A Companion to Hildegard of Bingen

160 kienzle and stevens
also chose to represent Isaiah as sleeping, in this case beneath the hand
of God, which gestures to him in blessing.115
Hence, the Frankenthaler Bible demonstrates the union of the prophet
himself and his fijirst word, while the Souvigny Bible underscores the
typological reading of the four symbols as the four evangelists by placing
Christ squarely above Ezekiel and including Christ in the dream. These
motifs are at work in Hildegard’s Letter 84R.
Other 12th-century illustrations of Ezekiel abound, and several highlight
the wheels of the prophet’s vision. The Great Admont Bible (c.1140) does
not feature a historiated initial but, like the Souvigny Bible, it portrays the
prophet as sleeping. He lies underneath an angel and a vision of Christ
enthroned.116 Below him, four men pour water into the mouths of the four
creatures, each with wings and a wheel. Troyes BM Ms. 28 t. l., folio 220
(1155–1165) includes a historiated initial for the opening chapter of Ezekiel.
The top half of the initial depicts Christ in victory flanked by two angels
bearing wheels. The lower half of the initial illustrates Ezekiel instructing
a group of six men.117 Sens BM Ms. 1 (mid 12th century) also begins with a
historiated initial “E” of the aforementioned prophetic Et.118 It includes
three medallions, two of which depict pairs of Ezekiel’s creatures as the
symbols of the evangelists. The third medallion depicts the north wind
blowing fijire.119 Dijon, Bibliothèque Municipale 2 (second quarter of the
12th century) includes a historiated initial introducing the book of Ezekiel,
as well as a supplementary illustration immediately above the initial,
which also takes the book of Ezekiel as its subject.120 The illustration portrays
God and two angels with three wings, perhaps representing the creatures
of Ezekiel 1. Each of the two angels stands on two winged wheels,
and a circular shape, perhaps another wheel, appears between the two
angels. In the initial below, the prophet gestures to God in the illustration
115 Bible of Souvigny, Moulins, Bibliothèque Municipale, Ms. 1, fol. 136. http://www.culture
.gouv.fr/documentation/enlumine/fr/BM/moulins_001-01.htm (accessed 25 August 2013).
116 Great Admont Bible [Admonter Riesenbibel], Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek,
Series nova 2701–2702, vol. 1, fol. 206, Ezekiel’s vision of God.
117 Troyes, Bibliothèque Municipale, Ms. 28, t. I, fol. 220. Dated 1155–1165 according to
information at http://www.enluminures.culture.fr/documentation/enlumine/fr/index3.html
(accessed 25 August 2013).
118 Sens, Bibliothèque Municipale, Ms. 1, p. 431, mid-12th century. (NOTE: this is a page
number, not a folio number, according to information at http://www.enluminures.culture
.fr/documentation/enlumine/fr/index3.html [accessed 25 August 2013].)
119 Ezek. 1:4. Full description is provided on the website, cited above in note 118.
120 Dijon, Bibliothèque Municipale, Ms. 2, fol. 195, second quarter of the 12th century;
http://www.enluminures.culture.fr/documentation/enlumine/fr/index3.html (accessed 25
August 2013).