These translations of [Hildegard of Bingen's] spiritual and medical writing, her poetry and letters, are a remarkable contribution to the study of early women writers.--Monica Furlong, author of Merton: A Biography and Visions and Longings: Medieval Women Mystics Visionary, mystic, poet, musician, naturalist, healer, theologian-the Rhineland nun Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was a Renaissance woman long before there was a Renaissance. This is the first book in English to offer a representative selection of writings from all of her amazing range of work.
Hildegard wrote many volumes on subjects from mystical vision to sexuality, from theology to natural medicine--in letters, treatises, poetry, and songs--all in an age when few women wrote more than an occasional letter. She was a woman of extraordinary influence whose work not only surpassed that of her male contemporaries in its range, but also outshone them in visionary beauty and intellectual power. This collection includes a brief biography of Hildegard, and selections from the following works:
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Scivias (literally, know the ways), the record of Hildegard's visions and her commentary on them
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The Book of Life's Merits, visionary work
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The Book of Divine Works, a work of cosmology and anthropology
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Natural History, a record of plants, animals, and minerals, translated here into English for the first time
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Causes and Cures, a compendium of her writing on natural medicine
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Symphonia, her songs and poetry
- Biographical works
- Selected letters
