In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Desiderium Dei and the Cast of Souls in Hildegard von Bingen's Play Ordo Virtutum* Roswitha Dabke N e w translations and critical editions, the decorative use of miniatures from her books, concerts featuring her songs and performances of her musical drama Ordo Virtutum have all m a d e Hildegard von Bingen more accessible to scholars and the general public alike. Yet 900 years separate us from her birthdate (1098), and w h e n confronted with her original Latin writings w e often strike what w e perceive as 'obscure' passages. Even in the twelfth century, Hildegard's correspondent Berthold, abbot of Zwiefalten, complained about the obscuritates of her words, entreating her to give his messenger a return letter based on enquiries into God's will pro capacitate ingenioli mei 'appropriate to the capacity of m y small intellect'.1 This procedure no longer being available to us, w e are tempted to read obscure passages through the filters of our present-day preoccupations, popular concepts about 'the Middle Ages' or research on periods that have unfolded since her death in 1179. Hildegard's Ordo Virtutum presents us with m a n y obscuritates of different types. This study will investigate those relating to the number of souls in the first section of the play and therefore hopes to be directly relevant to future productions of this drama. * I would like to thank Helga Uhlherr for her help in improving the English paper. I would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers, who offered helpful comments. A n earlier version of the first section of this paper was presented at the 1996 A N Z A M R S Conference. 1 Lieven van Acker, ed., Hildegardis Bingensis Epistolarium, Corpus Christia Continuatio Mediaevalis 91-91A (Turnhout: Brepols, 1991 and 1993, Ep. CCXLIV), pp. 523-24. Adelgundis Fuhrkotter, trans, and with comments, Hildegard von Bingen: Brieftvechsel, (Salzburg: O. Muller, 1965), p. 19 draws attention to the obscuritas c Unless indicated otherwise, all translations from Latin and German are mine. PARERGON ns 16.1 (July 1998) 2 Roswitha Dabke Depending on our interpretation of the text, one, two or three souls appear in various moods on the stage of the Ordo Virtutum, but evil is given only one part, and no musical score.2 Diabolus with his loud voice and basic Latin has to take a lonely stand against more than fifteen singing virtues. Quite a number of vices are mentioned but none is given a role and any evil-doing happens off-stage. Modern directors must have found this a most unrealistic situation as some have provided the devil with reinforcements but have chosen the single-soul interpretation or have even allotted those lines to a historical personality. In a United States performance the devil is supported by Mundus 'World', but there is definitely only one soul left,3 and in a German performance the devil is joined by daemones, but the souls have been replaced by Hiltgart Sibylla.4 A recent six-word summary describes the Ordo Virtutum as 'involving virtues, vices and the devil', suggesting a vice-riddled but soulless scenario.5 The various moods, stages or characteristics of the h u m a n soul(s) in the Ordo Virtutum are expressed by four adjectives before or after anima in the didascalie:/e/z;t 'happy', gravata 'depressed' or infelix 'unhappy', and penitens 'penitent'. From a purely semantic and grammatical point of view these adjectives can be assigned to three different souls, and Johannes Biihler's German translation from 1922 still allows that interpretation.6 Since then the tendencies towards a reduction have concentrated on attributing the states oifelix and gravata/infelix to one soul. Felix anima is the first soloist of the drama. After the three choirs of patriarchs and prophets, virtues, and souls have introduced themselves and the play, she starts singing of her happiness, which is of earthly nature and 2 The critical edition used is in Peter Dronke, Poetic Individuality in the Middle A New Departures in Poetry 1000-1150, 2nd edn (Oxford, 1970; London: Westfield College, 1986), pp. 180-92. The manuscript, fols. 478v-481v of the Riesenkodex 'gian codex' (R), today...

pdf

Share