Vision - Aus dem Leben der Hildegard von Bingen (2009) - full transcript

The last night of the first millennium

Brothers, this is the night of all nights.

The last night
that we will spend on earth.

After this night
there shall be no new day,

for time has fulfilled itself.

And the earth will perish,
and we with it.

Reflect on your sins, repent,
throw yourselves to the ground,

and await the end in humility

and silence.

That's the sun!

From the life of Hildegard von Bingen



As the new era's first century closed,

a girl, Hildegard,
came into the world.

She would understand the language

of plants, stones, and animals,

and with her heart
recognize the signs

that are only revealed to a few.

Cloister Disibodenberg

Christ protect you.

You are now his little bride.

Please stay a bit longer!

These are the crests of the families
who generously gave us donations.

You know this one:
The crest of Count von Sponheim's line.

Our most important benefactors.

They've given us much land.



God granted that the count's daughter

has joined our cloister:

Jutta von Sponheim.

She will raise you from now on,
in the robes of humility and innocence.

Here a rich man is punished

for refusing to give and to share.

From now on, I'll be your mother.

You can trust me.

Why don't they look at me?

It's the rule.
- Which rule?

The Benedictines' rule.
You'll soon find out.

Can't I look at you either?

You can look at me,

but not at the men.

This is Jutta.

Little Jutta, my namesake.

Kiss one another.

This is where we'll live together,

until you've taken the vow.

When will that be?
- In eight years.

I always had to take that at home.

Were you often ill?
- Yes, very.

I once had to stay in bed for a year.

Is that why your parents sent you here?

No, I've been given to God as a gift.

God is pleased with his gift,

and so am I.

No, she gave it to me!

No, give it to me!
- Give me the board.

And the pencil.

Now repeat this:

Envy is ugly and misshapen.

"Envy is ugly and misshapen."

Its bear's paws tear up everything.

Its wooden feet walk dead paths.

"Its bear's paws tear up everything.

Its wooden feet walk dead paths."

It brings only evil to man.

"It brings only evil to man."

Love, however,
is the greatest power given by God.

"Love, however,
is the greatest power given by God."

30 years later

Your weeping hinders me
from going to meet my maker.

Please leave now.

Come and sit with me.

Give me your hand.

I tried to be a good mother to you.

If I failed at times,

forgive me...

and give me a farewell kiss.

Since Jutta von Sponheim
was summoned to God,

there is no one in charge
of the sisters' well-being.

We must bring this situation to an end
and appoint a new magistra.

I thought of you, Hildegard.

Oh, no... Please, venerable Father!

It was the deceased magistra's wish too.

You were her confidante.

She passed on all her knowledge,
human and spiritual, on to you.

I am unworthy.

I shall decide if you are worthy.

No, venerable Father,
my sisters shall decide.

As a rule it is the sisters who vote

for their leader.
- That applies to convents.

This is a communal cloister,
and I have the final word.

I can only accept the post
if my sisters vote for me.

I ask you to consider that I am

often very ill.

I am a weak woman.

You've often seen that I could
not fulfill the rules due to sickness

or being too weak.

Our great saints
were often afflicted with illness.

Your spirit will guide you,
not your body.

You realize that you are bound to
absolute obedience to the abbot?

It is our divine right
to decide our own fate.

Sister Barbara!

Sister Adelgard!

Sister Ursula!

Sister Elisabeth!

Rejoice!

Sister Hildegard is our new magistra!

Rejoice!

I hope you'll help me
guide our younger sisters.

In memory of our mother.

You were always her favorite.

Her eyes only lit up when you sang.

She only talked to you
about the healing power of music.

Envy is ugly and misshapen.

It brings only evil to man.

Do you remember?

Yes.

Only love is a great power.

But she only ever showed you love!

Venerable Mother!

Bishop Siward of Uppsala is here
and he brought his travel library!

I asked him to allow me
to borrow some books for you.

You can choose:

books on medicine,
precious stones, or antique classics.

The Bishop treasures the Dioscorides,

and...

the Physiologus.

A mixture of fables and observations

in the realm of nature.

It originates from Alexandria,
second century AD.

It contains excerpts
from the works of Aristotle,

Plutarch, and Pliny.

Is that a unicorn?
- Yes.

No hunter can kill it or catch it,

but it will jump into the lap
of a virgin maid. So it says.

You flagellated yourself?

I wanted to suffer
as he suffered for us.

He who kills the flesh,
kills the soul that inhabits it.

God wants you to give mercy,
not sacrifices.

Which herbs will help heal the wounds?

Mullein.
- No, it's for coughs.

Tetterwort.
- Tetterwort is for warts.

Horehound.
- No, it's for diarrhea and snakebite.

Prayer and fasting alone
will not cure our sick patients.

Yarrow.

If someone is wounded by beating,
first wash the wound with wine,

then lay a cloth on the wound
and lay yarrow upon the cloth.

It must be boiled and then strained.

It draws out the pus from the wound.

Music can also heal your wounds...

and your soul.

Sister Sieglinde!

Man was created from earth,

and the earth will help you.

Repeat that 3 times a day for 3 days.

Let me go! You are the devil!

Chrysoprase.

Hold it against your throat
until it gets warm.

Afterwards, you'll feel no more fury.

I want each of you
to show me a herb you know.

Tetterwort.
- And?

It's for treating warts.

Sister Berta?
- Tansy. For rheumatism and gout.

Wormseed. To treat fleas.
- Good.

The milk thistle.
- Well?

Sister Clara?
- Yarrow, for healing wounds.

Good.

But plants and stones

can only release their healing powers
when man is at one with nature

and with God.

First our souls must be healed.

And then

the body can follow.

Hurry, God, to redeem me!

Lord...

please help me.

Brother Volmar.

I asked you here
because I must make a confession.

I've not told another soul yet.

Since early childhood...

I've had visions.

When I was just three years old

I saw such a great light

that my soul trembled.

I saw things
that other people didn't see.

I was different from the others.

And I felt ashamed of that.

I don't think that's a sin.

The sin I committed
is not that I did something wrong,

but that...

I refused to do something

that I was appointed to do.

A few months ago...

there was a blazing light...

flashing with lightning,
coming down from the sky...

It flowed through my brain

and my breast,

and my heart.

It was like a flame

that didn't burn,

but warmed like the sun.

And I heard a voice saying:

"I am the living light

that illuminates all.

You, O mortal,

are appointed

to reveal that which is hidden.

Write down...

what you hear and see."

You didn't hear the voice in a dream?

I was fully conscious.

What were you afraid of for so long?

Of people's skepticism.

Were you not more afraid
that your visions weren't sent by God,

but by the Devil?

Oh, no.

In such a sublime light,

in such splendor...

only the Almighty can appear.

Did the voice explain to you

what you saw?

I am to warn mankind.

To help him find his way back to God.

Then you must heed the voice.

We have a seer among us.

A seer who receives messages from God.

Who is it?

The magistra.

Yes, Father.

I request your permission
to help her transcribe her visions.

And what if it's the Devil's work?

I'm sure it's not.

May I show you one of her visions?

She wrote it down without my consent?

I encouraged her to do it.

You know that must be punished?
- I'll face it gladly, Father.

"Again I heard the voice from Heaven.

It said to me:

'God, who called the universe into being,

created everything so that His name
be recognized and worshipped.

Through His creation He does not
only proclaim the visible and temporal,

but also that which is invisible
and eternal.'"

It would certainly be
an extraordinary occurrence

if Hildegard's visions
proved to be sent by God.

I'm convinced it is so.
- It would bring us great honor.

And our cloister's name
would be spoken everywhere.

Pilgrims would travel here,

our nation's powerful men too,
and our benefactors would give new gifts.

I'll go to see Archbishop Heinrich
and the Mainz chapter to inform them.

These gentlemen have traveled far
to put you to the test.

I want you to answer them
just as you answered me.

Magistra Hildegard...

You claimed

you've received messages from God.

I am merely His servant.

The messages come from the living light.

What does the light look like?

It is a fire that shines brightly.

Eternal,

inextinguishable,

and full of life.

Are you dreaming,

or awake?

I do not see the visions
in a dream-like state,

not in sleep,

not in madness,

not with the body's eyes,
or the ears of the outer person,

and not in remote places,

but rather awake,
in a clear state of mind,

with the eyes and ears
of the inner person.

It's hard for flesh-cloaked people
to understand how it happens.

You're saying that you can understand,
but we can't?

It's hard for me to understand, too.

That I,

a weak woman, should be chosen
by God to proclaim His will.

What does God demand?

That I say what I see and hear.

After such wonderful words, I'm sure you
do not doubt my Magistra's credibility.

Since the holy prophets no man
or woman has made such claims!

To claim to hear secrets that the
prophets were denied? Outrageous!

Only the Holy Father can judge her case.

She will probably be expelled
from the Church as a heretic!

So I secretly left the cave
I'd been hiding in,

and wanted to climb up
to where my enemy couldn't find me.

But they placed such a stormy sea
before me, that I could not cross it.

Then I heard my mother's voice.

"Hurry, my daughter.
The Almighty has given you wings to fly.

Fly over every obstacle."

I shall write to Bernard of Clairvaux.

He is the most powerful one of all,

maybe more so than the Holy Father!

If he condemns you, you are lost.

He could destroy you
as he destroyed our brother Abaelardus.

I know.

But I must risk it.

He has just made a call to arms
for a new holy war.

He'll be far too busy
to answer an unknown nun.

Have you lost your faith in me?

He's known for not liking women!

But he loves the virgin Mary.

I will approach him
with the greatest humility.

Revered Father Bernard,

I have been lain in your soul
that you reveal to me with your word,

whether you want me to speak
or to keep silent

the things I see
and that I am appointed to do.

I implore you by God's grace
to give me solace,

then I will have certitude.

In God, anything is possible.

You have come to the attention
of the Holy Father.

At the Trier Synod.
You knew it was being held?

Yes, venerable Father.

So you'll know that our church's
highest dignitaries were present,

among them the great Cistercian abbot,
Bernard of Clairvaux.

He presented your visions
to the Holy Father and entreated him

not to allow such a bright light
to be smothered by silence.

In this correspondence
to the "blessed virgin",

he grants you, in the name of Christ
and Saint Peter, permission to publish

everything you have heard
from the Holy Ghost.

Then I see, in the heights
of the divine secrets

two throngs of divine spirits

that sparkle in many lights.

Those in the first vision
are holding feathers...

on their chests and faces,
that seem to be like pure water.

Those in the second vision
are also holding feathers...

and human faces...

in which the image of the son of man
shines as if in a mirror.

Venerable Father.

Richardis, Margravine of Stade,

a relative of Jutta von Sponheim,
and her daughter Richardis.

My daughter heard of your reputation,
which even surpasses that

of Jutta von Sponheim.

Since then, she gives me no peace.

She wants to join your hermitage
and take instruction from you.

How old are you?
- 16.

You're very young.
- You were younger when you joined.

It was not a free choice.

Jutta, my aunt, was my age
when you came to her.

And you believe you can endure
daily life in a cloister?

Yes.

Don't think it will be easy.

Not everyone can keep the silence,

and bear the quietude.

You need not worry,
I want to subordinate myself to you.

Not to me, my child,

you must subordinate yourself to God.

Richardis may be lively, but she is
obedient, and well educated for her age.

My family ensured that she learned
to read and write as a young child.

Will you read something for us?

You have a lovely voice.

Will you take me?

The Magistra would be pleased
to accept you here.

Have you considered
the decision to leave her here?

Yes, she agrees.

I didn't ask you.

Forgive me, please.

I am sure that you can teach
Richardis humility.

She certainly will.
Let's discuss the enrollment rules.

Very well.

We shall give it a try.

I called you here
to discuss the rules of St. Benedict.

I know them by heart.
- But you haven't followed them.

They are guidelines, not commandments.

Thus you believe you can act
according to your will?

No! I will act as I am expected to.

Richardis?

We live in a community here.

We eat together, work together,

we pray and we are silent together.

We respect one another.

And we try to help one another.

I'd prefer to live with you alone.

I only joined to be with you.

You are so good and so wise.

I want to learn everything from you.

No one is forced to stay.

Anyone can leave at any time.
You too, Richardis.

If your faith is not strong enough.

I want to be close to you
as long as you live.

Volmar...

let me introduce Richard is von Stade.

She is a very bright girl.

She can help us transcribe the texts.
- Yes! I have nice handwriting!

That's my mother's opinion.

We'll have to help you
take our rules seriously.

I take them seriously.

The only thing I'll find hard
is the vow of silence.

I have so many thoughts
I want to share with someone.

We all feel that way to begin with.

The sylphs sometimes come at night.

Try to drive them out with prayer.

I've tried.
- You must have patience, child.

Stay in the garden awhile.

Enjoy the quietude,

listen to the birds...

She can speak and write Latin.

We could use a little demon like her.

It says here:
"Thus I am the living spring,

because all that was created
was like a shadow within Me."

But the venerable Mother wrote:
"Verat umbra e Me fuerant".

It should be "fuit". Can I correct it?

Yes.

I'll suggest to the Magistra
that you join us when we work.

Thank you!

In the presence of the brothers
and sisters gathered here, I ask you:

Do you swear

to remain loyal
to this cloister and our community,

through good and bad?

I swear it.

Do you swear, under the guidance
of the Gospels, to seek God,

to strive for repentance,

and to lead your life
according to St. Benedict's rules?

Yes, I swear it.

Will you honor Jesus above all else,
and swear obedience?

Yes, I swear it.

May God, who began His good work
in you, complete it.

Amen.

Wear this veil as a sign

that you no longer belong to yourself,
but to Christ.

With Him you are joined in God.

Amen.

God has called upon
this sister of ours

to follow Christ in the monastic life.

Let us ask the Almighty Father

to shower His mercy upon her,
and to help her

to realize the oath she took today.

Venerable Mother?

This is my brother, Hartwig.

Thank you for having the patience

for my little sister.

As a child she climbed trees
instead of praying.

I believe one can pray even up a tree.

Our saints managed it on columns.

Just as the earth
lets grow things of use and of no use,

the feet of man carry them
to deeds of use and of no use.

When man does good deeds,

the elements have their proper path.

But when he does bad deeds,

he turns the elements

against himself in punishment.

Do you believe that the elements
can turn against us to punish us?

Yes, my child, I do.

That is why
we must account for everything we do

and chasten ourselves.

For without the elements,
man cannot live.

Sister Richardis.

We'll continue tomorrow,
Sister Richardis.

Straight after prayers.

Please bring me some wormwood wine.

Stand up and look at me.

You have broken the vow of chastity?

When did your menstruation stop?

3 months ago.

Any other woman could rejoice.

But you have broken our rules.

Perhaps there's a medicine I could take?

Sister Clara
will have to leave the cloister.

No.

Please don't send me away!
I regret it so deeply!

Believe me, my child,

it weighs on my heart as much as yours.

The only thing we can do for you...

is to let you leave voluntarily.
- No.

Your sisters will not find out.
- No.

Don't send me away!

And ask God for forgiveness.

Don't send me away. Please, no!

I can't return to my family.

We'll find a way.

We need a cloister of our own.

Your own cloister?

The hermitage is too small for us.

Who gave you this heretical idea?

The living light showed me
where we shall build our new dwelling.

And where is it?

Where the Nahe meets the Rhine,
on Rupert Hill.

It belongs to Count von Hildesheim.

We will not appropriate any property.

So how will you acquire it?

Using the gifts from our families.

They gave the gifts to this cloister!

Yes, but largely because
Jutta the Holy was here.

Now it is me who is revered.

I would never let you virgins
go anywhere unprotected.

Our virgins are unprotected here.

What do you mean by that?

For the male spirit it is often harder
than for us

to resist the temptation of the flesh.

Curb your tongue, Hildegard.

By our presence here, we are unable
to help our brothers in their zeal

to conquer their flesh.

If anyone here
cannot conquer their flesh...

it is your sisters!

They seduce my brothers!

And not the other way around.
- The brother who seduced Clara lives,

and will not reveal himself.

But she paid with her life.

I hope that God sent her
to the darkest corner of Hell.

And what do you hope for your brother?

The kingdom of Heaven?

I shall write to the Dom Chapter today
and ask for your excommunication.

And I shall return tomorrow.

We took a vow never to leave this place.

Not until we die.

And after that,
we'll be buried here in our graveyard.

I know my plan is against our rules.

But I'm responsible for our well-being,

and for those who'll join us in future.

I don't think
our mother would have agreed.

And I want to be buried beside her.

I am your mother now.

We can ask for her help in our prayers,
but you and I must act.

Are you willing to do it?

I will not break my vow.

It's the first time you leave me alone.

Alone?

Ask your little Richardis,
she'll follow you anywhere.

For the last time:

You've taken the veil here,
and your sisters will be buried here.

I will also contravene

the Archbishop's orders.

Even he serves a higher master,
and it's from Him that I take orders.

You?

You take orders from the Devil!

You believe you're chosen by God,

but you've been tricked by an illusion.

Did you speak with the Father?

Venerable Father...

The Magistra is very ill.

She can no longer talk.

She has talked too much already.

But it is not her, Father!

Yes, it's the "living light".

You no longer believe in her gift?

I'm not the only critic of her visions:

many eminent clerics are convinced
that they are fake.

But you have always supported her!

She's long known how to trick me.

Venerable Father!

I fear she'll die.

If so, then it is God's will.

Let us pray.

God our Father,
we commend Sister Hildegard to You.

Her pilgrimage has reached an end.

Deliver her from all evil,
that she may return to eternal peace.

Welcome her to paradise,

where there is no grief,
no mourning, and no pain,

but only peace and joy with Your son
and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever,

amen.

Brood of vipers!

Archbishop Heinrich of Mainz

permits you and your sisters
to leave our cloister

and to move to the place
that appeared in your vision.

My mother helped arrange it!

Without God's help
it would not have succeeded.

I want you to hear our confessions
before we leave here.

We must be pure of heart

when we leave this place.

How long will it take
before we at least have a roof?

It depends on the weather, Mother.

I want running water
in all the work rooms.

That's rather unusual,
and not easy to accomplish.

Water cleans the soul as well as the body.
Even the Romans knew that.

You'll have to put more effort in.

It would've been easier had you moved
to the other side of the Rhine.

Yes, but Saint Rupert lived here.

And we're less cut off
than we were at Disibodenberg.

Bingen, the Rhine, the Nahe...

Travelers from all over the world
will bring us their learning.

I heard from Salerno that Arabic
medicine is more advanced than ours.

But the Arabs are heathens, Mother.

Yes, but they know a bit about medicine.

We ask to be freed from this serfdom!

We wanted our own cloister,
we can't go back now.

You wanted your own cloister!
- Because you quarreled with Father

we had to leave a place of comfort.

My family didn't send me to you
to ruin my hands!

Ora et labora. You know the rule.

We don't want to sleep on straw beds!

The time will come
when we can adorn ourselves.

I warn you:

It will count against you in Heaven.

Some of you will get on the wrong track,

and die before time.

My parents think
you've been seduced by sylphs.

And that you use your gifts
for your own glory, not for us!

Then I saw in the true vision

that I was beset with gloom,
as Moses had been.

For as he led the sons of lsrael
out of Egypt and into the desert,

they complained at God
and afflicted Moses.

Thus God has granted
that I too shall be afflicted.

My dearest daughter!

I want to hear proposals on how to
deal with sisters who want to leave

because they do not like the hard work

and believe they deserve better
than to live in poverty.

Sister Jutta?

They should be allowed to go.

Sister Berta?

Stubbornness leads to punishment,
unity wins the crown. I say punish them.

Sister Gerhild?

The fourth stage of humility is:
A nun is first obedient in hard times.

Even when injustice occurs she does not
complain, but embraces patience.

She is steadfast,
without tiring or running away.

For the scripture says: He who is
steadfast till the end shall be saved.

I think we should let them leave.
If not, they'll just sow discord

and we'll end up hating each other.

But those who endure will pull together,
and love will triumph over hardship.

Cloister Rupertsberg

I've come to demand
what's rightfully mine.

What could that be?

The lands that my sisters
have brought into this cloister.

You mean the sisters who left you

because they couldn't stand it?

You know which properties I refer to!

I'm prepared to give you half.

But we need the other half to survive.

The same goes for us.

We need it to survive.

It's God's will that we do not starve,
that we may serve Him.

Ask the Margravine of Stade...

who lobbied so hard for you.

Or your protector...

the Archbishop of Mainz.

They can still your hunger.

The Devil take you!

The Archbishop has allowed me
to serve as your provost.

Oh, dearest Volmar!

You come at the right moment.

I need you more than ever.

Bishopric of Mainz

The visionary Hildegard,

who shines with admirable virtue,

will receive from us
a water mill at Bingen Gorge

and the surrounding land.

Thus is the existence
of your cloister secured.

I hope you'll again dedicate yourself
to transcribing your visions.

We're keen to read them.

Man stands in the middle of the world,
for he is more mighty

than the other creatures living here.

He is small in form,

but the strength of his soul
makes him large.

He is master
of the upper and lower elements.

You too are great
through your soul's strength.

Just as man's heart is concealed
within the body,

so is his body
surrounded by the soul's powers.

May I say something
that may enrage you?

Could you really enrage me, child?

I love you so deeply,
I'm afraid you may die before me.

I shall certainly die before you.

It's perfectly natural.

I can't live without you.

I said that to my mother, Jutta,

when I was your age.

And then she died,

and I passed on
what she taught me to you.

And you shall one day
pass on what you've learned from me.

It is a musical play.

We'll perform it
in honor of our great guest,

Magistra Tengwich from Andernach.

Each of you will portray a virtue.

You, Richardis, will be the soul

who is seduced by the Devil.

Who shall be the Devil?

Our priest, Volmar.

He's the only one who may not sing.

He won't like that.
- Who knows,

perhaps he'd like to be a devil.

You have embraced me.

But now you destroy me
through your repentance.

But I shall conquer you!

All your paths are evil, I have seen it.

Now I fight against you.

Now come to my aid,

Queen Humility,

with your enlightening power!

O Victory,

you have overcome the Devil,

hurry here with your warriors.

Bind him, O glorious powers!

O, our Queen,

we belong to you,

and we follow your every command.

You know the letter
from Paul to Timothy,

in which he says:

"Women should dress decently,

modestly, and demurely.

Their adornment shall not be
gold, pearls, or fine clothes,

but instead good deeds."

One does not exclude the other.

Our virgins wear their white robes
as visible proof

of their union with Christ.

Paul ordained that women

should cover their hair.

Your virgins wear it down,
and visible to all.

His commandment is for married women.

As virgins, we are as naive
and untouched as in paradise.

God loves beauty.

In paradise there was no ugliness.

We live on earth.

And paradise...
must first be earned again.

I will have to report

these changes in your lifestyle.
- Do that.

Will you be staying for supper?
- No.

I am fasting.

Ten years' work!

Your first volume!

Thank you.

Thank you, all.

And tomorrow we shall...
continue our work.

There are men who possess
an extraordinary masculine potency.

The sexual wind that blows
in the loins of these men

is more fiery than windy.

He is possessed of
two tent-like formations

that surround the trunk
of all masculine powers

and reinforce it and make it erect.

Just as one builds
a bulwark around a tower.

As soon as the man's seed
falls on its place,

the female blood draws it in
with all the longing of its love,

and sucks it in

in the same way
that one draws in a breath.

And in this way, female blood
and the male seed are mixed.

What will be the title of this book?

Liber subtilitatum diversarum
naturarum creaturarum.

I'm sure you've seen yourself

how well we've put your generosity
to good use.

It is a very well-planned site.

I hope peace has returned to you,
and you've overcome the new start.

I am deeply indebted to you.

Without you,
Richardis wouldn't have supported me.

I've come to discuss
my daughter with you.

I can only sing her praises!

She supports me in everything I do.
She is intelligent,

humble...

I'd not have finished my book
without her.

Your daughter knew exactly
how to win my heart completely.

I shouldn't say this, actually,

because I am obliged
to love all sisters equally.

I know how you adore her,
and how she adores you, but...

her brother has found her a post
that means she must leave you.

As you know,
Hartwig is Bishop of Bremen,

and he has ensured
that the nuns at Bassum Convent

have voted Richardis
to be their new Abbess.

You cannot do this without my consent.

I'm here to ask your consent.

I cannot do without Richardis!

You'll have to, my friend!

Never!

My family feels that Richardis
has served you long enough.

You've been a shining example
of how to hold such a position.

Give her a chance to prove herself.

I can't let her go.

It's against our rules.

The Bishop of Mainz knows that
this appointment means a lot to Hartwig.

And he is very fond of my son.

Your daughter will not
accept your appointment.

Let's ask her.

She loves me as much as I love her.

Then call her.

Your mother just told me
of Hartwig's wish

that you take the post of abbess.

Far away from this cloister
and from your sisters.

Yes, venerable Mother.

You will refuse?

No, venerable Mother.

But you belong here.

You belong to us...

To me!
- She is not your property.

You took a vow
never to leave our cloister.

That was at Disibodenberg.

You have left there, with my help!

You were to serve me
and love me until I die.

I helped you found this convent,
and you got what you asked for.

Now I demand that you do as I ask!

Promise me you'll stay strong.

Tell me I don't need to worry.

Tell me you'll stay with me.

My mother demands it of me.
I can't aggrieve her.

And thus you are prepared

to aggrieve me?

We'd hoped for your understanding.

Understanding?

Understanding
for your brother's ambition?

He doesn't care about you!

The post is just about
increasing his power.

Do you care about me?

I know you'd be unhappy
if you left here.

Or maybe not.
Maybe I'd be as good a magistra as you,

to whom pilgrims come, who people trust.

You only care
about your worldly reputation?

Don't you care about your reputation?

Wherefore your books and your songs?

Wherefore your correspondence
with mighty men of the world?

Have I been mistaken about your love?

My love for you
has always been pure and good.

But your love is mere selfishness!

If you truly loved me

you'd be happy about my appointment.

You're glad to be leaving me?

Yes,

I'm glad.

A letter from the Archbishop of Mainz.

He has always stood by me!

"Some deputies of a noble cloister
have come to us.

They request that the nun

who is living with you
and who they elected as abbess,

is released.

Thus we order you,
by authority of our position,

that you hand her over
to those who request her."

Their reasons
carry no weight with God.

"If you do not comply,

we shall renew our order,
and we will not let up

until you have fulfilled our request."

I will not follow his orders.

The Countess has lost
two sons to violent deaths.

She has only Hartwig and Richard is now.

Try to understand her.

Richardis is my daughter!

And I am her daughter.

I don't recognize you like this!

I'll ask the Holy Father for help.

He will not tolerate
one of God's servants suffering so!

You've had to suffer until now
because you didn't heed your voice!

It was the voice

that told me to love Richard is.

I've written to your mother.

I begged her not to destroy your soul.

She won't listen to you.

For her and my brother,
the matter is settled.

Everything will be all right.

I beg you! I beseech you!

Do not tear my daughter from me!

Sister Richardis
is from an important noble family.

And it is fitting
that she becomes an abbess.

May God keep you and protect your soul

in the short time you have left.

Has Richardis left?

That's why I am here.

Thank you.

Cloister Bassum

Now shall all those lament

who suffer a pain like mine,

those who loved another person
in their hearts out of love for God

as I loved you.

A person who was torn from them
so suddenly

as you were torn from me.

May God's angel walk before you,

may His son protect you
and His mother keep you.

Think of your poor mother Hildegard,
so that your fortune does not fade.

Forgive me for what I have done to you.

You have done only good to me.

Without you I would have remained
a lost child.

Will you be present at the ablution,

as we were at our mother's?

I promise you.

You must not fear.

I've never chastised myself.

You'll soon see our beloved mother.

I envy you.

Envy is ugly and misshapen.

Its bear's paws tear up everything.

Its wooden feet walk dead paths.

Love, however,

is the greatest power given by God.

Barbarossa palace

I've asked you to come here
due to your gifts as a seer.

I am just a poor creature.

I possess neither health, nor strength,
nor might, nor learning.

In the weak, God is strong.

Please, sit down.

I'll stand, with your permission.

You're not as weak as you claim.

You saw me in a vision.
What exactly did you see?

I saw a man on a high mountain

who saw in the valleys
the deeds of man.

He held a staff,
and he allotted everything rightly,

so that deserts blossomed

and the sleeping awoke.

On Sunday we were crowned

and anointed King in Aachen.

Now we wish to know
what the future may bring.

You plan to go to Rome?

Yes.

There you shall be granted
what you wish for.

The Emperor's crown?

You have it in your hands.

The Pope will crown me Emperor?

But I warn you:

Be a fighter
who bravely resists the Devil,

that God does not topple you

and shame fall on your earthly realm.

Be assured, dear Mother,

I shall follow you in every respect.

The lands are darkened

by those who stifle justice
with the blackness of their sins.

Vanquish them

with the scepter of mercy.

Ensure that when you are judged

you are not accused

of not holding office in righteousness.

Cast off your avarice,

and embrace abstinence:

That is what the Lord expects of you.

We will not cease, in all
our undertakings, to honor the realm.

God keep you.

May you live eternally.

I owe you something in return, Mother.

I've heard

that you have great interest
in the sciences.

Many of Europe's learned men
are at my court.

I'd like to introduce you,
if you'll permit it.

That would please me greatly.

And you would please me

if you'd play with me. Be seated.

This game is not taught in the cloister.

I'll teach you.

The Caliph of Cordoba allegedly had
a library of 400,000 volumes.

Can you imagine that?

400,000 volumes!

Our largest library has 400 manuscripts.

Sister Mechthild?

Archbishop Hartwig of Bremen
wants to talk to you.

I've come to inform you

to inform you all,

that our sister,

your sister...

Richardis is dead?

She didn't value the honor
I granted her.

Shortly before she died,
she wept and from her heart

she yearned to return to your cloister.

Therefore I request,

from both of you,

if you consider me worthy:

that you love her,
as much as she loved you.

And should you have missed her,

think on the tears she shed
at having to leave your cloister.

Had death not prevented it,
she would have returned here.

The world loved her beauty
and intelligence.

But God loved her even more.

6 years later

God again afflicted me with illness,
and my body fought for breath,

so that my veins with my blood,
my flesh with my fluids,

and my marrow with my bones
dried out as if my soul would flee.

Then I saw a great host of angels
from St. Michael's host.

One of them called to me:
"Ah, eagle!

Why do you sleep in your wisdom?

Rise up, for the sun
has brought you forth."

Then the entire host cried
with a mighty voice:

"Your work is not yet complete.

Up, up! Rise up and drink!"

Bring me food and drink.

And what did the angels tell you?

"Get up, your work is not yet complete."

I will finally write a work
on the healing powers of nature,

and on the causes
and remedies of illnesses.

And...

I will go traveling to preach.

Traveling to preach?

Yes.

You know what that means?

I do.

It's unheard of.

I'll be the first woman.
- And turn everyone against you again.

And I'll read our clerics the Levites!

Will you accompany me anyway?

"But it pleased the Lord
to touch a small feather

that it flew aloft in wonder.

And a strong wind bore it

so that it did not sink."