HILDEBRAND
351
HILDEGARD
cathedral of Le Mans. Henry made use of this oppor-
tunity to spread heretical and revolutionary doctrines
so that Hildebert on his return thought it necessary to
banish him from the diocese. When new hostilities
broke out between England and France in 11 1 1 , Hilde-
bert was made prisoner at Nogent and held in custody,
until the end of the war in 1113. He was present at
the Synod of Reims in 1119, at the First Lateran
Council in 1123, and probal:)ly also at the Lateran
Synod of 1116. He rebuilt the cathedral of Le Mans
which was consecrated in 1120. In 1125 he was
appointed Archbishop of Tours. In this capacity he
strenuously defended the rights of the Church against
the encroachments of Louis VI of France, who arro-
gated to himself the right to appoint an archdeacon
and a dean for the Church of Tours. He also came in
conflict with Bishop Balderic of Dol concerning the
jurisdiction over some Breton dioceses. In October,
1127, he presided at the provincial Synod of Nantes,
the decrees of which were ratified by Pope Honorius II
on 20 May, 1 128, at the request of Hildebert. At this
synod legislation was passed against incestuous mar-
riages, the conferring of Holy orders upon sons of ec-
clesiastics, and the obtaining of ecclesiastical benefices
by inheritance (see Mansi, XXI, 351-4). When the
schism occurred after the death of Honorius II, Hilde-
bert temporarily adhered to the antipope, Anacletus
II. Through the efforts of St. Bernard he was con-
vinced of his error and became a supporter of Innocent
II. Hildebert was learned and pious and always had
the well-being of the Church at heart Some writers
call him venerable, and St. Bernard styles him a great
pillar of the Church, lanta ccclesim columna (Mabillon,
"S. Bernardi opera omnia", Epistola cxxiv).
Besides being one of the greatest hymnologists of the Middle Ages, Hilflebert is the author of numerous works in prose. His writings were edited by the Maurist Beaugendre: "Venerabilis Hildeberti opera tam edita quam inedita", Paris. 1708, and with some additions by Bourasse in Migne, P. L., CLXXI, 1- 1453. But both of these editions are uncritical and contain many works that were not written by Hilde- bert. The following prose works of Hildebert have been proved to be genuine: most of the epistles (P. L., CLXXI, 141-312); the life of Queen Radegundis (ibid., 967-SS; and Acta SS., Aug., Ill, 83-92) ; the life of St. Hugh of Cluny (P. L., CLIX, 857-94; and Acta SS., April, III, 6.34-48); the ascetical treatise "De querimonia et conflictu carnis et spiritus" (P. L., CLXXI, 989-1004); and four sermons. Of the poetical works at least the following are genuine: "Versus de mysterio missa;" (P. L., CLXXI, 1177- 96); "De operibus sex dierum" (iljid., 1213-18); " Inscriptionum christianarum libellus" (ibid., 1281- 88); "Vita Beats Maria; .Egyptiacie" (ibid., 1.321- 40); likewise nos. 40, 43, 50-54, 58, 63, 64, 71, 75, 79, 106, 110, 112, 127, 130, 140 of " Carraina miscellanea" (ibid., 13S1-1442); and nos. 2, 4, and 14 of "Carmina indifferentia" (ibid., 1442-48); probably also "His- toria de Mahomete" (ibid., 1345-66), and numerous other poems and prose writings, the genuineness of which has not yet been sufficiently established.
DiEUDONNE, Hildebert de Lavardin, eveque du Mans, arche- vique de Tours. Sa vie, ses lettres (Paris, 1898): Barth, Hilde- bert von Lavardin und das kirchliche Stellenbesetzungsrecht (Stuttgart, 1906): Deservillier.s, Un evcque du douziime sitcle, Hildebert et son temps (P.-iris. 1876): Haureau, Mf'langes poe- tiques d' Hildebert de Lavardin (Paris, 1882) : Hebert-Duper- RON, De venerabilis Hildeberti vita et scriptis (B.ayeux, 1855).
Michael Ott.
Hildebrand See Gregory VII, Saint, Pope.
Hildegard, Saint, b. at Bockelheim on the Nahe, 1098; d. on the Rupertsberg near Bingen, 1179; feast 17 Sept. The family name is unknown of this great seeress and prophetess, called the Sibyl of the Rhine. The early biographers give the first names of her parents as Hildebert and Mechtildis (or Mathilda), speak of their nobility and riches, but give no particu-
lars of their lives. Later writers call the saint Hilde-
gard of Bockelheim, of Rupertsberg, or of Bingen.
Legends would make her a Countess of Spanheim.
J. May (Katholik, XXXVII, 143) shows from letters
and other documents that she probably belonged to
the illustrious family of Stein, whose descendants are
the present Princes of Salm. Her father was a soldier
in the service of Meginhard, Count of Spanheim.
Hildegard was a weak and sickly child, and in conse-
quence received but little education at home. Her
parents, though much engaged in worldly pursuits,
had a religious disposition and had promised the
child to the service of God. At the age of eight she
was placed under the care of Jutta, sister of Count
Meginhard, who lived as a recluse on the Disenberg
(or Disibodenberg, Mount of St. Disibod) in the Dio-
cese of Speyer. Here also Hildegard was given but
little instruction,
since she was much
afflicted with sick-
ness, being fre-
quently scarcely
able to walk and
often deprived
even of the use of
her eyes. She was
taught to read and
sing the L a t i n
psalms, sufficient
for the chanting of
the Divine Office,
but never learned
to write. Eventu-
ally she was in-
vested with the
habit of St. Bene-
dict and made her
religious profes-
sion. Jutta died in
1136, and Hilde-
gard was appointed
superior. Num-
bers of aspirants
flocked to the community and she decided to go to
another locality, impelled also, as she says, by a Divine
command She chose Rupertsberg near Bingen on
the left bank of the Rhine, about fifteen miles from
Disenberg. After overcoming many difficulties and
obtaining the permission of the lord of the place.
Count Bernard of Hildesheim, she settled in her new
home with eighteen sisters in 1147 or 1148 (1149 or
1150 according to Delehaye). Probably in 1165 she
founded another convent at Eibingenon the right side
of the Rhine, where a community had already been
e.stablished in 1148, which, however, had no success.
The life of Hildegard as child, religious, and superi-
oress was throughout an extraordinary one. Left
much to herself on account of her ill health, she led an
interior life, trying to make use of everything for her
own sanctification. From her earliest years she was
favoured with visions. She says of herself: "Up to
my fifteenth year I saw much, and related some of the
things seen to others, who would inquire with astonish-
ment, whence such things might come. I also won-
dered and during my sickness I asked one of my
nurses whether she also saw similar things. When she
answered no, a great fear befell me. Frequently, in
my conversation, I would relate future things, which I
saw as if present, but, noting the amazement of my
listeners, I became more reticent." This condition
continued to the end of her life. Jutta had noticed
her gifts and made them known to a monk of the
neighbouring abbey, but, it seems, nothing was done
at the time. When about forty years of age Hilde-
gard received a command to publish to the world
what she saw and heard. She hesitated, dreading
what people might think or say, though she herself
Comb of St. Hildegard
(VI Century)
