Knowra Herrad of Landsberg Herrad of Landsberg Herrad of Landsberg was a 12th-century Alsatian abbess and writer who compiled and illustrated Hortus deliciarum, an encyclopedic work for the nuns of Hohenburg Abbey.
Hohenburg Abbey : A Benedictine abbey on Mount Sainte-Odile in Alsace, also known as Odilienberg. Herrad led this abbey and made its community the intended audience of her encyclopedia.
Hortus deliciarum : A 12th-century illustrated encyclopedia compiled by Herrad of Landsberg for the nuns of Hohenburg Abbey. It is the work through which Herrad’s authorship, teaching, and visual program are known.
Mount Sainte-Odile : A mountain in Alsace associated with Saint Odile and the abbey of Hohenburg. Its site was the setting for the religious community Herrad governed.
Strasbourg : A city in Alsace that became a major center of learning, religion, and manuscript culture. The manuscript was preserved in Strasbourg before its destruction during the 1870 siege.
Benedictine Rule : A monastic rule written by Benedict of Nursia that organizes communal religious life. Its provisions shaped the daily community for which Herrad prepared her teaching work.
Medieval allegory : A mode of interpretation in which people, events, or images convey moral or spiritual meanings. Allegorical interpretation helped connect the encyclopedia’s images and texts to Christian teaching.
Odile of Alsace : A seventh-century Christian saint traditionally associated with founding Hohenburg Abbey. The abbey’s foundation story centered on Odile long before Herrad’s leadership.
Siege of Strasbourg : The 1870 Prussian siege and bombardment of Strasbourg during the Franco-Prussian War. The bombardment destroyed the principal manuscript of Hortus deliciarum.
Medieval Latin : The form of Latin used in medieval European writing, scholarship, worship, and administration. Herrad drew on the learned language shared by the texts gathered in Hortus deliciarum.
Biblical exegesis : The interpretation and explanation of biblical texts. Biblical interpretation supplied a major framework for the compilation’s religious instruction.
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