The ideal of virginity was of great importance in the Middle Ages – and also specifically in the scriptures of Hildegard of Bingen – and was considered higher than marital status. This evaluation is connected to the Parable of the Sower from Mark 4:1-20 and Matthew 13:1-23. In its medieval interpretation, the harvesting of 30 times, 60 times and 100 times of the fruit described in the Parable was related to the life as wife, widow and virgin. In the speculum virginum (Mirror for Virgins), which was composed in approximately 1140 by an unknown author, questions of life as a virgin and the true Christian Discipleship were discussed in the form of a dialog between a virgin and her male spiritual mentor. The answers for the mentor were based, amongst others, on 1 Corinthian 7:34, according to which only virgins who are entirely dedicated to God following the example of Mary would be truly free. The Mirror for Virgins was aimed at the theological reasoning and historical derivation of a woman’s monastic way of life. With the conception of virginity as a religiously moral virtue that gave the woman dignity, freedom and independence, it also gave her a status in society and the Church.

In her work Scivias (5th vision of the 2nd part), Hildegard described incarnated virginity as a beautiful girlish creature who is, surrounded by virtues, on her way to completeness in virtuous works. For Hildegard, a virgin life was the best possible way to Christian Discipleship. She did not only write about it, but integrated her visionary picture of the status, decorated with jewels and gold, of people living a virgin life into the liturgy of her monastery. We learn about this from a critical letter from the magistra Tengswich of Andernach to Hildegard. She writes about the nuns of the Rupertsberg wearing their hair open, veils, crowns of golden filigree and crosses woven into their hair when celebrating festive events as well as carrying the picture of a lamb when singing the Psalms. Hildegard rejected the accusation of addiction to splendour with the remark that the open hair covered by a veil was a sign of the virgin marriage with Christ. The lamb was a symbol for striving to imitate the mercy of the Son of God without high spirits or pride. With that she presented the nuns symbolically as the brides of Christ. For Hildegard, they stood above all other societal groups and by their renunciation of an earthly marriage they won freedom to serve God, which would allow them to help with advice and help whenever this would seem necessary to them. That Hildegard herself acted accordingly is clearly shown by her preaching journeys.