Hildegard von Bingen, the youngest of ten children, was born in Bremersheim near modern-day Mannheim, Germany. At eight years old her parents promised her to the Benedictine Roman Catholic Church, and she later joined the Disibodenberg convent at 14. There she rose to magistra, the highest female station at the time, and later founded her own monastery, the Monastery of Rupertsberg in Bingen am Rhein, hence adopting the name “von Bingen.”
As abbess of Rupertsberg, she held significant independence and influence in medieval society. Beyond her religious role, she wrote and published poetry, music, medical, and religious works. Her influence led Pope Benedict XVI to canonize her and award her the title “Doctor of the Church” in 2012, one of only four women to receive this honor.
Visions of Healing
The End of the World
Two key things stand out when looking at Hildegard von Bingen’s role in the Roman Catholic Church. First, during her time (the late 11th to early 12th century), many European religious thinkers believed the world was about to end. Because of this, much of theology focused on trying to prevent the apocalypse. This heavily influenced Hildegard. Her work was all about healing—spiritual, religious, societal, and medical.
Visionary
Another key factor in Hildegard von Bingen’s high level of recognition was her recorded visions of the divine past, present, and future. Hildegard von Bingen documented these visions through written descriptions and miniature paintings, often including her self-portraits.
Self-Portraits
One example of Hildegard von Bingen’s self-portraits is found on the first page of Scivias, one of her main religious manuscripts. The portrait shows her having a vision, dressed in a simple dark blue gown, holding wax tablets, with flames around her eyes symbolizing the divinity of her visions. The flames do not cover her eyes, emphasizing her conscious sanity during these experiences and legitimizing the truth of her visions.