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For other senses of this word, see hermit (disambiguation).
A hermit ἐρημίτης (from the Greek
ἔρημος erēmos, signifying "desert", "uninhabited", hence "desert-dweller") is a
person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion and/or isolation from society.
Originally the term was applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the
Desert Theology of the Old Testament (i.e. the 40 years wandering in the desert that was meant to bring about a change of
heart).
Often – both in religious and secular literature – the term is used loosely for anyone living a solitary life-style –
including the misanthropist – and in religious contexts is sometimes assumed to be
interchangeable with anchorite/anchoress (from the Greek ἀναχωρέω anachōreō, signifying "to withdraw", "to depart into the country outside the
circumvallated city"), recluse and solitary. However, it is important to retain a clear
distinction.
Christian hermits in the past have most often lived in caves, forests, or deserts, but some of them preferred an isolated cell in a
monastery or even a city. From what is known of their contribution to Christian heritage, male
hermits were more common than female. As regards the anchorites, one that has left a lasting impression on Christian spirituality
is the English anchoress Julian of Norwich.
Hermits in religion
Hermitage "Our Lady the Garden Enclosed" in
Warfhuizen,
the Netherlands.
From a religious point of view, the solitary life is a form of asceticism, wherein the hermit renounces wordly concerns and pleasures in order to come closer to the
deity or deities they worship or revere. This practice appears in Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and
Sufism. In ascetic hermitism, the hermit seeks solitude for meditation, contemplation, and prayer
without the distractions of contact with human society, sex, or the need to maintain socially
acceptable standards of cleanliness or dress. The ascetic
discipline can also include a simplified diet
and/or manual labor as a means of support; for example, the early Christian
Desert Fathers often wove baskets to exchange for bread.
Ironically, religious hermits are often sought out for spiritual advice and counsel and may eventually acquire so many
disciples that they have no solitude at all. Examples include Anthony the Great, who attracted such a large body of followers in the Egyptian desert that he is considered by both Catholics and the Orthodox to be the "Founder of Monasticism", and
Gautama Buddha, who, having abandoned his family for a solitary quest for spiritual
enlightenment, ended up as the founder of Buddhism.
One interesting variation of the eremitic life is the Carthusian order of Roman Catholic monks and nuns.
Carthusians live in what are essentially "communities of hermits", each monastic having their
own cell (with sleeping chamber, study, and workshop) where they spend most of their time alone, except when they meet in
church for worship, and on other occasions.
Other religious hermits include Simeon Stylites, Herman of Alaska, Thomas Merton, Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, and
Charles de Foucauld.
Some estate order during the Romantic period of the 19th cenutry would pay hermits to inhabit their property.
Amy is also a hermit
Non-religious hermits
It is also possible for people to forsake human society for reasons other than religion. For example, in a notorious case,
Theodore Kaczynski, known as the "Unabomber", lived in a remote cabin in
Montana which gave him both refuge from what he viewed as a society corrupted by
technology and privacy to build mailbombs.
Hermits in philosophy
Friedrich Nietzsche, in his influential work Thus Spoke Zarathustra, created the character of the hermit Zarathustra (named after the Zoroastrian prophet Zarathushtra), who emerges from seclusion to extol his philosophy to
the rest of humanity.
Diogenes the Cynic, an ancient Greek
philosopher, led an ascetic life in a barrel. According to legend, when Alexander the Great came to him one day and offered to
grant him a wish, Diogenes asked Alexander to step out of his sunlight.
This article incorporates text from the public domain 1913 Webster's Dictionary.
See also
- Monasticism
- Solitude
- Silence
- Recluse
- Isolation
- Poustinia
- Hermitage
External links
