Almost nothing is known of the life of Hadewijch, a Flemish mystic who lived in the thirteenth century. Although a prolific author, she inspired no biography. All that is known of her story must be inferred from her writings. She was apparently a Beguine, part of a movement in the Low Countries that attracted women to a new form of community-based religious life, distinct from traditional enclosure. The Beguines integrated a life of prayer, simplicity, the works of mercy, and a devotion to the humanity of Jesus.
Hadewijch’s teachings are contained in letters of spiritual counsel, a great body of poetry, and a series of recorded “visions.” Her central theme is Love. Everywhere she turned—in creation, in community, or in her inner depths—she encountered the love of God. Not just a warm feeling, this love was a burning fire. In her letters of spiritual direction, she emphasized love as the key to the knowledge and service of God.
The Beguines were subjected to all kinds of pressure and persecution. Eventually Hadewijch was expelled from her community—under what circumstances we cannot know. In one of her last letters she wrote, “What happens to me, whether I am wandering in the country or put in prison— however it turns out, it is the work of Love.” Exactly what peril Hadewijch faced is unknown. She vanished from history, leaving behind her love poems, and a final exhortation: “Farewell and live a beautiful life.”
“They who live without Love are dead. But the worst of all deaths is this—that the loving soul be cowardly toward Love.” —Hadewijch
