A Companion to Hildegard of Bingen

the medical, the magical, and the miraculous 267
to bless bread into which a cross is cut.84 Just as the devil, because of
disobedience, was stripped by God of his splendor—represented by this
precious stone—in like manner should the madness tormenting this person
be removed; one incantation is spoken as the healer makes a vertical
stroke with the stone, the second as the horizontal motion completes the
form of the cross.85 The sapphire is employed to take away burning passion
caused by the devil; it is also instrumental in the preparation of an
amulet to drive out an evil spirit.86 An incantation associated with the
chrysoprase (crisoprassus) is to be used on a person possessed by the
devil; if the demon is not fijierce, he will depart.87
The fijinal two uses of incantations discussed here are more extensive.
The remedy in Cause et cure to ward offf the temptation of devilish
thoughts consists of four recitations. They are alike in that all four invoke
the power of almighty God; they difffer solely in the verb used to address
each steel pin that will hold in place the belts made of elk and roe deer
skin that the affflicted person is to wear as protection.88 In the description
of the beech tree, four related incantations are employed to treat various
conditions. The fijirst two are similar in form, calling on the holy incarnation
and divine humanity and naming the sickness in each case. The fijirst
addresses the remedy itself, whereas the second commands the illnesses
to abandon their unfortunate victim.89 The two incantations in the subsequent
pair also share similarities: each references a biblical vision and
beseeches rescue from death. The fijirst tells of the Old Testament story of
God appearing to Abraham, and the second alludes to the New Testament
84 Ibid., 4.2, p. 233.
85 Ibid., 4.2, p. 233: “Deus qui omnem preciositatem lapidum de dyabolo abiecit, cum
preceptum eius transgressus est, de te, N, omnia fantasmata et omnia magica verba abiciat,
et te de dolore amentie huius absolvat,” and “Sicut splendor quem dyabolus in se
habuit, propter transgressionem suam ab eo ablatus est, sic etiam hec amentia, que te, N,
per diversas fantasias et per diversa magica fatigat, a te auferatur et a te defijiciat.”
86 Ibid., 4.6, p. 238: “O tu turpissime spiritus ab hoc homine festinanter recede, sicut in
primo casu tuo gloria splendoris tui a te citissime cecidit.”
87 Ibid., 4.13, p. 246: “Ego aqua super lapidem istum te fundo in virtute illa, qua deus
solem cum currente luna fecit.”
88 Cause, 4.406, p. 240: “Qui a dyabolico fantasmate in die aut in nocte uigilando aut
dormiendo fatigatur, . . . ‘In fortissima ui omnipotentis dei ad tutamentum meum te confijirmo.’”
89 Physica, 3.26, p. 210: “Per sanctam cincturam sancte incarnationis, qua deus homo factus
est, abtrahe ab homine isto N dolorem gelewe socht,” and “Per sanctam cincturam sancte
incarnationis, qua deus homo factus est, tu riddo defijice in frigore et in calore tuo in homine
isto N, et hoc etiam per quinque vulnera Christi coniurate et convicte faciatis,” respectively.