Hildegard of Bingen and Creation as Food

The Liber subtilitatum of Hildegard of Bingen, structured as a nature encyclopaedia, describes every component of creation – every member of the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms – and teaches how it can be used to cure illnesses and feed humankind. This article presents the work in general and explores this latter aspect – creation as food – in detail. As Hildegard herself explains, the backdrop to her writing is a divine design that enables human beings to cure and take care of their neighbours, be they ill or healthy. It is possible to assume that, at least in part, Hildegard owed the originality of her conception of nature precisely to the fact of her being a woman. Ultimately, curing illnesses and caring are often perceived as female prerogatives, and the perception still persists in the twenty-first century, in which Hildegard’s herbs and tips are enjoying new or renewed popularity.