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You are here: Home / Glossary

Glossary

Hermit

A person who separates himself or herself from the outside world to concentrate on religion, usually of the Medieval period. Several saints in the northeast have been hermits - these include Saint Cuthbert and Saint Godric. Hermits chose places to test themselves - such as rocky islands or marshy haughs. Hermits tended to build their own hermitages, as they tended to be self-supporting.
Some Post-Medieval country houses had a grotto with an employee pretending to be a hermit.

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