The Greenest Branch
A Novel of Germany’s First Female Physician
BY
P.K. ADAMS
IRON KNIGHT PRESS
The Greenest Branch
Copyright © 2018 by Patrycja Podrazik
All right reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
ISBN 978-1-7323611-1-9 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-7323611-0-2 (ebook)
Cover designed by Jennifer Quinlan
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CONTENTS
PREFACE
1 Bermersheim, Rhineland September 1115
2 November 1115
3 Abbey of St. Disibod, November 1115
4 November 1115
5 May 1116
6 September 1116
7 March 1117
8 November 1117
9 January 1118
10 August 1118
11 August 1118
12 April 1119
13 July 1119
14 September 1119
15 September 1120
16 December 1120
17 May 1122
18 July 1122
19 September 1122
20 October 1122
21 February 1123
22 June 1123
23 December 1124
24 October 1125
25 January 1128
26 Sponheim Castle, June 1128
27 July 1128
28 April 1129
29 April 1129
30 December 1129
31 January 1130
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
About the Author
PREFACE
There is a lively debate within the historical fiction community as to whether, as authors, we must strive for maximum accuracy, or whether we are allowed artistic license in the service of a good story. I fall into the latter camp—within reasonable bounds. If the story is based on a real person’s life, that life should be recognizable. However, novels are judged on their pacing and flow, both of which can be affected if, for example, the historical timeline calls for a large gap in the narrative. Therefore, I believe we are justified in modifying certain facts or dates to fit the story we are telling. That said, the reader deserves to know if we do that.
I wanted to make The Greenest Branch as historically accurate as possible. However, reliable record of what Hildegard did from the time of her enclosure to about the age of forty is scant (for her later life, which is the subject of the second book in the series, we have more solid historical evidence). Scholars can’t even agree on how old she was when she was first sent to St. Disibod: some claim as young as eight, others as old as thirteen. Most seem to accept that she spent around thirty years in a small convent with a handful of other women in an environment of great privations, according to the rules governing anchorite monasticism.
I have always been skeptical of that. I cannot imagine that a young child separated from her family and subjected to decades of what can only be described (at least based on our modern sensibilities) as psychological abuse could re-merge, in her middle years, as an accomplished physician, writer, musician, theologian, and a correspondent of bishops, popes, and even a Holy Roman Emperor. Clearly, something happened during those years that allowed her intellect and creativity to develop. A dull existence in an isolated enclosure would have been too mentally devastating.
The result of my skepticism is The Greenest Branch, in which I imagine what Hildegard’s life may have been like after her arrival at St. Disibod. To do that, I permitted myself a few timeline liberties. Firstly, I made Hildegard slightly younger—in the book she is born in 1104 rather than the more commonly accepted year of 1098. It helps the narrative flow more smoothly. For the same reason, I had Jutta von Sponheim die in the year 1124 rather than 1136, and I kept Archbishop Adalbert of Mainz in prison until 1117, although in reality he was released in 1115.
That said, the main cast—Kuno, Helenger, Jutta, Volmar, and Ricardis—were real people (even if some of the events involving them are fictionalized). Brother Wigbert’s name is fictional, but the character is based on a real infirmarian at St. Disibod. Of the major characters, only Griselda is entirely fictional.
Some people may be forgiven for wondering about the relevance of Hildegard’s story to the modern reader. Her experience may, on the surface, appear distant from ours; but I would argue that although women’s condition has improved significantly since the 12th century, many must still make the kinds of choices that men are not expected to make. This is especially the case when it comes to choosing between family and a career (while the romantic storyline involving Volmar and Hildegard is an invention, chronicles suggest that he was her life-long friend, confidante, and secretary. In turn, she wrote about him as “the man whom I had sought and found.” This makes my take on their relationship less than far-fetched).
Moreover, in the workplace many women still feel that they have to prove themselves over and over and to justify their participation. Often (especially at St. Disibod) Hildegard was the smartest person in the room, but it was only by diminishing herself and her abilities that she was able to gain—and maintain—a seat at the table. I had not set out to write The Greenest Branch to underscore these points, but as the story unfolded I became increasingly convinced of these remarkable parallels.
Throughout her life, Hildegard struggled with migraines, which in the Middle Ages were not recognized as a medical condition. It is well documented how physically debilitating those episodes were, and that has made me wonder about the nature of her religious visions. Her descriptions are uncannily similar to the auditory and visual hallucinations that accompany strong migraines (I am not a migraine sufferer myself, but I have spoken with people who are, and some described experiencing bursts of bright or shimmering light and even echoes or whisper-like sounds during episodes).
While my book focuses on Hildegard’s achievements as a physician, it is worth remembering that it was her visions and the theological commentaries she wrote in later life that earned her widespread recognition and acknowledgement. I chart a delicate course in the book with respect to whether these visions were real or a ploy to allow her to speak out (and write).
