This reproduction of a woodcut attributed to Albrecht Durer shows
Hrotswitha presenting to
Otto I,
the First Holy Roman Emperor, a copy of a historical poem celebrating
his reign.
In a preface to one of her sacred legends, Hrotswitha describes the
process by which she perfected her writing, practicing in secret and
destroying early drafts until she produced work worthy of the divine gift
she had been given. To neglect this gift, she believed, would cause it to
be dulled and wasted. Even after much practice, she prefaces her works
with modest apologies and humble acceptances of praises received for
earlier works. Although some of her works have been lost, the following
remain extant: