One of the most common images associated with St. Hildegard of Bingen is a feather. She used the image of a feather in a number of places in her writings, including her letters, to communicate the importance of letting go of our own will, our own egos, in order to surrender ourselves, in a spirit of humility to the will of God as a feather surrenders to the air that moves it along.

In a letter that she wrote to Pope Eugenius around the year 1148, Hildegard shared a tale:

“A mighty king sat in his palace, surrounded by great columns girt with golden bands and beautifully adorned with many pearls and precious stones. It pleased the king to touch a small feather so that it flew miraculously, and a powerful wind sustained it so that it would not fall” (32-33).

In a letter that she wrote to Odo of Paris around the same year, she shared a similar story but with a few slight differences:

“Listen now: a king sat on his throne, surrounded by lofty columns bedecked with fine ornaments and set on bases of ivory. And these columns displayed the king’s vestments proudly to all. Then it pleased the king to lift up a small feather from the ground, and command it to fly, as he himself wished. Yet a feather does not fly of its own accord, but the air bears it along. And I, like a feather, am not endowed with great powers or human education, nor do I even have good health, but I rely wholly on God’s help” (111).

Humility was for Hildegard, the queen of the virtues. True humility led a person to surrender to  God’s will, like a feather surrenders to the wind.

The first picture is of a beautiful marble piece given to us for the Feast of St. Hildegard in September 2023 by an anonymous donor. The words captures St. Hildegard’s message, “Be carried like a feather on the breath of God.”

The framed print was created by artist Mary Southard, CSJ and it was donated to the Hildegard Haus shrine by Rev. Tina Green, pastor of the Fairport Harbor Congregational Church (UCC).

The metal feather was a gift from our founding pastor, and the white feather on the offertory table represents the vases of feathers at the doors of the church. We encourage visitors to take a feather home with them as a reminder that each one of us is a feather on the breath of God.

In addition to the images pictured, you will find feathers in many shapes and sizes (candle holders, prints, etc) throughout our sacred space. You may have heard the saying, “when feathers appear, angels are near.” Here at the Hildegard Haus, we would add, “when feathers appear, St. Hildegard is near!”