Hildegard of Bingen

Biography & Life

Hildegard of Bingen was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and medical practitioner during the High Middle Ages. Also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine, she is one of the best-known composers of sacred monophony and the most recorded in modern history. She has been considered the founder of scientific natural history in Germany. Elected as magistra (mother superior) at Disibodenberg in 1136, she founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and Eibingen in 1165. Hildegard wrote theological, botanical, and medicinal works, as well as letters, hymns, and antiphons for the liturgy. There are more surviving chants by Hildegard than by any other composer from the entire Middle Ages. One of her works, the Ordo Virtutum, is an early example of liturgical drama and arguably the oldest surviving morality play. She was canonized by the Catholic Church and named a Doctor of the Church in 2012.

Historical Significance

Pioneering medieval composer, mystic, and medical practitioner; considered founder of scientific natural history in Germany

Key Facts

• Profession: Abbess, Composer, Philosopher, Mystic, Medical Practitioner
• Lifespan: 1098 – 1179
• Nationality: German