Volmar (died 1173) was a Saint Disibod

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

who acted as prior and father confessor for the nuns at

Disibodenberg Disibodenberg () is a monastery ruin near Staudernheim in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was founded on the eponymous hill near the convergence of the Glan (Nahe), Glan and the Nahe (Rhine), Nahe rivers by Saint Disibod. Hildegard of Bingen, who ...

. He was one of two teachers of

Hildegard of Bingen Hildegard of Bingen Benedictines, OSB (, ; ; 17 September 1179), also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictines, Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mysticism, mystic, visiona ...

during her early years, the other being Jutta. As a teenager, Hildegard began to realize her visions were unique experiences, and she broke her painful silence by discussing them with Jutta, who told Volmar. Volmar, in turn, became the first person to validate Hildegard's visions. He mentored her and her brother Bruno for a time, and when her self-doubts plagued her, he was the one who urged her to follow the command of

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

to write down her visions. Volmar recognized Hildegard's rare spiritual talents and later became her secretary and good friend. They knew each other for over sixty years, and when he died in 1173, Hildegard grieved. She had become especially close to this monk.Reed-Jones, Carol. ''Hildegard of Bingen: Women of Vision'' (Washington: Paper Crane Press, 2004). In Hildegard's ground-breaking allegorical musical, ''

Ordo Virtutum ''Ordo Virtutum'' (Latin for ''Order of the Virtues'') is an allegorical morality play, or sacred music drama, by Hildegard of Bingen, composed around 1151, during the construction and relocation of her Abbey at Rupertsberg. It is the earliest ...

'', in which the

Devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...

pursues, seduces, and eventually loses the

Soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

, Volmar may have voiced this diabolical part. Or, better put, Volmar may have "shouted" this role because the Devil is the only character in this play that does not sing—he has divorced himself from all heavenly harmony. Volmar was also Hildegard's best editor, as she acknowledges below, in this section taken from her ''Book of Divine Works''

While working on this book, I was much encouraged and assisted by Volmar, a monk who truly followed St. Benedict’s Rule. I was grief-stricken when he died. He was a happy man, and he helped me in so many ways. He served God by listening to every word of this vision, and he corrected them all and made them more orderly. He always kept me going. He cautioned me never to stop writing because of my physical weaknesses and illnesses, but to persevere in setting down this vision. He served God until the day he died, always supporting me. I mourned him, saying: “Your will has now been done with this man, your servant, whom You gave me to help with these visions. Show me how to carry on!” Abbot Ludwig of St. Eucharius in
Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...
stepped up next. He’s a wise man, and it proved valuable that he was familiar with Volmar and my visions. Provost Wezelin of St. Andrew’s in
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
also came to my aid. His main desire was to do good works for God. These and other perspicacious men both consoled me and offered practical help with this book. Wezelin listened to the words of this vision without getting weary, finding them sweeter than honey. That’s how this book came to be—through God’s grace and the help of many holy men. And I heard the living Light (Author of these visions) say, “I’ll also reward Volmar and these other monks who helped in the making of this book."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Volmar 1173 deaths Roman Catholic monks German Christian monks Year of birth unknown