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Primary sourceBook1927 (text written by Hildegard, c. 1098-1179)

Ordo virtutum

Hildegard of Bingen · 1927 (text written by Hildegard, c. 1098-1179)

Hildegard of Bingen's liturgical music drama about the virtues, in a 1927 German edition.

This is Hildegard's own liturgical drama, showing her work as a composer and dramatist.

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About this source

What it is

Ordo virtutum is a liturgical music drama written by Hildegard of Bingen, considered one of the earliest surviving morality plays. This copy is a 1927 German edition, digitized from a library book.

Why it matters

Hildegard composed both the text and music for this drama, making it an important early example of a woman creating a staged religious work with music. It shows her creativity extended beyond writing into performance and composition, reflecting the artistic and spiritual life of medieval convents.

Look closer

  • What does the existence of a music drama tell us about Hildegard's range of talents?
  • Why might this work be valued in the history of theatre as well as religious history?
  • What might be different between reading this play on a page and seeing it performed with music, as Hildegard intended?

This book 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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