Mechthild of Magdeburg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | c. 1207 |
| Died | c. 1282 – c. 1294 |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | Medieval philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Christian mysticism |
| Notable works | The Flowing Light of Divinity |
Mechthild (orMechtild,Matilda,[1]Matelda[2])of Magdeburg (c. 1207 – c. 1282/1294), aBeguine, was a Christianmedievalmystic, whose bookDas fließende Licht der Gottheit (The Flowing Light of Divinity) is a compendium of visions, prayers, dialogues and mystical accounts.[3] She was the first mystic to write in Low German.
Definite biographical information about Mechthild is scarce; what is known of her life comes largely from scattered hints in her work. She was born into a nobleSaxon family.[4][5] She had her first vision of theHoly Spirit at the age of twelve.[6] In 1230, she left her home and “renounced worldly honour and worldly riches”[4] to become a Beguine atMagdeburg.[6] There, likeHadewijch of Antwerp, she seems to have exercised a position of authority in a Beguine community.[7] In Magdeburg she became acquainted with theDominicans and became a Dominican tertiary.[8] It seems clear that she read many of the Dominican writers.[9] It was her Dominican confessor, Henry of Halle, who encouraged and helped Mechthild to composeThe Flowing Light.[6]
Her criticism of church dignitaries[10] and her claims to theological insight aroused so much opposition that some called for the burning of her writings. With advancing age, she was not only isolated and the object of extensive criticism, but she also became blind.[11] Around 1272, she joined the Cisterciannunnery at Helfta which offered her protection and support in the final years of her life. Here, she finished writing down the contents of the many divine revelations she says she experienced. It is unclear whether she actually formally joined the Cistercian community or whether she simply resided there and participated in the religious services without taking Cistercian monastic vows.[11] The nuns of Helfta were highly educated and important works of mysticism survive from Mechthild's younger contemporaries, StMechthild of Hackeborn and StGertrude the Great.
It is unclear when Mechthild died. 1282 is a commonly cited date, but some scholars believe she lived into the 1290s.[12]
Mechthild's book is written in theMiddle Low German that was spoken in the region of Magdeburg at the time. It includes phrases in Latin.[13]
Mechthild's writings comprise the seven books ofDas fließende Licht der Gottheit (The Flowing Light of Divinity), which was composed between 1250 and 1280. There appear to have been three stages in the evolution of the work. The first five books were finished by about 1260. During the next decade Mechthild added a sixth book. After joining the community ofCistercian nuns at Helfta around 1272, she added a seventh book, rather different in tone from the previous six.[14]
The Flowing Light was originally written inMiddle Low German, the language of northern Germany. While her original composition is now lost, the text survives in two later versions. First, around 1290, Dominican friars of the Halle community translated the first six books into Latin. Then, in the mid-fourteenth century, the secular priestHenry of Nördlingen translatedThe Flowing Light into theAlemannic dialect ofMiddle High German. This version survives complete in one manuscript and in fragmentary form in three others.[12] The sole surviving copy ofThe Flowing Light is located in the Einsiedeln library in Switzerland and was rediscovered in 1861.[15][16]
What is unusual about her writings is that she composed her work in Middle Low German at a time when most wisdom literature was composed in Latin. Thus she is remembered as an early proponent and popularizer of German as a language worthy of the divine and holy.[11] Mechthild's writing is exuberant and highly sophisticated. Her images ofHell are believed by some scholars to have influencedDante Alighieri'sThe Divine Comedy, and Mechthild is thought to have been represented by Dante in that work, in the character ofMatelda.[17][5][18] However, there is no concrete evidence for this and there are important differences in Dante's conception of Hell.[citation needed]
While her work was translated intoLatin during her lifetime, it had been largely forgotten by the 15th century. It was rediscovered in the late 19th century by PaterGall Morel, who published the first edition. Her work has been increasingly studied, both for its academic interest and as a work of devotional literature.[8]
A sculpture of Mechthild of Magdeburg,The Holy Mechthild von Magdeburg, is on display in the Magdeburg Sculpture Park. It was created bySusan Turcot as part of a project in collaboration with the Art Museum of theKloster Unser Lieben Frauen. It was installed in the sculpture park in 2010.
The MedievalistHildegard Elisabeth Keller integrated Mechthild von Magdeburg as one of five main female characters in her workThe Trilogy of theTimeless, published at the end of September 2011. Selected passages have been included in the radio playThe Ocean in the Thimble, which she wrote and staged. In the fictional encounter, Mechthild talks toHildegard von Bingen,Hadewijch andEtty Hillesum.
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