Hermit
A person who lives in seclusion, often for religious reasons.
A hermit, also known as an eremite or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam (Sufism), and Taoism. In Christianity, the term originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of religious conviction, based on the Desert Theology of the Old Testament. The eremitic life is an early form of monastic living that predates communal monasticism. The first known Christian hermit in Egypt was Paul of Thebes, while Antony of Egypt, often called Antony the Great, became the most renowned early hermit due to a biography written by Athanasius of Alexandria. An antecedent for Egyptian eremiticism may have been the Syrian solitary known as the "son of the covenant." Christian hermits historically lived in isolated cells or hermitages, such as natural caves or constructed dwellings in deserts or forests. People would sometimes seek them out for spiritual advice, and some eventually attracted so many disciples that they lost their physical solitude. Early Desert Fathers often wove baskets to exchange for bread. In medieval times, hermits could also be found near cities, earning a living as gate keepers or ferrymen. A rule for hermits living in a monastic community was written by Grimlaicus in the 10th century, and by the 11th century, the hermit life was recognized as a legitimate independent path to salvation, with many hermits later regarded as saints. In the Catholic Church, orders such as the Carthusians and Camaldolese arrange their monasteries as clusters of hermitages, where monks spend most of their time in solitary prayer and work, gathering only briefly for communal worship and occasional meals. The term "anchorite" is often used synonymously with hermit, though anchorites typically lived in a small cell built against a church, with a ceremony where the door was bricked up by a bishop. Anchorholds had a small window to the sanctuary for participating in liturgy and receiving Communion, and another window to the street for receiving food and visitors seeking counsel.
- field
- Religious and ascetic life
- known_for
- Living in seclusion for religious or personal reasons
- related_terms
- Eremite, solitary, anchorite, recluse
Lore & Background
In the common Christian tradition, the first known Christian hermit in Egypt was Paul of Thebes, hence called 'St. Paul the first hermit.' Antony of Egypt, often referred to as 'Antony the Great,' is perhaps the most renowned of all the early Christian hermits owing to the biography by Athanasius of Alexandria. An antecedent for Egyptian eremiticism may have been the Syrian solitary or 'son of the covenant' who undertook special disciplines as a Christian. Christian hermits in the past have often lived in isolated cells or hermitages, whether a natural cave or a constructed dwelling, situated in the desert or the forest. People sometimes sought them out for spiritual advice and counsel. Some eventually acquired so many disciples that they no longer enjoyed physical solitude. Some early Christian Desert Fathers wove baskets to exchange for bread. In medieval times, hermits were also found within or near cities where they might earn a living as gate keepers or ferrymen. In the 10th century, a rule for hermits living in a monastic community was written by Grimlaicus. In the 11th century, the life of the hermit gained recognition as a legitimate independent pathway to salvation. Many hermits in that century and the next came to be regarded as saints.
Reader's Guide
Hermits hold significance across multiple religious traditions as exemplars of asceticism and solitary devotion. In Christianity, the eremitic life is an early form of monastic living that preceded communal monasticism. The Rule of St Benedict lists hermits among four kinds of monks. In the Roman Catholic Church, diocesan hermits are recognized under canon 603 as members of the consecrated life, while the Evangelical-Lutheran Churches and parts of the Anglican Communion also recognize them. The Carthusian and Camaldolese orders preserve an essentially eremitic life within a cenobitical context, with monks living in individual hermitages. The term 'hermit' is also used loosely for any Christian living a secluded prayer-focused life, and sometimes interchangeably with anchorite, recluse, and solitary. In modern colloquial usage, 'hermit' denotes anyone living apart from society for any reason. The legacy of hermits includes their role in preserving spiritual traditions, offering counsel, and demonstrating a radical commitment to religious ideals through solitude and penance.
Did You Know?
- The word 'hermit' comes from the Greek 'erēmitēs,' meaning 'of the desert.'
- The first known Christian hermit in Egypt was Paul of Thebes, from the 3rd century.
- In medieval times, hermits sometimes earned a living as gate keepers or ferrymen.
- The Carthusian and Camaldolese orders arrange their monasteries as clusters of hermitages.
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