Sappho, or Psappha, is often simply referred to as “the Poetess”—so great was her talent. Her fame is considerable, especially as very little is known about the woman herself.
Sappho spent most of her life on the Greek island of Lesbos and is believed to have been born to an aristocratic family. She is said to have married and had a daughter, but any details of this are scarce. Sappho wrote many songs and poems and is considered to be one of the greatest of the ancient poets.
BEAUTY ENDURES
Little remains of Sappho’s work, but scholars continue to be fascinated by her. Newly discovered poems have been published as recently as 2014. Her poetry and songs were written in a unique style, now called “Sapphic” meter. The language was simple and direct, but full of melody.
Often Sappho wrote about beauty and love—sometimes addressing her poems to men but more often to women. In fact, her name (as an adjective, “Sapphic”) is used to describe romantic love between women, as is the island where she was born (“lesbian” comes from “Lesbos”). She wrote odes to the goddesses and retellings of Greek myths. She also wrote about her community and, it is believed, herself. This was different from the male poets of the time, who tended to focus on politics.
In spite of the fact that Sappho lived over 2,000 years ago, and that much of her work has been lost, her words are still read and studied today. Sappho remains known as one of the greatest ancient poets, and her memory lives on through her work.
MURASAKI SHIKIBU FIRST MODERN NOVELIST
FULL NAME: Murasaki Shikibu
BORN: C. 978, HEIAN-KYŌ, JAPAN
DIED: C. 1014, POSSIBLY BIWA, JAPAN
NATIONALITY: JAPANESE
LADY MURASAKI
Murasaki Shikibu, also known as “Lady Murasaki,” was an 11th-century poet and novelist in Japan. She wrote during Japan’s “Heian” period, a golden age of peace, harmony, and the arts. Heian women did not typically learn written Chinese (the language of government in Japan), but Murasaki was anything but typical. She excelled and quickly became a prolific writer of poems and novels in Japanese and is believed to be the world’s first novelist. Her novel, The Tale of Genji, was written in 1007. Many consider it the greatest work of Japanese literature and the oldest full novel in the world. Among other works, she also wrote a volume of poetry entitled The Diary of Lady Murasaki.
Murasaki was married and had a daughter, but her husband died within two years of their marriage. It is believed that because of her incredible writing talent and intelligence, she was brought to live at the royal court. There, she became a lady-in-waiting to Empress Akiko. Murasaki kept a diary about her views on life at court. She used these observations for her novel about daily life among upper class society. The Tale of Genji was immediately successful. It has since been translated into several languages and illustrated editions. To this day, it continues to be studied as the main source of knowledge about life in ancient Japanese society.
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WRITER OF THE WORLD’S FIRST NOVEL |
SAINT HILDEGARD OF BINGEN IMPORTANT MEDIEVAL COMPOSER AND “INVENTOR” OF OPERA
FULL NAME: Hildegard von Bingen (A.K.A. Sibyl of the Rhine)
BORN: C. 1098, BEMERSHEIM, WEST FRANCONIA (NOW GERMANY)
DIED: 1179, RUPERTSBERG, WEST FRANCONIA (NOW GERMANY)
NATIONALITY: GERMAN
Illustration of Saint Hildegard (date unknown)
INSTRUCTIONS FROM GOD
Hildegard von Bingen achieved many things through devotion to her faith. She became a nun, but she was also a composer, author, preacher, visionary healer-doctor—later a saint. She is also credited as being the inventor of opera. From a young age, Hildegard felt a connection to God. She experienced visions and heard voices. Her parents sent her, aged eight, to live in a convent. As a student of the mother superior, Jutta, Hildegard read and studied widely. When Jutta died, 38-year-old Hildegard was unanimously elected by her fellow nuns to replace her. Her writings became well known, and many nuns came to learn from her. Hildegard knew about medicine and was a great healer. Crowds gathered to have her “miracles” worked on them. She preached widely, even though this was illegal for women. She often challenged senior Church officials and fought for independence. Some of her views on the Church, and on women in society, were progressive. She corresponded with several important figures of the time, many of whom sought her advice, including the German emperor and the English monarchs.
THE CULT OF HILDEGARD
Hildegard was one of the most prolific writers of her time. She documented her religious visions, as well as writing poetry, plays, and books on medicine and women’s health. As well as for her role as a visionary, she is best known today as a composer of popular songs, which are still being performed. Around 70 of her compositions have survived—a huge number for a medieval composer.
After she died, the process of making her a saint was started—but it wasn’t until 2012 that she was declared a saint. She was also named a “Doctor of the Church”—a title held by very few saints—to emphasize the importance of her teachings. A “Cult of Hildegard” exists today, followed by those who live by those teachings. Hildegard was a determined leader. She is still celebrated as a feminist who both promoted and celebrated the virtues of female community and intellect.
THE MONA LISA THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS PAINTING
FULL NAME: La Gioconda (or, more commonly, The Mona Lisa)
CREATED: C. 1503, FLORENCE, ITALY
NATIONALITY: ITALIAN/FRENCH
THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS SMILE
La Gioconda, the painting better known as The Mona Lisa, is one of the most visited and best-known paintings in the entire world. Its painter, Leonardo da Vinci, was not only an artist, but also an inventor, sculptor, architect, and engineer. He painted the work in Florence some time between 1503 and 1506, and the painting now hangs in the Musee de Louvre in Paris, France. Leonardo’s composition and style set the standard and revolutionized portrait painting.
WHO IS MONA LISA?
In spite of its claim to be the world’s most famous painting, a lot of mystery surrounds the half-smiling woman in the picture. Many historians believe her to be Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, the wife of a silk merchant from Florence. Others believe the model could have been Leonardo’s mother, Caterina, or an Italian princess named Isabella d’Este. A more unusual suggestion is that the painting is actually meant to be a riddle: a self-portrait of Leonardo himself. The question remains unanswered to this day, over 500 years later.
Just who is the woman in the painting? No one is certain. All we do know is that The Mona Lisa was painted in oil paints on wood around 1503.
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