One Man’s Life Ontop a Pillar and Other Hermits Throughout History

Others, like the anchorites of medieval times, choose to be hermits for religious contemplation. While some hermits welcome visitors, most prefer to be left alone to live their lives in a deliberate, solitary way, free from bosses, families, and governments. So, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and discover some of history’s most famous hermits.

He’s quite the survivor, too – when he first moved to the top, he slept inside a refrigerator to protect himself from the elements. Now, he lives in a small cottage that was built for him by some locals. It takes him about 20 minutes to climb down a ladder to the small religious community at the base of the pillar. And when he’s too old to climb down? He said he plans to die in his cozy little cottage.

Before becoming Pope, Pietro lived a simple life, sleeping in a cave and practicing self-discipline by wearing horsehair shirts and an iron girdle. After his failed term, he wanted to return to his peaceful hermit life but was instead thrown in jail by his successor out of fear of him becoming a rival. Sadly, he passed away ten months later.

Nagasaki believes in the importance of finding a good place to die, and that became his main motivation for choosing to live the way he does. He may not have the healthiest lifestyle (he mostly eats rice cakes), but at least he’s found peace on the island.

He relied on hunting and fishing to survive, but soon the residents of a nearby town discovered him and helped him with food and supplies. Late in life, he became the first Canadian to receive a pension without signing for it. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 87 due to hypothermia.

He lived there for 23 years before being placed in an internment camp during WWII. After his release, he was treated in a mental institution and later passed away in Italy at the age of 53.

Tragically, Gnädinger passed away just months after an oil spill coated his beloved sculptures. He had requested that the oil-covered sculptures be left untouched as a reminder of the disaster. Some locals believe that the shock of the spill “broke” Gnädinger and led to his untimely death at the age of 66.

But the real kicker? She raised the Greek flag every single day during the war, solidifying her as a true example of Greek pride and determination. Despite the hardships she faced, the Lady of Ro never wavered in her patriotism. Her daily flag-raising ceremony became a symbol of hope for her fellow Greeks during a difficult time.

He kept journals in an unusual letter-substitution cipher and wrote to a local newspaper that he had “dodged the American labor failure” and lived as a hermit to avoid working for low wages for long hours. Unfortunately, a Hurricane forced him from his home and hermit lifestyle in 1950.

For 20 years, Leppard traveled by kayak every week to the mainland for supplies and to pick up his pension check. He lived in a hut with no electricity or windows and it was so small that he couldn’t stand up in it. He eventually left when he got too old to pilot the kayak effectively and lived his remaining years in a care home.

Emma’s not alone in her mud hut, however. She has a small menagerie of chickens, goats, horses, and cats to keep her company. Emma chose to live this way to reduce her environmental impact, and she couldn’t be happier with her decision.

But don’t be fooled by the hermit label – Glasheen has all the modern amenities a person could want. He’s got solar power and internet, and even brews his own beer which he trades for fish. He only makes trips to the mainland a few times a year to stock up on supplies, but otherwise, he’s perfectly content living off the land, growing his own vegetables, and catching fresh crabs.

Fast forward to 1973, Grimshaw moved to Moyenne Island full-time and thrived. He and a local planted thousands of trees and took care of 120 giant tortoises on the island. His hard work paid off and his home was officially declared a national park in 2008.

She may be a self-sufficient hermit, but she’s not without her quirks. She keeps chickens and goats for company and sustenance and lives off of wild animals and potatoes. And let’s not forget the time in 1961 when the winter was so brutal, her family had to resort to eating their leather shoes to survive. Talk about determination!

After serving in the Navy during WWII, Proenneke decided to settle down in his cabin and live a life of solitude. But he wasn’t lonely – he was in his element. To document his adventures, Proenneke kept a daily journal which was later turned into a bestselling book. Sounds like the ultimate dream life, doesn’t it?

The cell had a tiny window through which food trays could be passed, but unlike some anchoresses, Julian regularly received visitors seeking spiritual advice, including Margery Kempe, a famous medieval English writer. After a near-death experience, Julian had a series of religious visions that she later wrote down, creating possibly the first book written by a woman in English.

Knight was particularly known for stealing reading material. When he was finally caught in 2013, authorities discovered hundreds of books and a shanty built out of National Geographic magazines among his stolen goods. He was arrested and spent time in jail for multiple counts of theft. Knight ultimately paid thousands of dollars in restitution during a three-year probation.