Scivias

Scivias is an illustrated work by Hildegard von Bingen, completed in 1151 or 1152, describing 26 religious visions she experienced.

The third part, with thirteen visions, is about the coming kingdom of God, through sanctification, and increased tension between good and evil.

[5] The first modern edition of Scivias, translated into German, was published in 1928 by Sister Maura Böckeler of the Hildegard Abbey.

[12] Perhaps the length of time it took her to decide to write the visions, despite punishment from God and the encouragement of other religious figures, indicates how frightening she found them.

Pope Eugene III granted papal approval to the writings, and authorized Hildegard to publish everything she received in visions.

[16] In an illustration included as a frontispiece, Hildegard is shown sketching on a wax tablet while dictating a vision to Volmar.

According to Madeline Caviness, she may have sketched the outlines of her visions at their time, perhaps dictating their content simultaneously, and they were subsequently detailed.

According to Margot Fassler, the visionary content, the songs and the play were designed by Hildegard to support an educational program.

[20] Each vision is followed by commentary divided into sections (given functional titles in the original manuscripts), the number of which is designated in parentheses.

[24] Some authors, such as Charles Singer, have suggested that the characteristics of the descriptions of the visions and the illustrations, such as bright lights and auras, imply they may have been caused by scintillating scotoma, a migraine condition.

[27] The resemblance of the illuminations to typical symptoms of migraine attacks, especially in cases where it is not precisely described in the text, is one of the stronger arguments that Hildegard herself was directly involved in their creation.

[28] It has also been suggested that the visions may have been due to hallucinogenic components present in ergot, common in that area of the Rhineland, at certain times of the year.

[31] Ordo Virtutum is the earliest known morality play, a genre previously believed to have started in the 14th century.