The aim of this paper is to account for the ‘historicity of emotions’ by reading and commenting two letters by the German nun Hildegard of Bingen as examples of 12th century epistolary monastic writing. The first letter, written in 1151, was addressed to the young nun Richardis of Staden. The second one, written in 1175, was Hildegard’s answer to the young monk Guibert of Gembloux concerning the nature of her visions. In the commentary of these texts, addressed not only to their nominal addressees, but also to a wider monastic community, I explore the specific emotions which Hildegard elaborated and expressed in writing. It is important to acknowledge that today’s reading of these letters is determined by perspectives which widely differ from their medieval reception.
Keywords:
Hildegard de Bingen, epistolary, historicity of emotions, Richardis of Staden, Guibert of Gembloux
Góngora, M. E. (2012). Regarding medieval emotions: two letters by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). Revista Chilena De Literatura, (82). Retrieved from https://resonancias.uchile.cl/index.php/RCL/article/view/24859
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