SENSORY ECOLOGY: Hearing viriditas in the writings of Hildegard of Bingen

Abstract

Human intrusion into the environment have resulted in heightened levels of anthropogenic noise, which studies have shown, have lasting effects on plant diversity. Embodied hearing experiences that are presented by historical accounts, can broaden the reach of inquiries that arise within the research of noise and its effects, and serve as a corrective measure to the limited biophysical perspectives we have today. This study explores Hildegard of Bingen’s (1098-1179) sensory ecology, audial awareness, and viriditas. What are the insights that can be derived from Hildegard’s viewpoint regarding her posits on listening, sound-noise, and the non-human world? This study analyses the correlation between Hildegard’s auditory conjectures on humans and plant hearing, situating it within the broader framework of sensory ecology. Analysis of Scivias, Causa et Curae, and Hildegard’s Epistolarum, was carried out with the aim of identifying excerpts that showcase her innate understanding of anthropogenic noice pollution and hearing. Subsequently, a textual analysis methodology was employed to examine the chosen excerpts. According to the analysis conducted, Hildegard’s work demonstrates that humans are subject for inner discernment. Listening reveals “other worlds. ” Her causative experiences of God, humans, and non-humans imply that hearing provides knowledge of environmental events beyond auditory stimuli.