta Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi Paris Sao Paulo Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto Warsaw and associated companies in Berlin Ibadan Copyright © 1998 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
Published by Oxford University Press, Inc.
198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stared in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hildegard, Saint, 1098–1179.
[Correspondence, English] The letters of Hildegard of Bingen / translated by Joseph L. Baird, Radd K. Ehrman. p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-19-508937-5 (v. 1) ISBNO-19-512010-8(v.2) I. Hildegard, Saint, 1098-1179—Correspondence.
2. Christian saints—Germany—Bingen (Rhineland-Palatinate)—Correspondence.
3. Bingen (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)—Biography.
I. Baird, Joseph L. II. Ehrman, Radd K. III. Title.
BX4700.H5A3
282'.092—dc20 [B] 93-33715
I 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
Acknowledgments Once again, we are pleased to have the opportunity to express our appreciation to the many people who contributed in various ways to this work. As before, special thanks are due to Professor Barbara Newman of Northwestern University, who has been generous with her time and advice. We are grateful for her continuing interest in our work. A special note of appreciation is due to Professor Anne L. Clark of the University of Vermont for sharing her knowledge and advice on the correspondence between Hildegard and Elisabeth of Schonau before the publication of her edition of Elisabeth's letters. We wish to thank also
Professor Kathryn Kerby-Fulton, who read the manuscript of this work and made many helpful suggestions.
We would also like to express our appreciation to our friends and colleagues at Kent State University: to Professors Ron Crawford and Harold Fry for their assistance with matters German; to Professor Rick M. Newton, chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies, who has enthusiastically supported this project from the start; to Professors Geoffrey Koby and Gregory
Shreve for general advice and computer assistance; and, last but not least, to Professor Ehrman's daughter Julia, who was present at the inception of this project and more than once answered our call to make tea.
Once again, we express our appreciation to the Kent State University Research Office for continuing support of this project.
Finally, aside from the general scholarly debt, we are personally indebted to the late Lieven Van Acker, editor of the Latin texts of these letters, who always promptly answered any queries we directed to him. We—and the scholarly world—will sorely miss you, sir.
This page intentionally left blank
Contents Introduction, 3 Ellwangen Abbot Adelbert to Hildegard, 5 Hildegard to the Abbot Adelbert, 6 Hildegard to the Abbot Adelbert, 7 Letter 91 Letter 91r Letter 92 Erfurt A Certain Provost to Hildegard, 8 Letter 93 Erfurt (St. Cyriacus) Letter 94 An Abbess to Hildegard, 8 Letter 94r Hildegard to the Abbess, 9 Erlesburen Letter 95 Hildegard to an Abbess, 10 Esrum Letter 96 Hildegard to the Monk Frederick, 11 Flonheim Letter 97 A Certain Provost to Hildegard, 12
viii Contents Frankfurt A Certain Provost to Hildegard, 12 Letter 98 Letter 98r Hildegard to the Provost, 13 Gandersheim Hildegard to the Abbess Adelheid, 14 The Abbess Adelheid to Hildegard, 14 Letter 99 Letter 100 Letter 101(100r?) Hildegard to the Abbess Adelheid, 15 Gembloux The Monk Guibert to Hildegard, 16 The Monk Guibert to Hildegard, 19 Letter 102 Letter 103 Letter 103r Letter 104 Letter 105 Letter 106 Letter 106r Letter 107 Letter 108 Letter 108a Letter 109 Letter 109r Hildegard to the Monk Guibert, 21 The Monk Guibert to Hildegard, 26 The Monk Guibert to Hildegard, 34 The Monk Guibert to Hildegard, 39 Hildegard to the Monk Guibert, 40 The Monk Guibert to Hildegard, 42 The Monk Guibert to Hildegard, 43 The Monk Guibert to the Community of St. Rupert, 44
The Monk Guibert to Hildegard, 46 Hildegard to the Monk Guibert and the Monks of Villers, 48 Gerbstadt An Abbess to Hildegard, 50 Hildegard to the Abbess, 50 Letter 110 Letter 1 lOr Gottesthal The Provost Frederick to Hildegard, 52 Letter 111 Letter lllr Hildegard to the Provost Frederick, 52 Haina(?) An Abbot to Hildegard, 53 Letter 112 Letter 112r(?) Letter 113 Letter 113r Hildegard to the Abbot, 54 The Monks to Hildegard, 55 Hildegard to the Monks, 56 Hameln A Provisor to Hildegard, 59 Letter 114
ix Contents Heilsbronn The Abbot Nicholas to Hildegard, 60 Letter 115 Letter 115r Letter 116 Hildegard to the Abbot Nicholas, 61 Hildegard to the Abbot Nicholas(?), 61 Herkenrode(?) An Abbess to Hildegard, 62 Hildegard to the Abbess, 63 Letter 117 Letter 117r Himmerod(?) Hildegard to an Abbot, 63 Letter 118 Hirsau Hildegard to the Congregation of Monks, 64
Letter 119 Letter 120 Letter 120r Letter 121 Letter 122 Letter 123 Letter 124 Letter 125 Letter 126 Letter 127 Letter 128 Letter 129 Letter 130 Letter 131 Letter 132 Letter 133 Letter 134 Letter 135 Letter 136 The Congregation of Monks to Hildegard, 65
Hildegard to the Congregation of Monks, 66 Manegold to Hildegard, 67 Hildegard to Manegold, 68 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 68 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 69 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 70 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 71 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 71 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 72 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 72 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 73 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 73 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 75 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 75 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold, 76 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold(?), 76 Hildegard to the Abbot Manegold(?), 77 Hordt Hildegard to the Canon Lemphrid, 77 Letter 137 Letter 138 A Provost to Hildegard, 78 Ilbenstadt Letter 139 An Abbot to Hildegard, 79
Contents X Letter 140 Letter 140r A Prioress to Hildegard, 79 Hildegard to the Prioress, 80 Indersdorf Letter 141 Letter 142 Hildegard to the Provost Richard, 81 A Certain Provost to Hildegard, 81 Justusberg Letter 143 Hildegard to an Abbot, 82 Kaisheim The Abbot Conrad to Hildegard, 82 Letter 144 Letter 144r Letter 145 Hildegard to the Abbot Conrad, 83 Hildegard to the Abbot Conrad, 85 Kappenberg Letter 146 Letter 146r A Prelate to Hildegard, 85 Hildegard to the Prelate, 86 Kaufungen An Abbess to Hildegard, 87 Letter 147 Letter 147r Hildegard to the Abbess, 88 Kempten An Abbot to Hildegard, 88 Letter 148 Letter 148r Hildegard to the Abbot, 89 Kirchheim-Bolanden Letter 149 Werner to Hildegard, 91 Letter 149r Hildegard to Werner, 92 Kitzingen Letter 150 Letter 150r Letter 151 Letter 152 The Abbess Sophia to Hildegard, 94 Hildegard to the Abbess Sophia, 95 Hildegard to the Abbess Sophia, 96 Hildegard to Rumunda, a Lay Sister, 96 Knechsteden A Provost to Hildegard, 97 Letter 153 Letter 153r Hildegard to the Provost, 97
Contents xi Koblenz Letter 154 A Provost to Hildegard, 98 Cologne (St. Martin) Letter 155 Abbot Adalard to Hildegard, 99 Letter 155r Hildegard to the Abbot Adalard, 100 Cologne (St. Agatha(?)/Bonn) Letter 156 An Abbess to Hildegard, 102 Letter 156r Hildegard to the Abbess, 103 Cologne (St. Ursula) Letter 157 An Abbess to Hildegard, 104 Cologne (The Holy Apostles) Letter 158 A Dean to Hildegard, 105 Letter 158r Hildegard to the Dean, 106 Krauftal The Abbess Hazzecha to Hildegard, 107 Hildegard to the Abbess Hazzecha, 107 The Abbess Hazzecha to Hildegard, 108 Hildegard to the Abbess Hazzecha, 109 Hildegard to the Abbess Hazzecha, 111 Letter 159 Letter 159r Letter 160 Letter 160r Letter 161 Letter 162 Hildegard to the Congregation of Nuns, 112
Lubolzberg(?) An Abbess to Hildegard, 114 Hildegard to the Abbess, 114 Letter 163 Letter 163r Lutter A Certain Priest to Hildegard, 115 Letter 164 Letter 164r Hildegard to the Priest, 116 Mainz (St. Victor) Letter 165 A Provost to Hildegard, 118 Mainz (Altmiinster) Letter 166 An Abbess to Hildegard, 119
xii Contents Mainz (St. Martin) Letter 167 A Dean to Hildegard, 119 Letter 167r Letter 168 Hildegard to the Dean, 120 A Provost to Hildegard, 121 Mainz (?) Letter 169 Letter 169r Letter 170 Letter 170r A Community of Brothers to Hildegard, 122
Hildegard on the Cathars, 123 Certain Priests to Hildegard, 126 Hildegard to the Priests, 127 Maulbronn Hildegard to the Abbot Dieter, 130 Letter 171 Letter 172 Letter 173 Letter 173r An Abbot to Hildegard, 130 The Monk Heinrich to Hildegard, 131 Hildegard to the Monk Heinrich, 132 Metz (St. Glodesindis) Letter 174 An Abbess to Hildegard, 133 Letter 174r Hildegard to the Abbess, 134 Metz Hildegard to a Certain Priest, 136 Letter 175 Neuenburg An Abbot to Hildegard, 136 Letter 176 Letter 176r Hildegard to the Abbot, 137 Neuss (St. Quirin) An Abbess to Hildegard, 138 Letter 177 Letter 177r(?) Hildegard to the Abbess, 138 Otterberg A Certain Brother to Hildegard, 139 Letter 178 Letter 178r Hildegard to the Brother, 140 Park Hildegard to the Abbot Philip, 141 Letter 179 Letter 179r Letter 180 Letter 181 The Abbot Philip to Hildegard, 142 Hildegard to the Abbot Philip, 143 Hildegard to the Abbot Philip, 144
Contents xiii Pfalzel(?) Letter 182 An Abbot to Hildegard, 144 Regensburg (St. Emmeram) Letter 183 A Provisor to Hildegard, 145 Letter 183r Hildegard to the Abbot, 146 Regensburg (Niedermunster) Letter 184 Hildegard to an Abbess, 147 Letter 185 An Abbess to Hildegard, 147 Letter 185r Hildegard to the Abbess, 148 Regensburg (Obermunster) Letter 186 An Abbess to Hildegard, 149 Letter 186r Hildegard to the Abbess, 150 Reutlingen Letter 187 The Priest Bertolf to Hildegard, 151 Letter 187r Hildegard to the Priest Bertolf, 152 Letter 188 The Priests Conrad and Bertolf to Hildegard, 152
Letter 188r Hildegard to the Priests Conrad and Bertolf, 153 Reutlingen(?) Letter 189 Hildegard to the Priest Conrad, 154 Rome (St. Anastasius) Letter 190 The Abbot Eberhard to Hildegard, 155 Letter 190r Hildegard to the Abbot Eberhard, 156 Rothenkirchen(?) Letter 191 An Abbot to Hildegard, 157 Letter 191r Hildegard to the Abbot, 158 Mount St. Rupert Letter 192 Hildegard to the Congregation of Nuns, 159
Letter 193 Hildegard to the Congregation of Nuns, 164 Letter 194 Hildegard to the Congregation of Nuns, 165
Letter 195 The Provost Volmar to Hildegard, 168 Letter 195r Hildegard to the Congregation of Nuns, 169
St. Georgen Letter 196 Hildegard to the Abbot Withelo, 171
xiv Contents St. Nabor Letter 197 Hildegard to an Abbot, 172 St. Thomas an der Kyll(?) Letter 198 Hildegard to the Abbess Elisabeth, 172 St. Walburga Letter 199 Hildegard to the Abbot Dietmar, 174 Salem Letter 200 The Abbot Gero to Hildegard, 174 Letter 200r Hildegard to the Abbot Gero, 175 Schonau Letter 201 The Nun Elisabeth to Hildegard, 176 Letter 20lr Hildegard to the Nun Elisabeth, 180 Letter 202/203 Elisabeth to Hildegard, 181 Selbod Letter 204 A Provisor to Hildegard, 185 Siegburg (St. Michael) Letter 205 Hildegard to the Monk Dietzelinus, 186 Letter 206 A Congregation of Monks to Hildegard, 187
Letter 206r Hildegard to the Congregation of Monks, 188 Springiersbach Letter 207 The Abbot Richard to Hildegard, 189 Tholey Letter 208 Hildegard to Her Brother Hugo, 190 Trier (St. Eucharius) Letter 209 The Abbot Bertolf to Hildegard, 190 Letter 209r Hildegard to the Abbot Bertolf, 191 Letter 210 Hildegard to the Abbot Bertolf, 192 Letter 211 Hildegard to the Monk Gerwin, 192 Letter 212 Hildegard to the Monk Gerwin, 193 Letter 213 Hildegard to the Abbot Gerwin, 193 Letter 214 Hildegard to the Abbot Ludwig, 194 Letter 215 The Abbot Ludwig to Hildegard, 195
Contents xv Letter 215r Hildegard to the Abbot Ludwig, 196 Letter 216 Hildegard to the Abbot Ludwig(?), 197 Letter 217 Hildegard to the Abbot Ludwig(?), 198 Endnotes, 201 Supplemental Bibliography, 207 Scripture Index, 209 General Index, 211
This page intentionally left blank
The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen
This page intentionally left blank
Introduction This, the second volume of the translation of Hildegard of Bingen's correspondence, contains 176 letters, all of which are directed to, or received from, figures in the Church—abbots and abbesses, monks, nuns. Twenty-three of the letters are unilateral, that is, they are from correspondents to Hildegard, for which we have no corresponding letter from the saint, either initiatory or in response. This lack may, of course, be the result of simple failure in transmission of the texts, but there is also sufficient evidence from the letters themselves to indicate that, owing to the press of her duties and writing, Hildegard was not always up to the task of responding. It was, for example, only after a barrage of letters that the persistent Guibert of Gembloux was able to make the contact with the saint that he so desperately desired. Or compare the following plaintive cry from the monks of St. Michael in Siegburg:
He Who knows all secrets is aware with what an extraordinary feeling of love we have chosen you as our spiritual mother and have brought you into the circle of our prayers, and you yourself, beloved lady, have been able to observe this from the sheer number of messages we have sent to you. Yet you have never shown us any sign of motherly affection. And despite our desire, you have never even sent us a letter of admonition, which you should have done even against our will, just as a mother gives wholesome advice to her children.
This is an especially interesting letter, since it attests both to a failure in transmission (where are all those earlier letters that they sent to her?) and, apparently, to Hildegard's occasional negligence in keeping up with her correspondence.
Given the circumstances of the time, it could, of course, be that those letters simply did not reach her, which would account too for their not being preserved,
The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen but there are numerous other complaints from writers who received no reply to their request, and Hildegard herself confesses to Guibert of Gembloux that the heavy press of her duties has kept her from responding. On the whole, however,
Hildegard was quite attentive to her epistolary duties, and we are very fortunate that so large a body of her correspondence has come down to us.
Perhaps the most important group of letters in this collection is those exchanged between Hildegard and Guibert of Gembloux. This Walloon monk, who was later to become Hildegard's secretary, was unrelenting in his efforts to get the saint to respond to his specific questions about her life and visions. And, unlike his contemporaries, he asked the kind of questions that concern us all. Do you, he wanted to know, receive your visions in Latin? Or do they come to you in German, with someone else translating them into Latin as you utter them? Do you receive these visions in a dream while you are asleep, or in an ecstatic state while awake, and do you indeed, as is widely reported, promptly forget the entire vision once you have given voice to it? What is the basis of your learning? Is it from diligent study, or has everything come to you through divine inspiration? Modern scholarship owes much to this farsighted monk who saw fit to ask such specific and detailed questions, and would not rest without receiving some sort of answer.
Other notable letters in this collection are those addressed to her own nuns at Mount St. Rupert; those from the young mystic, Elisabeth of Schonau, along with Hildegard's response; Letter 169r, Hildegard's treatise against the heresy of the Cathars in response to a request from the monks in Mainz; the letter from Volmar, Hildegard's first secretary, who served her faithfully for some thirty years in that capacity; Hildegard's brief letter to her blood brother Hugo; the letters to and from Ludwig, abbot of St. Eucharius.
But the book lies open before you. Read and enjoy.
We cannot take leave of this work without expressing our deep regret on the passing of Lieven Van Acker, the editor of the Latin text of these letters, on which this translation is based. Professor Van Acker's prodigious work on Hildegard's correspondence was truly a labor of love, which he continued even in the midst of his last illness until his death on 16 December 1994. We are deeply regretful that he did not live to see his work through to completion. It was a monumental undertaking, executed with meticulous care and precision. We mourn his loss.
The world of scholarship owes him an inestimable debt.