Hildegard of Bingen and Creation as Food

The scientific oeuvre of the German Benedictine nun Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), her Liber subtilitatum diversarum naturarum creaturarum in particular, is unique not only for her time but also for subsequent eras. Structured as a nature encyclopaedia, the Liber describes every component of creation – every member of the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms – and teaches how it can be used to cure illnesses and feed humankind. This article presents the work in general and explores this latter aspect – creation as food – in detail. As Hildegard herself explains, the backdrop to her writing is a divine design, acquired through her visions, that enables human beings to cure and take care of their neighbours, be they ill or healthy. It is possible to assume that, at least in part, Hildegard owed the originality of her conception of nature and, above all, her use of “creatures,” precisely to the fact of her being a woman. Ultimately, curing illnesses and, even more so, caring, are often perceived as prevalently female prerogatives, and the perception still persists in the 21st century, in which Hildegard’s herbs and tips are enjoying new or renewed popularity.