Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was one of the most remarkable women of the middle ages. Drawing on contemporary sources, the text unfolds Hildegard's life from the time of her entrance into an anchoress's cell--where a woman would remain in pious isolation--to her death as a famed visionary and writer, abbess and confidante of popes and kings, more than seventy years later. Against this background the author explores Hildegard's vast creative work, encompassing theology, medicine, natural history, poetry, and music. The second edition comes complete with a new preface, additions to the biographical sections, revealing new discoveries about Hildegard's life, updated references to the latest critical material on Hildegard's writings, and a new bibliography and discography.
|
