Born year 1098A.D. into a noble family in Bermersheim, a town located in the region known today as Germany, Hildegard was a tenth child. She was sent by her parents to Disibodenberg at the age of eight to be trained by the abbess Jutta Von Sponheim who led the convent there. After Jutta died in 1136, Hildegard replaced the abbess for 12 years. Hildegard is well known for the many “visions” she received during her lifetime. She received one such vision in 1150: to found a convent at the same place where St. Rupert had lived. Together with 18 other nuns, Hildegard made this vision a reality by moving to the new abbey at the Rupert berg near Bingen. Around this time, the number of sisters was constantly growing. Because of this, Hildegard bought and restored a vacant monastery in Ellington, on the other side of the Rhine, to be used as a second convent in 1165. Hildegard was one of the most important philosophical personalities of the middle Ages. In addition to her writings on religious subjects, several of which were included in her book, “Scivias”, she also wrote about nature and naturopathy among many other topics. She also wrote numerous spiritual songs as well as the moral play “Ordo Virtutum.” It is generally known today that Hildegard suffered from migraine headaches and it is said that her visions were a result of this condition. The way that she described her visions and deliberating after affects, would lead to the common symptoms of a several other migraine sufferers. Migraine attacks are often followed by sickness, paralysis, and blindness to some. After these symptoms pass, a period of rebound and feelings better than before, almost like euphoria, is described by many sufferers. Hildegard described all of these symptoms and affects from her migraines. Hildegard of Bingen’s Life came to an end at the age of eighty-two in the year of 1179 on September 17th. Her relics rest today in the parish church in Eibingen where they have been since 1642. Sources: Lerman, Krishina. "The life and works of Hildegard Von Bingen." Retrieved 18 October 2003 from http://www.fordham.edu/halshall/med/hildegarde.html "Hildegard of Bingen." Retrieved 18 October 2003 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/printable.asp?url=/ssi/h/h/hildegard.html "Traces of Hildegard in Today's Bingen."Retrieved 18 October 2003 from http://www.uni-mainz.del~horst/hildegard/spuren/espuren.html Thank you for visiting my page at Angelfire. Please come back and visit again!
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