4 S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 4 - 1 S p r i n g 2 0 1 8 stantive-theological analysis and a comparative historical synthesis. These two movements are carried out after an initial situating of Hadewych in her time and a description of her legacy. In view of the substantive-theological analysis, the inner textual relations were brought to the surface by which Hadewych describes the Trinity. The Letters XVII, XVIII, XXII, XXVIII and XXX were taken into account because of their consistent and worked-out view of the Trinity. At the beginning of each Letter, a structural analysis of the relevant Letter was also presented to this effect. From these analyses the fundamentally dynamic character of the Trinity concept into the Letters of Hadewych came to the surface. It uses five dynamics to describe the Trinity. These dynamics were then placed in the context of the entire oeuvre of Hadewych. By using this method, it was avoided that pre-defined concepts were pushed forward. In this way we aimed to uncover the inner dynamics of its own Trinity view and to avoid that the text itself would lose its normative role. Efforts were made to create the widest possible openness for the own understandings of Hadewych’s experiential horizon. The analysis is based on signals in the text that suggest dynamic. Hereby paradoxes are understood as a dynamical signal. The comparative historical synthesis was finally performed by exploring Hadewych’s own site with regard to her Trinity concept within the context of the 12th and 13th century Theology of the Trinity. For this purpose, thinkers and mystics such as Hildegard of Bingen, Bernard of Clairvaux, William of St. Thierry, Richard of St. Victor and Beatrice of Nazareth were chosen as comparison material. 2 Works of Hadewych Today are counted among the writings of Hadewych 31 Letters, 45 Poems in Stanzas, 14 Visions, the List of the Perfect ones, and 16 Poems in Couplets. Their number and chronology have been widely debated in the 19th century. The question of the literary unity of these scriptures is therefore a complicated one that encompasses many aspects. I am trying to show this discussion in a nutshell. Four manuscripts with work by Hadewych are known: A, B, C, and D. The manuscripts A, B, and D are kept in the Royal Library of Brussels under the numbers 2879–80 (A), 2877–78 (B), 3093–95 (D). Manuscript C is kept in the university Library of Ghent under number 941. The extent and the ordering of the works are in handwriting A and C differently. Also, they contain many text variants. Therefore, both manuscripts are probably independent of each other and perhaps different source texts have been used. Handwriting B can be a copy of handwriting A, however, with texts that are also known only from handwriting C. However, these texts are not taken from handwriting C. Another, to us unknown source, has been the basis of this. Because of the differences between these manuscripts, it is already possible to decide that the Poems in Couplets 17–29 should not be counted as Hadewych’s oeuvre. On the basis of word comparisons, it has also been decided that the Tweevormich Tractaetken should also be excluded. The manuscripts are not dated. In this article we have used the translation made by Mother Columba Hart, O.S.B. (Hadewijch 1981). For her translation, the Hadewych texts edited by Van Mierlo have been utilized. Van Mierlo used for his text edition handwriting C because this is a very precise version and it comes the presumably original dialect of Hadewych closer than Handwriting A. Handwriting D contains a collection of text fragments of Hadewych, as well as Fragment E and handwriting R. The Letters of Hadewych, 31 pieces, can be characterized as treatises or sermons. However, the boundary between Letter, treatise or sermon is very difficult to draw. It concerns shorter or longer texts aimed at one or several persons. In a few Letters, edited texts by other authors are found. So, for example, in Letter XX and XVIII, edited texts of Richard of St. Victor and William of St. Thierry are found. Hadewych may have encountered these texts and processed them in her texts because they would be illustrative of her own thinking. However, it is also possible that others have asked Hadewych to explain these text portions to them.
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