A Biography of Hrotswitha of Gandersheim
Background
Very few facts are known for certain about Hrotswitha, the earliest poet
known in Germany and the first dramatist after the decline of classical
theater. Allusions in her prefaces to historical events and to the ages
of her companions lead scholars to conclude that she was born about 935
and died nearly 70 years later about 1001 or 1002. Other references in her
writings suggest that she came from Lower Saxony and probably entered the
cloister of Gandersheim when she was about
23 years old. Very possibly, she was descended from some branch of the
royal family.
Education and Influences
Hrotswitha lived at Gandersheim during the rule of the Abbess Gerberga II,
who encouraged her in her writing. Gandersheim was at its peak as a center
of learning during Gerberga's reign, and Hrotswitha must have had
extensive training and access to a library well-stocked with the works
of the classical poets and historians and of the church fathers. Her
works include discourses on mathematics, philosophy, music, rhetoric, and
other elements of the classical trivium and quadrivium. Echoes of
Boethius
are heard in her dramas. Hrotswitha herself acknowledged her debt to
Terence
in matters of content and style, although her writing differed greatly
in purpose. Since many Christians, by enjoying Terence's plays, were
exposed to heathen ideas, Hrotswitha offered an alternative. Her portrayal
of human passion glorifies chastity and devotion to God.
Hrotswitha also acknowledges the influence of both Rikkarda, her novice
mistress, and Gerberga, her abbess, who sometimes assigned her specific
writing tasks. One of those tasks was a historical poem recounting the
deeds of Otto I,
the First Holy Roman Emperor. In her preface, she expresses a concern
for accuracy and fears that her skill and source material are unequal to
her task. The influence of her patriarchal society is obvious in her
request that her inferior effort be excused since she is only a woman.
Her work was accepted however, and praised by her contemporaries. She
received their praise humbly and returned the credit to God who worked
in her.
Religious Life
As a canoness of Gandersheim, Hrotswitha lived by more relaxed standards
than the regular Benedictine
rules allowed. Thus, she retained the power to interact with the court
and the secular world, remaining in the world although not of the world.
Her works demonstrate strong devotion to God in a realistic human context. As Abraham tells Maria in the drama Abraham, everyone sins except Christ Himself. Persisting in sin is the great fault, rather than the sin itself. Heavenly grace is available in abundance to even the vilest of sinners, but it must be earned through sincere repentance and penance. The noblest of goals is to be found worthy to be a virgin bride of Christ. Thus, chastity is an important theme in her works.
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