The Cosmic Vision of Hildegard of Bingen

Stephanie Roth

"Do not mock anything God has created. All creation is simple, plain and good. And God is present throughout his creation. Why do you ever consider things beneath your notice? God's justice is to be found in every detail of what he has made. The human race alone is capable of injustice. Human beings alone are capable of disobeying God's laws, because they try to be wiser than God." - Scivas 1.2.29

Over the last few years, there has been an amazing revival in the life and work of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), the German mystic who was the forerunner of what was to become a great 'German-Flemish' mystical tradition, spanning from the 12th to the 14th century. Hildegard's 'visions' capture the imagination to this day. Like the music she composed, and which still survives, she described them as a means of "recapturing the original joy and beauty of Paradise".

Much could be written about her extraordinary life as Mother Superior of her convents at Bingen and Rupertsberg. The surviving collection of her correspondence reveals a powerful, courageous and compassionate personality. She produced major writings on theology, natural history and medicine, as well as composing music - including a symphony. At the impressive age of 60, she set off on the first of four successful preaching tours. All this is remarkable, especially when considering that she was a woman living at times when the divisions of the world had become increasingly apparent.

The Mystical Tradition

Just like 'myth' and 'mysticism', 'mystic' is rooted in the Greek verb musteion: to close the eyes or the mouth. Mystics tend to seek union with what is closest to their heart. Theistic mystics seek a union with God but not identity. In the Apocrypha of the Old Testament, a 'mystery' was known only to the initiated (mystes). In the New Testament this 'mystery' is the revelation of the word of God.

Amongst the various types of mystic, there are those to whom nature represents a supreme truth and the strongest evidence of God's existence. This universal phenomenon can be found amongst Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Greek and Russian Orthodox - mystics, ranging as far as Chinese Taoists and Japanese Shintos. It is to this 'school' of mysticism that Hildegard of Bingen belongs.

Hildegard's Natural Vision

Hildegard saw the notion of 'Viriditas', or Greenness, penetrating every aspect of life. This 'Greenness' was the very expression of Divine power on Earth. "The Word of God regulates the movements of the Sun, the Moon and the stars. The Word of God gives the light which shines from the heavenly bodies. He makes the wind blow, the rivers run and the rain fall. He makes trees burst into blossom, and the crops bring forth the harvest." [1]

Since this extraordinary phenomenon called life could only be created by God, Hildegard believed, all that lives equally carried his Divine energy, or 'viritas'. In her own words:

Oh fire of the Holy Spirit,

life of the life of every creature,

holy are you in giving life to forms...

Oh boldest path,

penetrating into all places,

in the heights, on earth,

and in every abyss,

you bring and bind all together

From you clouds flow, air flies,

Rocks have their humours,

Rivers spring forth from the waters

And earth wears her green vigour

O ignis Spiritus Paracliti

This is the foundation upon which all her texts rest, whether songs, visions or natural observations.

Hildegard believed that humanity, made in God's image, was the 'recapitulation' of Creation. This has various implications. Firstly, Man was made after Creation, hence the world was not created for humankind alone. To be precise, humankind was created last in a set order, and so was inserted into an already self-sustaining environment. It is for this reason that humanity depends upon the world as a whole. Secondly, Creation and humankind are both made of the same thing - dust. [2] Because Man was made last, he unites the powers and properties of Creation. He therefore instinctively knows the limits of trespassing. Thirdly, humankind's very purpose is to glorify Creation in the name of the Lord. This entails looking after it.

To quote Hildegard: "God created the world out of the four elements, to glorify His name. He strengthened the world with the wind. He connected the world to the stars. And he filled the world with all kinds of creatures. He then put human beings throughout the world, giving them great power as stewards of all Creation. Human beings cannot live without the rest of nature, they must care for all natural things." [3]

To quote her again: "The rest of Creation cries out against the evil and perversity of the human species. Other creatures fulfil the commandments of God; they honour his laws. And other creatures do not grumble and complain at those laws. But human beings rebel against those laws, defying them in word and action. And in doing so they inflict terrible cruelty on the rest of God's creation." [4]

The image of Man being the steward of Creation, but dishonouring his position by defying the sacred order, presupposes an agreement between Man and a greater legislator -- God. During Creation, God blessed Nature (Gen. 1:22) and Mankind (Gen. 1:28). Prior to the Great Covenant, God blessed Noah. A blessing is to 'make it holy' by endowing a talent and protecting it. All these excamples imply a relationship based on agreement. This was made in the first part of Gen. 1:22 and Gen. 1:28 throughh the act of blessing; through the laying-on of hands. It is within this context that the second part of Gen. 1:22 and Gen. 1:28 reveal their meaning. Gen. 1 time and again affirms how 'good' God felt about his Creation -- why then would he want to destroy it?

God, then, made Creation and "saw that it was good." It was so good, in fact, that he wanted someone capable of admiring and appreciating it. This is when he created Man and why he endowed him with reason. But the ability to reason made Man desire to be wiser than God; to improve his already perfect situation. Gaining this forbidden wisdom meant breaking a sacred agreement; Man did so, and still does. Christ, the Word of God, in "whom all things are made" was the living example of how to restrain evil forces and restore the sacred agreement between Man and God. This is the promise of Salvation; "on Earth as it is in Heaven".

Hildegard as Artist

Hildegard's visions were also transcribed into visual art, in the mandalas and pictures she created. Central to their understanding is the idea of a 'cosmic equilibrium' as embedded in Genesis. In the beginning, God created Heaven and Earth, separated light from darkness, Earth from water, man from woman -- and he saw that it was good. It was good because it worked, and it worked because, in their natural and eternal alliance, opposites are drawn to the Centre.

Their descriptive relation to this 'Centre' is most easily represented by two crosses; one diagonal and one upright (see diagram, left). According to the cosmologists of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the eternal characteristics of the world -- the four elements (fire, air, water and earth), with the corresponding four temperaments (choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic); and the four qualities (dry, hot, wet and cold) with the corresponding seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) -- meet in one cross.

Thus to the Church Fathers, the divine nature of Christ, the Incarnation was already a sacrifice. In its self-lowering, the divine nature took upon itself the cross of the world that is compounded by opposites. The actual crucifixion appears as the inevitable outward result of the Incarnation; and at the same time the inward victory over it. [5]

All of Hildegard's visionary compositions embrace the concept of 'cosmic law', but the Liber Divinorum Operum (Book of Divine Works) does so best. The colour circles and animals, framing the mandalas, symbolise God's eternal order, and their attributed qualities match the cosmic law. A circle of luminous red represents fire. It embraces all others and illuminates them. The following symbolises Black fire for the punishment of evildoers. The next is ether, indicating pure atonement. Beneath comes a zone of watery air, symbolising the holy works of righteous individuals. It represents water. Closest to the centre is a sphere of clear air; indicating moderation. The centre represents the element of earth.

The animal heads, representing the characters which match the elements, [6] uphold the equilibrium by their breathing. "It is these winds which keep the universe in balance... and which keep human beings aware of salvation." [7] "All six circles are bound to each other... If the divine had not strengthened them through such an association, the firmament would come apart and have no stability." [8]

The equilibrium is further held together by the binding of the elements. The opposites result in a harmonious order to guarantee perfection for whatever is central to the particular cosmogram. However, the centre plays a vital part in maintaining the balance; the relationship is reciprocal.

The Balance of Nature

The cosmic wheel in her fourth vision, entitled On the Articulation of the Body explains the celestial influence on Men, animals and plants. Here Hildegard shows Man's activities within the natural cycle of the seasons, again corresponding to their natural qualities, temperaments and elements. If Man sins, he will disrupt the harmony of the cosmos. Nature will be too dry, too wet, too hot or too cold.

"The Earth is strengthened by rocks and trees. Like it, we humans are created because our flesh is like the Earth; our bones... like rocks... and... trees." [9] And she adds: "the just embrace the wisdom and know what is living" [10] and "Because of such considerations, humanity should regard almighty God as a seal and recognise all the divine wonders and symbols." [11]

The second vision, entitled On the Construction of the World, describes the human body and soul as a microcosm, repeating the divine plan and the natural world in miniature. Man as microcosm is at the centre of Creation, with which he shares a special relationship. "The ball in the midst of the circle... represents Earth... such a ball, which is round and rotating, most resembles that form of the world in all its details. It is maintained on all sides by these circles, is tied to them, and receives constantly from them the greening freshness of life and the fertility needed for the Earth's support." [12]

Man is framed by the elements in the traditional manner, except for one significant difference: "The figure in whose breast the cosmic wheel appears is the source of true love in whose knowledge the wheel rests. And this order... preserves and nourishes everything." [13] The head on top represents the Godhead, the source of Divine Love. The feet of "true love" represent thrones of justice and righteousness that support the universe.

Through the act of blessing, God infused Humankind and Creation with Divine Love, thus established his 'covenant'. Righteousness and justice are its guarantors. Christ, the Son of God, the 'second Adam', re-established this oath, which, according to Hildegard, involved the protection of nature. "Those who trust in God will also honour the stability of the world: the orbits of the Sun and the Moon, winds and air, earth and water... We have no other foothold. If we give up this world we shall be destroyed by demons and deprived of the angels' protection." [14]

References:

(1.) ed. Matthew Fox, Hildegard von Bingen's Book of Divine Works, Vision 1:2; Bear & Company, 1987.

(2.) Hans Liebeschutz, Das Allegorische Weltbild der Hildegard von Bingen, Studien der Bibliothek Warburg XVI, Berling, 1930.

(3.) Hildegard von Bingen, Physica, 755.

(4.) Hildegard von Bingen, Scivias, 3.5.17.

(5.) Titus Burckhardt, Chartres and the Birth of the Cathedral, Golgonooza Press, p.24.

(6.) Barbara Maurmann, Die Himmelsrichtungen im weltbild des Mittelalters, Fink Verlad, 1976, p.41ff.

(7.) Ed. Matthew Fox, Hildegard von Bingen's Book of Divine Works; Vision 2:18, Bear & company, 1987.

(8.) Ibid. Vision 2:9.

(9.) Ibid. Vision 4:82.

(10.) Ibid. Vision 4:10.

(11.) Ibid. vision 4:11.

(12.) Ibid. Vision 2:3.

(13.) Ibid. Vision 2:46.

(14.) Ibid. Vision 2:22.

COPYRIGHT 2000 MIT Press Journals
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group