Document Type

Preprint

Publication Date

1-1-2019

Journal / Book Title

The Encyclopedia of the Global Middle Ages

Abstract

Hildegard of Bingen (1097-1178) was a German nun in the Benedictine order. As the youngest daughter of ten children, she realized she was chosen by God and started her religious life quite early. Hildegard made a vow at the age of eight and joined the woman’s religious community with her mentor Jutta at the age of fourteen. She confessed that she received her first vision when conceived in her mother’s womb. Her continuous reception of visions became officially known through her first visionary book, the Scivias, short for "Scito vias Domini," which took her ten years to complete. After this monumental book, Hildegard actively recorded other books not only about her visions and theological interpretations but also non-theological matters such as medicine, natural science, music, etc. Her secular topics are connected to her theological understanding that God's creative power exists in every part of all creatures. Each being keeps the right balance of elements and fluids in a healthy state. Her originality is particularly interesting in that she explains gender differences by using four temperament theory in a particular way. Hildegard argues that women and men can show differences according to temperament and which humour is the most dominant in their bodies. Interestingly, Hildegard presents that women also possess different bodily/psychological characteristics and distinguished forms of life just like men. Furthermore, Hildegard uses a unique holistic understanding that bodily features are tied to the mind and even spirituality.

Journal ISSN / Book ISBN

191207628 (Orcid)

Published Citation

Lee, Minji. “Hildegard of Bingen and the Four Temperaments Theory.” In Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of the Global Middle Ages, edited by Aaron Hollander and Massimo Rondolino, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.

Download
Link to Publisher

Share

COinS