Hildegard of Bingen: The Woman of Her Age

by Fiona Maddocks

Overview

Best known today as a fine composer, the twelfth-century German abbess Hildegard of Bingen was also a religious leader and visionary, a poet, naturalist and writer of medical treatises. Despite her cloistered life she had strong, often controversial views on sex, love and marriage too - a woman astonishing in her own age, whose book of apocalyptic visions, Scivias, would alone have been enough to ensure her lasting fame.
In this classic and highly praised biography - first published by Headline in 2001 - distinguished writer and journalist, Fiona Maddocks, draws on Hildegard's prolific writings to paint a portrait of her extraordinary life against the turbulent medieval background of crusade and schism, scientific discovery and cultural revolution. The great intellectual gifts and forceful character that emerge make her as fascinating as any figure in the Middle Ages.
More than 800 years after her death, Pope Benedict XVI has made Hildegard a Saint and a Doctor of the Church (one of only four women). Fiona Maddocks has provided a short new preface to cover these tributes to an extraordinary and exceptional woman.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780571302598
Publisher:	Faber and Faber
Publication date:	07/02/2013
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Fiona Maddocks is chief music critic of the Observer. She was founder editor of BBC Music Magazine and has worked in television and radio as well as newspapers. She lives in Oxford.

Fiona Maddocks is the Classical Music critic of the Observer. She was founder editor of BBC Music Magazine and chief arts feature writer for the London Evening Standard, and has written for numerous other publications. She is the author of Hildegard of Bingen: The Woman of Her Age (Faber), Harrison Birtwistle: Wild Tracks - A Conversation Diary with Fiona Maddocks (Faber) and Music for Life (Faber)

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
	Acknowledgements	xi
	Biographical Sources	xiii
	People and Places	xv
	Chronology	xvii
	Maps	xix
	Prologue: Habeas corpus	1
Chapter 1	Birth of Hildegard	7
Chapter 2	Childhood and Cloister	15
Chapter 3	Disibodenberg	31
Chapter 4	Visions	49
Chapter 5	Papal Approval	71
Chapter 6	The Move to Rupertsberg	87
Chapter 7	The Richardis Affair	103
Chapter 8	Imperial and Papal Upheaval	121
Chapter 9	Correspondence and Friendship	131
Chapter 10	Physician and Healer	145
Chapter 11	On Sexuality	161
Chapter 12	Harp of God	185
Chapter 13	Rhine Travels	211
Chapter 14	Last Journey	227
Chapter 15	Final Crisis	237
Chapter 16	Relighting the Flame	251
Chapter 17	Shrines and Icons	263
Appendix I	Hildegard: principal works	275
Appendix II	Sister Ancilla	285
	Notes and Sources	301
	Bibliography	313
	Index	323

Editorial Reviews

Maddocks is the chief music critic of the Observer (London) and a founding editor of BBC Music magazine. Here she provides a carefully researched biography of Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th-century woman of many talents musician, theologian, monastic founder, preacher, visionary, abbess, healer, and even scientist. Although many studies of Hildegard or of aspects of her work exist (see, e.g., studies by Regine Pernoud, LJ 8/98, and Heinrich Schipperges, LJ 5/1/97), Maddocks's study is distinguished by its use of newly available manuscript material. She steers a judicious course between those uncritical venerators of Hildegard and those detractors who question the authorship of works attributed to her. She is therefore able to reveal Hildegard's true talents as "the creative will that controls the final image" in her art. Maddocks also shows Hildegard in all her contradictions (e.g., her conservative assertion of female subservience, which contrasts with much of her own behavior). Highly recommended for academic and public libraries as well as seminary collections and women's studies collections. Carolyn M. Craft, Longwood Coll., Farmville, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Maddocks adeptly shows why Hildegard continues to fascinate seekers.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher