The "Hortus Deliciarum" or "Garden of Delights" is a medieval manuscript compiled by Herrad of Landsberg, Abbess of Hohenburg Abbey in Alsace. It was an illuminated encyclopedia, begun in 1167 and finished in 1185, for use as a pedagogical tool for young novices at the convent. It is the first encyclopedia that was evidently written by a woman, and one of the most celebrated illuminated manuscripts of the period. Most of the manuscript was not original, but a compendium of 12th century knowledge containing poems, illustrations, and music, and drew from texts by classical and Arab writers. Interspersed with writings from other sources were poems by Herrad, addressed to the nuns. Significantly, it is one of the first sources of polyphony originating from a convent. The manuscript contained at least 20 song texts, all of which were originally notated with music.