Lives of Solitude
November 27, 2015 5:33 AM Subscribe
Ever long to get away from it all? The Hermitary is a web directory for all things hermit-related. Look up local hermits or hermits from lore, literature and history, or discover present-day hermits on the web.
Yesterday my partner and I took a hike through some woods and came across a boulder memorializing a local hermit, Mason Walton (more about Walton here, and the beautiful book he wrote, A Hermit's Wild Friends; or, Eighteen Years in the Woods). When I got home and looked him up, I was led right to the Hermitary. It's an amazing site - going strong since 2002 and quite comprehensive. It has appeared on MeFi before, but the last FPP focusing on it was 2003, and since then, as far as I can tell, it's gotten only ancillary mentions in a post about individual hermits her or there.
Yesterday my partner and I took a hike through some woods and came across a boulder memorializing a local hermit, Mason Walton (more about Walton here, and the beautiful book he wrote, A Hermit's Wild Friends; or, Eighteen Years in the Woods). When I got home and looked him up, I was led right to the Hermitary. It's an amazing site - going strong since 2002 and quite comprehensive. It has appeared on MeFi before, but the last FPP focusing on it was 2003, and since then, as far as I can tell, it's gotten only ancillary mentions in a post about individual hermits her or there.
This is great, I'm in the process of planning on building a little hermitage by the river in case someone I know needs solitude for a while. I interact a little with some semi-hermits (they sometimes come to town for supplies). I can't imagine what is is like to have the lack of human interaction for months, let alone years.
posted by saucysault at 8:44 AM on November 27, 2015
posted by saucysault at 8:44 AM on November 27, 2015
Look up local hermits
Obligatory Monty Python sketch.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:46 PM on November 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Obligatory Monty Python sketch.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:46 PM on November 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Perfect. This is the exact post I needed! How wonderful, thank you.
posted by yueliang at 7:42 PM on November 27, 2015
posted by yueliang at 7:42 PM on November 27, 2015
Amongst White Clouds is a fascinating documentary inspired by Bill Porter's excellent book Road to Heaven - Encounters With Chinese Hermits. Venerable Bhikkhu Khantipalo has compiled a collection of ancient writings on the life of the wandering Buddhist monk. With Robes and Bowl: Glimpses of the Thudong Bhikkhu Life. And we should not be surprised to discover that contemporary hermits even have a newsletter.
posted by little eiffel at 8:34 PM on November 27, 2015
posted by little eiffel at 8:34 PM on November 27, 2015
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posted by Chrysostom at 6:32 AM on November 27, 2015 [1 favorite]