Skip to main content

Secondary sourcePainting

The Human Soul

Unknown author

A miniature from Hildegard's Scivias showing the soul entering the body in the womb, illustrating her ideas about body and soul.

This image illustrates a vision from Hildegard's book Scivias, showing how her ideas about the soul were visualized.

Ask Hildegard of Bingen about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Medieval illuminated manuscript miniature in a pale green and red frame. A pale kneeling figure in a long robe raises one hand beside a tall white column. At left a dark red horned demon stands, and at upper right two red horned beasts with claws are shown. A white scroll appears at upper left.
The Human Soul, miniature illustrating a vision from Hildegard of Bingen's Scivias.

About this source

What it is

This illuminated miniature comes from a manuscript of Hildegard of Bingen's visionary work Scivias. It shows a kneeling human figure beside a column, with demonic beasts nearby, illustrating a vision about the soul entering the body.

Why it matters

Hildegard described her visions in words, and artists in her own time or soon after turned them into images like this one. The picture reflects medieval ideas about the soul, sin and the struggle between good and evil that ran through her theology.

Look closer

  • What do the demon-like figures suggest about the dangers facing the soul?
  • Why might the artist have chosen bright colours and a decorative frame for such a serious subject?
  • What does this image tell us about how Hildegard's visions were shared with others who could not read her books?

This painting 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.

More Hildegard of Bingen sources

Meet the AI Hildegard of Bingen →
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

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Hildegard of Bingen now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions