Medieval Women Writers

Chapter 2: The Importance of Religion in Women’s Writing

Religion provided the framework within which most medieval women could write, think, and express themselves. For many women in the Middle Ages, religious life offered not only spiritual fulfillment but also intellectual engagement and an opportunity to communicate their ideas through writing. While secular society placed significant restrictions on women’s roles, the Church, paradoxically, allowed some women a certain degree of intellectual freedom. This chapter will explore how religious life became a crucial avenue for women to engage in writing, and how their devotion to God was expressed through various literary forms, particularly in mystical and devotional texts.

Convents as Centers of Learning and Writing

Throughout the medieval period, convents served as key sites for female literacy and intellectual development. Unlike in secular life, where women’s access to education was severely limited, convents offered opportunities for women to learn to read and write, particularly in Latin, the language of the Church. Many religious women were trained in the art of copying manuscripts, a skill that allowed them to engage with theological texts and contribute to the transmission of Christian knowledge.

Women in convents often wrote for their own communities, producing hagiographies, prayers, and meditations that were meant to inspire their fellow nuns. In some cases, they also wrote letters and treatises that reached beyond their immediate religious circles, contributing to the broader intellectual currents of the medieval Church. For example, Hildegard of Bingen’s works were circulated widely, and she corresponded with popes, emperors, and other religious leaders, using her authority as a visionary to influence the Church’s political and spiritual direction.

Mysticism: The Language of Divine Experience

One of the most significant genres of women’s writing in the Middle Ages was mystical literature. Female mystics claimed that their writings were inspired by direct encounters with God, Christ, or the Virgin Mary. This claim to divine inspiration was crucial for women who lacked formal theological training, as it allowed them to assert authority in a male-dominated religious landscape. By framing their writings as divinely inspired, women could participate in theological discourse without the need for clerical endorsement.

Mysticism became a powerful vehicle for female expression, allowing women to describe their intimate experiences of the divine. The mystical writings of figures like Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Mechthild of Magdeburg are filled with rich, symbolic imagery that seeks to convey the ineffable nature of their encounters with God. These women often described their souls as brides of Christ, using the language of love and devotion to express their union with the divine. The intensity of their spiritual experiences allowed them to transcend traditional gender roles, presenting themselves as authoritative voices in the religious community.

The Role of the Virgin Mary in Female Spirituality

The Virgin Mary played a central role in the religious writings of medieval women. Mary was the ideal model of female virtue—pure, obedient, and humble—and her role as the Mother of God provided a powerful framework for women to contemplate their own spiritual lives. Many women mystics and theologians, such as Birgitta of Sweden and Clare of Assisi, saw Mary as a personal intercessor and a source of spiritual strength. Their writings often emphasize Marian devotion, portraying Mary as a loving and compassionate figure who mediated between them and Christ.

For women writers, Mary also represented a model of divine authority. In a society where women’s voices were often marginalized, the veneration of Mary as the highest of all saints allowed women to assert a unique spiritual power. By aligning themselves with Mary, female writers could claim a degree of spiritual authority and present their own insights as part of a larger Marian tradition.

The Cult of Saints and Hagiographical Writing

Another significant genre of religious writing by women was hagiography—the biographies of saints. Female writers in convents often composed the lives of saints as a means of inspiring their fellow nuns to emulate the virtues of these holy figures. In writing about saints, women could also reflect on their own spiritual journeys, often blending personal experiences with the traditional narratives of Christian holiness.

In some cases, women wrote hagiographies of their own religious leaders or founders. For example, Clare of Assisi’s writings reflect her deep admiration for St. Francis, while also articulating her own vision of the Franciscan order’s ideals. Hagiographical writing provided women with an opportunity to engage in theological reflection and to contribute to the spiritual education of their communities.

Letters: Communication and Spiritual Authority

Medieval women also used letter writing as a powerful form of communication and spiritual influence. In many cases, letters were the only form of direct communication between women in convents and the outside world. Some of the most influential women of the Middle Ages, such as Catherine of Siena and Hildegard of Bingen, used letters to address religious and political leaders, offering advice, admonition, and encouragement.

Catherine of Siena’s letters are particularly notable for their boldness. Writing to popes and kings, Catherine did not shy away from offering strong opinions on matters of Church reform and political stability. She believed that her divine visions gave her the authority to speak on such matters, and her letters reflect a profound sense of spiritual conviction. These letters provide a fascinating glimpse into the ways in which medieval women could engage in the political and religious debates of their time, despite being excluded from formal power structures.

Overcoming Obstacles: Writing as Spiritual Resistance

For many medieval women, the act of writing was not merely a devotional practice, but a form of spiritual resistance. Women writers often had to justify their works, particularly when they ventured into areas traditionally reserved for male theologians. They used various strategies to navigate the restrictions placed on their intellectual authority. Many women framed their writings as acts of humility, claiming that they were merely recording what God had revealed to them, rather than asserting personal theological expertise.

At the same time, women writers often embraced their marginal status as a source of spiritual power. Figures like Margery Kempe, who was known for her dramatic expressions of devotion, challenged the norms of her society by asserting her right to speak and write about her religious experiences. Kempe’s autobiography, The Book of Margery Kempe, reflects her struggles to be accepted by both Church authorities and her fellow laypeople. Her story reveals the tensions between individual religious experience and institutional control, and how women could use writing to assert their spiritual autonomy.

Conclusion: The Intertwining of Faith and Words

For medieval women, religion was not only a source of personal salvation, but also a space in which they could engage in intellectual and literary pursuits. Through mysticism, devotion, letter writing, and hagiography, these women carved out a place for themselves in the male-dominated world of medieval thought. Their works, often born of deep faith and personal experience, continue to resonate as expressions of devotion, spiritual insight, and theological reflection.

This chapter has laid the groundwork for understanding how religion shaped the literary lives of medieval women. In the following chapters, we will explore the specific contributions of individual women writers, beginning with one of the most remarkable figures of the Middle Ages: Hildegard of Bingen.

Chapter 3: Hildegard of Bingen: Mystic and Visionary

Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) stands as one of the most extraordinary women of the medieval world. A Benedictine abbess, visionary, composer, and polymath, Hildegard’s life and work were deeply interwoven with her mystical experiences and her profound relationship with the divine. She lived during a time when few women could claim any formal authority within the Church, yet her visionary writings, theological reflections, and vast intellectual contributions earned her the respect of popes, kings, and scholars.

This chapter explores the life and work of Hildegard, focusing on her visionary texts, her contributions to music and natural philosophy, and her role as a spiritual and political leader. Hildegard’s work offers an unparalleled insight into the mind of a medieval woman who transcended societal expectations through her unique blend of spirituality, intellect, and creativity.

Early Life and Spiritual Calling

Hildegard was born in Bermersheim, in the Rhineland, into a family of the lower nobility. At the age of eight, she was given as an oblate to the Church and placed in the care of Jutta von Sponheim, a hermit who led a small community of religious women. Hildegard’s education in the convent allowed her to develop both her intellectual and spiritual gifts, but from an early age, she experienced mystical visions. As a child, she had visions of divine light, which she referred to as the Living Light, though she did not speak openly of them until much later in life.

At the age of 38, after Jutta’s death, Hildegard was elected the magistra (leader) of her community, which soon became an independent abbey. Hildegard’s visions continued to intensify, and at the age of 42, she received a vision that commanded her to write down what she saw and heard. Over the next several decades, Hildegard produced an extraordinary body of work that spanned theology, music, medicine, and natural history, all deeply infused with her mystical experiences.

Visions and Theology: Scivias and Beyond

Hildegard’s first major work, Scivias (short for Sci vias Domini, or Know the Ways of the Lord), is a monumental theological text that records her visions and their interpretations. The book is divided into three parts, containing 26 visions in total, each accompanied by Hildegard’s commentary and explanations. The work covers a wide range of theological topics, including the creation of the world, the fall of humanity, the relationship between God and the Church, and the final judgment.

What makes Scivias unique is the way in which Hildegard describes her visions in vivid, symbolic imagery. She often portrays her visions as being accompanied by great lights, sounds, and colors, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of divine revelation. In one famous vision, she sees a luminous figure sitting on