Yesterday Pope Benedict had Hildegard of Bingen’s name formally inscribed in the catalogue of saints, thereby completing a process that began almost 800 years ago. We may now refer to her at St. Hildegard; her feast day will be September 17.
I wish that I had time to go into the history a little, but I don’t. Acknowledging that she has not been canonized for her musical composition, her music is nonetheless what I know best about her, so I’ll celebrate by linking to one of her compositions. This is O vis aeternitatis (O eternal power), sung here by Sequentia:
May 12, 2012 at 7:17 am
A long time admirer of Hildegard and her legacy, I am delighted that she is finally getting this official recogntion. Her ethereal music, her philosophy of natural medicine, her transcendent visions and mandala-like illuminations, and her insights on the sacred as manifest in the natural world have made her an icon to people of diverse faith backgrounds. I hope this new burst of fame allows many more people to discover her and be inspired by her life and work.
May 12, 2012 at 10:28 am
I hope so too. Thanks for your comment.
May 16, 2012 at 1:59 pm
I watched Vision a while back and was pleasantly surprised. Somebody I trusted must have recommended it because I don’t think I would have watched it otherwise. Now, I’m curious about the accuracy of the movie. I hope I can find some time to read more about her, but that’s always the problem.
AMDG
May 16, 2012 at 2:18 pm
Janet, I loved the film Vision, only it ended just as things were starting to get really interesting. My novel Illuminations, based on Hildegard’s life, will be out in October 2012. There are more details at my website http://www.marysharratt.com. I’m just one of a chorus of people exploring Hildegard’s rich work and life.
May 18, 2012 at 6:48 am
That book looks very interesting, Mary. It sounds like a book that I would like to read; I am going to keep an eye out for it.
Janet, I have seen about 1/2 hour of the Vision film. Although it seemed, at first, that it was going to rehash every stereotype of the Middle Ages, it seemed to be improving as it went. I would like to see the rest of it, and am hoping to find time in the next week or two to do so.