LFAC Executive Director Joan Forest Mage (left) and Intern Vicky Aquino visit the Hildegard von Bingen exhibit at Northwestern University

On Thursday, August 26, 2010, the staff of Life Force Arts Center visited the Northwestern University Library for the exhibit, "The Once and Future Saint: Two Lives of Hildegard von Bingen," in order to learn more about the life and work of this extraordinary woman in preparation for LFAC's Hildegard von Bingen Festival, coming up October 15-16.  Hildegard (1098 - 1179) was a nun, abbess, mystic, composer, writer, herbalist, healer, and advisor to kings and popes.

Viewing the exhibit were Life Force Arts Center's Executive Director Joan Forest Mage, Assistant Director Linmayu Appavu, and Intern Vicky Aquino. Please read on for our impressions of the exhibit!

Vicky Aquino: I learned that the nuns were vegetarians and couldn't eat meat unless they were really sick, to give them more strength.  They didn't eat wheat; they ate dinkel – what we call spelt, the original ancestor of wheat. It was good for the body and digestion. Also, I learned that Hildegard suffered from migraines.

Joan Forest Mage: Yes, some of the things she experienced in her visions, such as the "golden aura of light," were a classic symptom of migraines.  However, Northwestern Professor of Religious Studies Barbara Newman had made the point that just because Hildegard suffered from migraines, and some of the phenomena may have a physiological basis, does not take away from the spiritual nature of her visions. I feel that's true of virtually all spiritual experience: on a physical level, these experiences are associated with brain waves, hormones, etc., that are affecting our bodies, but from a mental, emotional, and spiritual perspective, they are called spiritual experiences.

I was really impressed with her early years, what was called "enclosure" in medieval religious practice.  This meant that the person would live in a small cell their whole life and never go out.  Someone would bring food to them and take away their bathroom needs; they would never go out of their cell. 

Vicky: That's horrible!

Joan:  Some might think of it being a prison, but that was their vow.  They put aside all worldly concerns and focused just on God.

And the amazing thing was that, after Hildegard lived in enclosure from the age of 14 to 38, after 24 years, she went back to a regular religious life of being a nun, and became the head of an abbey.   Then, because of her mystic visions, she became a world-renowned figure who traveled all over Europe preaching, which was highly unusual for a woman at that time. She met famous people including the Pope, and became a spiritual advisor to kings and queens.  She was the head of two convents, which meant she was running the community around them as well – a convent or monastery at that time was a whole village – so she was dealing with all kinds of people.  That is an amazing testament to the fact that she was really following Spirit, whether in solitary enclosure or as a public figure.

Linmayu:  What struck me is, what would have happened if she had not obeyed the call from spirit?  She was, among other things, the only composer from that era, male or female, to be known today by both name and musical repertoire.  It would have been easy for her to dismiss her visions and her musical gifts because of social pressure.  How many people today are doing just that?  Those are themes that I'm going to explore in my dance piece for the Hildegard von Bingen Festival at LFAC, tentatively titled "Viriditas."

Vicky: Didn't she also come up with her own language?  But the reason for that is unknown.

Joan:  Yes.  That is what Charlie Rauh and Megan Harrold are working with in their music and dance piece for the Hildegard von Bingen Festival – the Lingua Ignota, the language Hildegard created.  It was a combination of German and Latin.

We also have Matthew Ellenwood and his choir performing Hildegard's original music, which is so gorgeous and moving. I was fascinated to learn that her music has been used in many movies, including the Academy Award-winning Crash. Millions of people are being influenced by her to this day.