Artyzm językowy Hildegardy z Bingen na przykładzie jej listów

Abstract

In the modern times, the life and activity of Hildegard of Bingen (1095–1179) have inspired academic research in many different fields. While Hildegard’s fundamental theological works are the three volumes of her so-called visionary trilogy: Scivias, Liber divinorum operum, and Liber vitae meritorum, it is above all her letters that offer a precious reflection of the epoch. Moreover, the collection of Hildegard’s letters is of outstanding value from the literary and linguistic points of view, since it comprises very interesting instances of the genre of medieval Christian epistle. The fact that Hildegard has been included among the Doctors of the Church provides special inspiration for the research of her letters, which offer a vivid reflection of her views and outlook. The research in question may focus on selected aspects: doctrinal, prescriptive or literary. The focal point of the present considerations is precisely the literary aspect of Hildegard’s letters. Although the literary value of her correspondence is usually considered as serving its main objective, namely prescription, it deserves separate attention. A particularly interesting theme of analysis is the stylistic means of expression Hildegard of Bingen employed in her letters.

Hildegard’s letters were written in Latin. It is common knowledge that she did not learn that language systematically, so her command of it was not perfect. Her “textbooks” of rhetoric were above all the Bible, the Breviary and the writings of the Fathers of the Church, which determined her way of expression. The adoption of Biblical phraseology gives a characteristic tone to her style and determines the solemnity of the contents of her letters. Another characteristic of the language of Hildegard’s letters (and undoubtedly also of her Latin) is its figurativeness and emotional tone. A reading of Hildegard’s letters shows that they include the most important stylistic devices used in European literature. While Hildegard makes frequent use of all of them, metaphors and detailed similes are undoubtedly her favorite. She frequently and deliberately introduces alliteration and does not avoid tautology. Occasionally, passages of her letters are organized by means of rhythm or rhyme.

In the current paper, only a very narrow selection of the stylistic devices that appear in the letters authored by Hildegard of Bingen has been presented. Without doubt, one might point out to others that have been disregarded here. In this context, however, it is worthwhile to mention that apart from various figures of speech, she introduces into the body of her letters passages which represent distinct literary genres which add to the prescriptive tone of her correspondence. The two genres in question are the sententia (sentence) and the parable. The attention of a reader of Hildegard’s letters is immediately drawn to her perspicuous sentences which have a positively sapiential nature and are remindful of Pascal’s Pensées (Thoughts), however anachronistic such a comparison might seem. Their form is that of a maxim (a sententia, or an aphorism) and they express general insights, in which they go beyond their prescriptive goals and assume the shape of philosophical statements. The parables used by Hildegard serve the purpose of parenesis. Since the parable is essentially a didactic and prescriptive genre, Hildegard resorted to it in order to formulate the moral prescription or exhortation which was the ultimate goal of her letters. Apart from the parable, Hildegard occasionally uses exempla. Interestingly though, the passages in Hildegard’s letters which are made up of parables might not give the impression of rhetorical richness: she refrains from alliteration, the text does not have a rhythm, and there are no rhymes or complex similes in it. However, the passages in question comprise numerous allegories which are the structural elements of the parables. Instead, they comprise simple sentences without any kind of stylistic ornamentation. The parables are composed of rhetorically ascetic, dry statements. The epithets used in them are simple, unsophisticated, one might even say colloquial. Hildegard’s modest recourse to rhetoric in the case of parables proves her good insight into genre theory and the literary means suitable for a particular genre. It also demonstrates both her good taste and her literary intuition.