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Tertiary sourceDocument1911

Hildegard, St (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911)

1911

An early 20th-century encyclopedia article summarizing Hildegard of Bingen's life, visions and writings.

This 1911 encyclopedia article summarizes Hildegard's life and writings for later readers.

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Source: Wikisource

About this source

What it is

This is an entry on Hildegard of Bingen from the 11th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, published in 1911. It summarizes her life, her visions, and her major written works such as Scivias.

Why it matters

This reference article shows how Hildegard was remembered and studied by scholars centuries after her death. It describes her early life, her visions beginning in childhood, and her recognition by figures such as St Bernard of Clairvaux, showing her growing reputation as a prophetess within the medieval Church.

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  • What details does the article give about how Hildegard's visions became known to others?
  • Why might an early 20th-century encyclopedia be a useful but limited source for learning about a medieval figure?
  • What questions would you want to ask about how the original sources behind this article were chosen?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hildegard of Bingen on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Illuminated manuscript miniature: an oval mandala of gold flame-like rays and dark red and white bands surrounds a blue field with gold stars, a red-and-white sun or disc at top, and a central cosmic diagram of concentric rings with a bluish-white globe and green figures at top and bottom.Book

Primary source

Scivias

Hildegard of Bingen · 1151-1152

Detail of a painted medieval miniature in orange, red and gold tones. A figure with flowing red hair sits at a desk, writing with a stylus on a tablet. A second face in profile appears at the right edge.Painting

Primary source

Scivias Frontispiece Miniature

12th century

A large open medieval manuscript codex lies on a dark display stand in a glass case, with a metal chain attached to its binding and a white label reading 'Rupert' at the bottom. The pages show black text in columns and red decorated initials.Book

Primary source

Wiesbaden Codex

Hildegard of Bingen · c. 1200

Medieval illuminated manuscript miniature of the Universal Man: a nude human figure with outstretched arms stands within a large white circle surrounded by concentric rings, red and gray bands, and a red border. A bearded head crowns the top and a red-footed figure appears below. A small seated scribe at lower left writes at a desk.Book

Primary source

Liber divinorum operum

Hildegard of Bingen · c. 1163-1174

Front cover of an old manuscript volume bound in worn reddish-brown leather with a dark spine featuring raised bands and small gold floral tooling at the corners and gold edge rules. The cover is scratched and stained.Document

Primary source

Dendermonde Codex

Hildegard of Bingen · c. 1175

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