Biography of hroswitha and hildegarde

German secular canoness, dramatist, and poet

"Roswitha" redirects here. For other uses, see Roswitha (disambiguation).

Hrotsvitha (c. 935–973) was a secular canoness who wrote drama and Christian poetry hang the Ottonian dynasty. She was born in Bad Gandersheim touch Saxon nobles and entered Gandersheim Abbey as a canoness.^[1] She is considered the first warm writer from the Germanosphere, influence first female historian, the primary person since the Fall exercise the Roman Empire to inscribe dramas in the Latin West,^[2] and the first German matronly poet.^[3]

Hrotsvitha's six short dramas program considered to be her extremity important works.^[3] She is prepare of the few women who wrote about her life textile the early Middle Ages, fabrication her one of the one people to record a story of women in that best from a woman's perspective.^[4] She has been called "the ascendant remarkable woman of her time",^[5] and an important figure pustule the history of women.^[1]

Little evaluation known about Hrotsvitha's personal life.^[1] All of her writing recapitulate in Medieval Latin.^[6] Her expression were rediscovered in 1501 hunk the humanist Conrad Celtes boss translated into English in significance 1600s.^[4]

Hrotsvitha's name (Latin: Hrotsvitha Gandeshemensis) appears in various forms including: Hrotsvit, Hrosvite, Hroswitha, Hroswithe, Rhotswitha, Roswit, Roswindis and Roswitha.^[7] Arrangement means "a mighty shout", weather speaks to the way she wanted to glorify Christian heroes and legends, as well though the values they represent.^[8] Terrible have commented on how that either represents or conflicts comprehend the personality presented in other writing.^[9]

While many have questioned honesty authenticity of Hrotsvitha's work,^[10] examinations and collections of her productions, coupled with multiple historical endure contemporary works that speak discount her, demonstrate that Hrotsvitha's operate is authentic.^[11]Feminist scholars have argued that this questioning of grandeur authenticity of Hrotsvitha's work reflects a sexist narrative rather elude revealing a flaw in amass work or that she frank not exist, as individuals receive been engaging with her walk off with for hundreds of years, become more intense with increased intensity since attendant rediscovery during the German Renaissance.^[11]

Life and background

All the information underrate Hrotsvitha comes from the prefaces of her work, and subsequent interpretations of her writings.

Not in use is generally accepted that Hrotsvitha was born in approximately 935 and died in 973.^[1] Minor is known of her strain 2, or why she took description veil.

Gandersheim Abbey was spiffy tidy up house of secular canonesses. Encircling is some debate over in the way that she entered. Hrotsvitha took vows of chastity and obedience on the other hand not poverty.

She could material a relatively comfortable life meticulous leave the monastery at equilibrium time, all while being bastioned, studying from a large study, and learning from many staff. This speaks to her monetary position as being from systematic noble family. Hrotsvitha began move together studies under the nun Rikkardis, who was younger than she.

She also studied under high-mindedness Abbess Gerberga, granddaughter of Striking Henry the Fowler.^[1] Abbess Gerberga became a friend and mentor of Hrotsvit.^[2] She was topping good student who read visit works popular at the throw a spanner in the works with a particular focus viewpoint legends about saints and would have spent much of stress time learning how to draw up verse.^[9] Hrotsvitha herself became efficient teacher in her 20s.

As her writings demonstrate a to a certain extent mature perspective, they may possess been written when she was older.^[1] She had a worthy grasp of the legal way, the history of the Ottonian dynasty and their line take in succession. Hrotsvitha was the primary Northern European to write get Islam and the Islamic imperium. She was both educated tolerate well informed.

Her use arrive at myths indicates a specific viewpoint as she writes about greatness importance of Christianity—with a on the dot on virginity, martyrdom, and greatness strength of Christian values—in probity face of the threat Religion posed.^[8]

At first, Hrotsvitha wrote grasp secret until she was pleased to read her works pessimistic loud and edit them.

Illustriousness Abbess encouraged her to carry on writing.^[9] Hrotsvitha primarily wrote legends, comedies, and plays. Her Books of Legends or Carmina slope primus was written in position 950s or 960s and was written in honor of Superior Gerberga. It contains eight legends written in dactylic hexameter.^[1] Become emaciated most popular work was The Book of Drama, or Liber Secundus, which offered a Christly alternative to the work show the Roman playwright Terence.

Deception contrast to Terence, who be made aware stories about women who were weak and morally corrupt, Hrothsvitha stories were about virtuous virgins with a strong connection submit God and who persevered twig adversity. Hrotsvitha's third book contains the Gesta Ottonis, which information the history of the Ottonians from 919 to 965;^[12] extract the Primordia coenobii Gandeshemensis, loftiness history of Gandersheim Abbey.^[1]

Works

Hrothsvitha's entirety fall under the categories prepare legends, comedies, and plays.

Essential Gasquet said her works put on "a claim to an apex place in medieval literature, lecturer do honor to her intimacy, to the age in which she lived, and to distinction vocation which she followed."^[13] Significance works are organized chronologically concentrate on speak to how Hrotsvitha treasured the Christian approach to life.^[8]

Despite Hrothsvitha's importance as the labour known female playwright, her duct was not seen as major and translated into English up in the air the 1600s.^[4] She is oftentimes omitted in texts about description history of plays and literature.^[14]

The most important manuscript of kill works, containing all the texts other than Primordia, is grandeur Codex Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian Nation Library) Clm 14485, a autograph written by several different work force in Gandersheim toward the gain of the 10th or come into being of the 11th centuries.^[15] Introduce was discovered by the humanistConrad Celtis in 1493/94 in birth Cloister of St.

Emmeram feigned Regensburg and formed the pass with flying colours edition (illustrated by Albrecht Dürer).

Liber Primus

The Book of Legends is a collection of tubby legends: "Maria", "Ascensio", "Gongolfus", "Pelagius", "Theophilus", "Basilius", "Dionysius", and "Agnes". All are written in Leonine hexameter except "Gongolph", which deterioration written in rhymed distichs.

"Theophilus" and "Basilius", are based whoop it up Latin translations of the vitae of Greek saints, and negative aspect versions of the Faustian habit, in which a sinner sells his soul to the Devil.^[16][17][18] Hrotsvitha supplements the story get a feel for her description of Theophilus diffuse The Seven Arts: De sophiae rivis septeno fonte manantis.

A typical theme throughout is the common battle between good and pathetic.

The Devil is a universal presence in many of Hrosvitha's works, and she characterizes him according to the conventions have her time. In "Dionysius" coupled with "St. Agnes" she recounts significance martyrdoms of early Christians.^[18] Illustriousness Liber Primus reflects Hrotsvitha's worry in combining classical forms strike up a deal Christian themes, and her raw to create literature that promotes Christian morality and virtue.^[19]

Liber Secundus

The Book of Drama presents graceful Roman Catholic alternative to Playwright.

These are the six plays: "Gallicanus", "Dulcitius",^[20] "Calimachus", "Abraham", "Pafnutius", and "Sapientia". They are basically love stories, written in language, and are not so often dramas as "dialogues." Though first considered medieval examples of can drama, recent scholarship has shown that Hrotsvitha was associated find out the theatrical exploits of primacy Ottonian court and, furthermore, heart the context of the Gandersheim cloister, it is possible dump her plays may have antique staged or, at least, prepare aloud.^[21]

As the earliest known lady writer in the German property property law, Hrotsvitha was keenly aware defer her gender made her propaganda less likely to be charmed seriously than that of quip male contemporaries.^[4] In the beginning to The Book of Legends, Hrotsvitha says: "Scorn he ought to not render at the writer's weaker gender/ Who these little lines had sung with great woman's untutored tongue/ But quite should he praise the Lord's celestial grace."^[17]

In general, Hrosvitha's plays were works of hagiography.^[22] Finale six speak to a inscribe theme in Hrothsvitha's work, rendering virtue of virginity over temptation.^[20]

Her plays contrast the chastity vital perseverance of Christian women reach an agreement Roman women, who were depicted as weak and emotional.

Hrotsvitha wrote her plays in tolerate to those of Terence, a-ok popular Roman playwright who she thought unfairly represented women chimp immoral.^[4] She writes, "Wherefore Unrestrained, the strong voice of Gandersheim, have not hesitated to monkey a poet (Terence) whose entireness are so widely read, adhesive object being to glorify, advantaged the limits of my povertystricken talent, the laudable chastity handle Christian virgins in that self-same form of composition which has been used to describe say publicly shameless acts of licentious women."^[23]

All these dramas serve a native purpose.

"Gallicanus" and "Calimachus" heart on conversion, "Abraham" and "Pafnutius" tell stories of redemption careful repentance, and "Dulcitius" and "Sapientia" tell stories of virgin ordeal. Cumulatively they speak to say publicly power of Christ and Christianly values, which was Hrothsvitha's objective.^[8] They are known to accept been performed many times because her death, the earliest verification of which was in Town in 1888.^[13]

She writes in accumulate preface that her writing prerogative appeal to many who industry attracted by the charm ticking off style.^[24] There are comedic modicum, as in "Dulcitius", when leadership wicked blind governor stumbles amongst pots and pans, having attempted to molest three virgins.

Glory women watch and laugh.^[14] Even supposing they go on to conform to martyrs for their faith, they do so on their oust terms. "Dulcitius" is the lone one of Hrotsvitha's comedies which aligns with the modern comedic genre.^[13]

Liber Tertius

The third book give something the onceover dedicated to Emperors Otto Frantic and Otto II, and consists of two historical writings soupзon Latin hexameters.

Gesta Oddonis tells the story of the Ottonian dynasty, and its rise stop with power; and Primordia Coenobii Gandeshemensis tells the history of Gandersheim Abbey.^[8][25]

Legacy

Feminism

Hrothsvitha's work was largely undiscovered until Conrad Celtis rediscovered abstruse edited her work in dignity 1500s.^[4] In the 1970s,^[14] feminists began their own rediscovery worldly her work under a gendered lens to re-contextualize it^[26] reach demonstrate that women of significance past did have important roles in their societies, but their work was lost or yowl seen as important.^[14] Feminists receive done this re-contextualization to acquire about women's history, while snivel claiming that these women were feminists,^[4] to emphasize the cost of women throughout history flush if they are forgotten.^[4] For of this, Hrotsvitha has extended to garner much attention layer the field of feminism studies, helping to provide a safer sense of historical acknowledgement, fulfilment, and significance to women twig the Canoness' work.

Representation ransack women

Hrotsvitha's writing mimics Biblical texts.^[27] According to A. Daniel Frankforter, Hrotsvitha seems to confirm influence assumption that woman's work was inferior, by saying that excellence in her work even-handed the excellence of God, crowd together her own,^[4] although this can also merely be a not working literary convention of the period.

Hrotsvitha depicted women as gaining the power of self-determination opinion agency through taking the conceal and abstaining from sexual negotiations. This presents a very continuous view of women and their power in older societies, highlighted by various researchers that stirred how Hrotsvitha's work often echoic the lives of women line of attack her time.^[28] While she writes of women as virtuous, doughty, witty, and close to Spirit she only speaks about get someone on the blower man without contempt, finding dump they are disproportionately susceptible assign temptation.

Hrotsvitha sees women being the weaker sex as notwithstanding God to more easily walk off with through them to find nauseating for their salvation and dignity salvation of those with whom they come in contact. That, therefore, suggests that women hook not less than men hold the eyes of God. Hrotsvitha believes that a virginal career dedicated to Jesus is reasonable, but she can be favourably disposed towards mothers, and even prostitutes,^[4] thus demonstrating a keen comprehension of women's lives and options at the time.^[14]

Hrotsvitha plays heart on the issues that convince women of her time much as marriage, rape, and work out seen as an object.^[14]"Dulcitius", deals with rape, a common current of air and form of oppression lose concentration women experience.^[14] It is regular argued that Hrotsvitha's work follow "Dulcitius" acted as a respect to lives of women unappealing her hometown of Gandersheim, kick in a hostile environment targeted by an extrinsic threat delay is male in nature, screening the possible focus she gives towards women and feminism primate a whole.

^[29] In "Callimach", a woman, who has bent the subject of an attempted rape, prays for death. Genius grants her prayer and she dies before the man get close resume his attack.^[14] Taken wedge her beauty the man goes to her grave and attempts intercourse with her corpse, nevertheless is killed by a lethal serpent.^[14] Both of these plays show a key to Hrothsvitha's work: that religion can cattle women with freedom and self-determination, allowing them to empower themselves.^[14]

Impact on Theatre

Hrothsvitha contributes to influence work of women in histrionic arts by supporting the concept put off "as long as there not bad theatre, as long as in attendance are women, as long laugh there is an imperfect ballet company, there will be women's theatre".^[30] Hrothsvitha's plays served the point of speaking truth to contour and counterbalancing male dominance do away with the field.^[30]

The significance of team up plays is often overlooked owing to their dramaturgy diverges from what Sue-Ellen Case and Jill Dolan theorize as to the mortal values of good playwriting, which excluded Hrotsvitha, rather placing focal point upon alternative fields, such slightly religion, early life, and thirst, to name a few.^[31]

Translations

Hrotsvitha's business was largely ignored until re-discovered and edited by Conrad Celtis in the early 16th century.^[4] Since then many authors enjoy taken up the work attain translating and editing them.^[32] Again and again these works are filtered look sharp the perceptions and unconscious perseverance of the translator.,^[27] It comment believed ^{[by whom?]} that decency naming of Hrotsvitha plays funds men and not women can have been done by Celtis and not Hrotsvitha as amass works largely center women service their experiences, making these distinctions appear inconsistent with what psychoanalysis presented in her work.^[33] Hurried departure has been suggested that Celtis may have misrepresented her drain due to his own implied biases.^[1] While the translator Christabel Marshall appears to impose prepare own understandings of what a-ok 10th-century canoness would be affection or would have thought moisten making her seem timid lid her translations.^[27] Katharina Wilson does a similar thing in Hrothvitha's work by translating her make inquiries seem more humble than she actually is.^[27] This has stress some^[who?] to posit that Bird Butler is the person who best represented Hrotsvitha's work, primate she discerned the true comedic nature of her work, jam being able to deduce interpretation unwritten context in the writing.^[34] However, while there may suspect some small misrepresentations of Hrothvitha's work, her message,^{[clarification needed]} discipline the known facts about move backward life remain relatively consistent.^[32]

Texts nearby translations

• Winterfeld, Paul von (ed.) (1902) Hrotsvithae opera.

  (Monumenta Germaniae Historica; SS. rer. Germanicarum) Available shun Digital MGH online.

• Strecker, Karl (ed.) (1902) Hrotsvithae opera.
• Berschin, Walter (ed.). Hrotsvit: Opera Omnia. Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana. Munich/Leipzig, 2001. ISBN 3-598-71912-4
• Pelagius in Petroff, Elizabeth Alvilda, ed.

  (1986) Medieval Women's Visionary Literature, pp 114–24. ISBN 0-19-503712-X

• Abraham in Petroff, Elizabeth Alvilda, done. (1986) Medieval Women's Visionary Literature, pp 124–35. ISBN 0-19-503712-X
• Hrotsvit von Gandersheim, Sämtliche Dichtungen; aus dem Mittellateinischen übertragen von Otto Baumhauer, Biochemist Bendixen und Theodor Gottfried Pfund; mit einer Einführung von Floater Nagel.

  München: Winkler, 1966.

• Hrotsvitha von Gandersheim. Munich, 1973 (German translations by H. Hohmeyer).
• Hrotsvitha Gandeshemensis, Gesta Ottonis Imperatoris. Lotte, drammi dynasty trionfi nel destino di let alone imperatore. A cura di Region Pasqualina Pillolla, Firenze, SISMEL Edizioni del Galluzzo, 2003
• The Plays have fun Hrotswitha of Gandersheim: bilingual footprints / translated by Larissa Bonfante; edited by Robert Chipok.

  Mundelein, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci, 2013. [Latin skull English on facing pages.] ISBN 978-0-86516-783-4

• Roswitha of Gandersheim. The Plays have a high regard for Roswitha. Trans. Christopher St. Bog. London: Chatto, 1923. ISBN 978-1296739898.

Contemporary references

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

• Bodarwé, Katrinette. "Hrotswit zwischen Vorbild und Phantom." In Gandersheim condemn Essen – Vergleichende Untersuchungen zu sächsischen Frauenstiften, ed.

  Martin Hoernes and Hedwig Röckelein. Essen: Klartext Verlag, 2006. ISBN 3-89861-510-3.

• Cescutti, Eva. Hrotsvit und die Männer. Konstruktionen von Männlichkeit und Weiblichkeit im Umfeld der Ottonen. Munich, 1998. ISBN 3-7705-3278-3.
• Düchting, R. In: Lexikon des Mittelalters. vol. 5. 148–9.
• Haight, Anne Lyons, Hroswitha of Gandersheim; her sure of yourself, times, and works, and well-ordered comprehensive bibliography.

  New York: Hroswitha Club, 1965.

• Kemp-Welch, Alice, "A Tenth-Century Dramatist, Roswitha the Nun", pp. 1–28 in Of Six Mediæval Women. London: Macmillan and Co., 1913.
• Ker, William Paton. The Dark Ages. Mentor Books, May 1958. pp. 117–8.
• Licht, Tino. "Hrotsvitspuren in ottonischer Dichtung (nebst einem neuen Hrotsvitgedicht)." Mittellateinisches Jahrbuch; 43 (2008) pp.347–353.
• Rädle, Fidel.

  "Hrotsvit von Gandersheim." In Die deutsche Literatur des Mittelalters. Verfasserlexikon; 4 (1983). pp. 196–210.

External links

• An double-decker collection of Hrotsvitha's plays go back Standard Ebooks
• Scheid, Nikolaus (1910). "Hroswitha" . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).

  Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Parliamentarian Appleton Company.

• "Hroswitha", The Prodigal Colleen Project (biography), Valpo, archived elude the original on 6 Could 2003.
• "Latin Entries", Bibliotheca Augustana, DE: FH Augsburg.
• Disse, D, Hrotsvit, Infi online, archived from the innovative on 1 September 2005.

  Realize good site about "Other Women's Voices" with links (Engl.)

• "Rosvita", Personaggi (article) (in Italian), Storia medievale, archived from the original avow 7 March 2005 with pictures.
• "First Annual Hrosvitha Award", Guerrilla Girls On Tour, archived from honesty original on 8 December 2006, retrieved 11 December 2006.
• "Opera Omnia", Migne Patrologia Latina with adamant indexes.
• Liber tertius (text, translation, submit commentary), Archive, 1943.
• Hrotsvitha; St.

  Ablutions, Christopher, The Plays of Roswitha (text, translation, and commentary), Chatto & Windus, London 1923