The Garden of Delights: Reform and Renaissance for Women in the Twelfth Century

Chapter 7. Reforming Women In The Garden of Delights

7 Reforming Women in the Garden of Delights Toward the end of the Hortus, Herrad included an image that was as unique in its vivid and gruesome detail as it is revealing of the spiritual concerns that motivated her work on the manuscript as a whole. This image, the full-page depiction of hell (fol. 255r; plate 15), must have been one of the most distinctive compositions in the manuscript; its distinctiveness was no doubt one reason why it was cut out from the Hortus and sold, only to be reunited with the manuscript before its destruction in 1870. The scene that it presents is visually striking. It is the only image in the manuscript that was enclosed with a border and one of the few that was entirely painted, leaving little room for tituli.1 It is also unusual in its dark palette. As befits a depiction of hell, the background is black, offering a sharp contrast to the vivid red of the flames that lick the bodies of demons and sinners and burn with particular intensity under two pots marked ‘‘Jews’’ (Judei) and ‘‘armed knights’’ (armati milites). Human figures—pale and naked—stand out against their dim surroundings as they endure a range of punishments. At the top left, a man slices his own belly open with a knife,2 while to his left, a woman breastfeeds a serpent, which is wound around her naked body. A text above their heads repeats the warning of Isaiah 66:24: ‘‘their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched’’ (HD Cat. No. 338).3 Below these figures, a second woman devours her child, while a demon riding piggyback on a man piles coins into his outstretched hands. At the lowest level, Lucifer sits enthroned on a seat of ravenous beasts, which devour humans and scatter their skulls beneath his throne.4 The little form of antichrist is perched on his knee and beside the two, a man, possibly a usurer in life, is forced by a demon to consume burning coins. His stomach is swelled with this unwelcome fruit. Amidst the torments depicted in this scene, one figure stands out: to the bottom left of the image, a monk is shown being led into hell by a Reforming Women in the Garden of Delights 195 demon. With his tonsure and habit, this monk is easily identified; a gloss nonetheless labels him as monachus. Obviously a new arrival, the monk is one of the few figures who is still clothed and clearly identified in the scene. His punishments have not yet begun, although there is little doubt as to why he has been consigned to hell: in his right hand he clutches a money bag, which is overflowing with coins. The Hell image showcases two of Herrad’s major concerns. First, and most obvious, is her concern with the sin of avarice.5 Several of the characters in hell are explicitly associated with money, suggesting that their transgressions in life had included avarice. For others, notably the Jews and the knights, the association may be implicit; Jews were thought to be excessively carnal and greedy, while knights were often criticized for selling their services as mercenaries. Taken together, these figures underscore the stern warnings against avarice that appear elsewhere in the Hortus and that reflect Hohenbourg’s Augustinian affiliation. As a community of Augustinian canonesses, the women of Hohenbourg had renounced private property when they made their profession. The Augustinian Rule warns several times against private property. ‘‘Do not call anything your own; possess everything in common,’’ it advises, recalling the words of Acts: ‘‘They possessed everything in common,’’ and ‘‘distribution was made to each in proportion to each one’s need’’ (Acts 4:32, 35).6 This advice was highlighted in the Customs of Marbach, which warned canons that they should only use the word suus in reference either to their sins or their own parents .7 The second concern showcased in the Hell image is linked to Herrad ’s abhorrence of avarice, but associates it with one group in particular: the clergy. The prominence of the avaricious monk within the Hell scene demonstrates her willingness to criticize contemporary churchmen, not only priests, but also bishops, popes, monks, hermits, and even recluses.8 Her criticisms constitute one of the most unusual features of the Hortus. Like Hildegard of Bingen and Elisabeth of Schönau, who reserved their most scorching criticisms for the...