Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-29
HERM|TS Of OLD SPAIN
Most Remarkable Medieval In
Stituti0n Still Surviving.
RELIGIOUS ENTHUSIASTS
Live Alone and Only See Beggars
Looking for Dinner.
DEPEND UPON PROVIDENCE
Women Forbidden to Approach Their
Mountain Businesses, Where the
Inmates Only Speak to Confess.
DEPEND UPON PROVIDENCE

|
One Of the most remarkable surviving in
| situations OF medieval times in Spain is that
Of the Hermts. religious order differing
| from the various orders Of friars and monks
in that they make no pretense to labor for
| the purpose of spreading the Gospel. or to
| acquire property, but seek retirement in
| some desolate region there to lead a life Of
| seclusion in meditation and prayer. Neither
| do they share a communal dwelling as do
| the other religious orders, nor are they gov
| erned by such prescribed rules for work
and recreation. Their abodes, or collection
Of abodes, are termed hermitages.
| Whether there are many Of the hermit
| ages left in Spain or not is difficult to as
| certain, but two have recently been noted.
| The first was in the barren range OF noun
| tains which hens the fruitful plain famous
| for its Arabian Gardens; the other was on
| the Sierra Moreno. overlooking the city OF
| Cordova.
| The hite walls of the principal buildings
| of the latter could be seen glistening In the
| sun, away up the mountain side, from
the outskirts Of the city. On inquiring the
| way from a Spaniard who was admring
gamecock tethered by the roadside, he spoke
| of the holy brotherhood with anything but
| respect. 1t was the usual display OF hostil-
| ity toward the clergy and all things apper-
| tanning to their religion which Is found
| throughout Spain. The only definite reason
| for this seems to be general feeling among
| the male population that they were being
| oppressivey taxed to sustain the clergy.
| There is q wide-sweeping road out of Cor
| dova on the north, leading to the foot or
| the mountain range, famous in former days
| as the resort Of brigands. A number OF
| ventor, or Spanish wine shops, are scat
| tered along the road and are patronized by
| the city people who come for an afternoon
| in the country bringing their lunches and
| taking their wine under the gay arbors.
Turning Off at the foot of the mountains
| is an intolerably bad road, which leads up
| to the hermitage. Over this road may be
| seen daily q dozen or more half-clad. half
starved creatures, making their way. They
know that at the hermitage a meal Is al
| ways prepared for them, and this is their
only means of subsistence. barring the few
| bites of bread tossed to their outstretched
hands from the balconied windows Of Cor
| dova, and occasionally coin.
Women Not Allowed.
| They are, with rare exceptions. the only
visitors to the hermitage. all except the
very poor being required to procure a
written permission from the bishop of Cor
| dova to go there. Under no consideration
are women allowed to visit the holy place.
| No precautions are taken to prevent their
| doing SO, however.
The hermitage is nearly at the top Of the
mountain. Tradition says that a company
| of Castilian soldiers. deserving their king
| some time in the thirteenth century,
| climbed the rugged height. and, selecting
| remain there the rest Of their days in Sc
clusion from the influence Of the outside
world. Thus originated the hermitage of
| Sierra Moreno. They worked and prayed,
| building their cells among the rocks, TAX
| ing in recruits from time to time to prevent
| the extinction Of their order, and gradually
erected the white walls OF their principal
| edifice, which now contain the offices, re-
| fectory and chapel, and which the head
| brother occupies all to himself. They sue
ceeded in making expresses grow in the
desert wilderness, and long lane,
| bordered with these stately trees, leads to
| the hermitage.
| The principal building shows its various
stages Of construction in its irregular lines
| and the windows piercing the wall at ram
| DOM without any pretense at architectural
| symmetry. excepting the little belfry which
| surmounts 1t. The chapel contains on its
| altar an image Of Our Lady OF Zelen, to
| which the hermitage is dedicated This
| image in petticoats strikes the stranger as
| curious Inconsistency on the part Of the
holy brothers who have particularly pro-
! nounced bans against women. Neverthe-
| less. they have selected the lady saint for
| their patronesS.
| The refectory contains simple long ia
| BILE at which the brothers gather once
| every day to consume their midday meal,
| reminding one very much of the scene rep
| resenting Christ and his disciples at their
| last supper. The chapel forms separate
| wing to the building in front of which the
| weary mendicants gather for that one meal
| for which they journey SO far. When the
| hour arrives a brother in his long gray
gown brings out an earthen pot containing
| the famous stew which has been the Span
| ish soldiers diet ever since he swept down
| from the heights of Leon and CASTLE and
| drove the hostile Arab back to his native
| African coast. The food of that band OF
Castilians who deserted their king to take
| up the life OF the recluse in the thirteenth
| century is the substantial meal Of the her
| mits at the present day, as well as that OF
| the beggar and the soldier.
Take Turns as Cooks.
The hermit takes his turn in the smoke
! begrimed kitchen. when he prepares It, just
| as the company's soldier takes his turn
| preparing it for his comrades BY the her
| NIT it is divided with the beggars. He sets
the great pot down in front of the chapel,
| and serves out portions of 1t In bowls to all
| corners, around which three or four gather
| with their wooden spoons and eat. His
| own share the hermit takes into the refec-
| tory. where It is divided with the brother
| hermits. The stew consists of vegetables,
! usually peas and beans with little beef
| and pork, all cooked together with what
| ever green stuff may be in season.
The hermits dwell in the little cell-like
| abodes at sufficient distance apart to secure
| the isolation which Is the refuses ideal.
| They are required to maintain a rigorous
silence and are only allowed to congregate
and the midday meal irf the refectory Their
| isolated dwellings are Of the simplest sort,
| between four low walls rooted with tiles,
containing a rude couch, straw mat, @
| stool and few earthen vessels necessary
| for preparing their meager breakfast and
supper, which they are required to cook
| and partake Of alone in their cells The
| greater portion OF their time is devoted to
| meditation and prayer.
| It is said that they are allowed very little
| sleep, and to prevent their snatching mo-
ments of slumber while alone in their cells
| the head brother signals the hours of
| prayer by ringing one of the bells in the
| belfry on the principal building. To this all
| the brot her hermits are required to respond