Category: United States

“Old Shep” was a hermit residing near Buffalo, New York, in the early 20th century. His story resurrects from recent police recovery of a gun Shep possessed, attributed to his days as an associate of Western outlaw Jesse James.

William Shepard is somewhat of a legend in West Seneca history.

“Old Shep,” as he was known, lived in a shack along Cazenovia Creek. He made a living sharpening knives and scissors for residents in town. And his shack was kept on wheels to help avoid taxes.

That’s what the West Seneca Historical Society knows for sure about Old Shep, who died in 1933, said Curator Roger N. Harris.

URLs: http://blogs.buffalonews.com/live/2010/02/the-hermit-of-leydecker-road.html and http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/949648.html

In the heyday of Hollywood, California, in the 1920’s and 30’s, several hermits become well-known, among the many eccentrics profiled in a November 21, 1938 issue of LIFE magazine titled “Cuckooland.” Among these were Peter Howard, called “Peter the Hermit,” a Dr. Newman, and Harry Hermann, called “Herman the Hermit.”

Peter Howard played bit parts in silent films, usually as a “biblical” character given his eccentric appearance: long beard, robe, and staff. He also posed for photos with tourists. Peter lived in a wooden shack in the outskirt hills of Hollywood, with a burro, a goat, and a dozen greyhounds.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2010/01/police-raid-cult-headquarters.html. These Los Angeles Times clippings may refer to the same person: Peter as an adherent of a cult temple (but later portrayed as constantly reading the Bible) and Peter the 1927 octogenarian learning how to dance (but later dying at 90 in 1969).

http://underthehollywoodsign.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/peter-the-hermit-the-original-hollywood-character/ and http://underthehollywoodsign.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/peter-the-hermit-resurfaces-in-england/. One blogger’s search for Peter the Hermit in photos, and a photo of Peter the Hermit with a greyhound.

Nothing else is known of the other hermits except what the magazine captions tell us: “Dr. Newman” was the sole member of his own religious cult and lived in a tree. Harry Hermann, called “Herman the Hermit,” is similar in style to Peter Howard, and was known to walk the streets of Hollywood much of the day. He lived in Laurel Canyon.

This 2006 essay titled “An Experience of the Eremitic Life” by Abbot Luke Rigby, a Benedictine monk at St. Louis Abbey in Missouri, recounts the author’s decision and how he eked out an eremitic life in his seventies residing near the abbey and school. An example of a contemporary Catholic pursuit of eremitism.

URL: http://www.stlouisabbey.org/publications/jubileebook/Luke.pdf

CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds offers a 2-minute video on hermits today, interviewing Paul and Karen Fredette of Hot Springs, North Carolina, editors of Raven’s Bread, a newsletter for hermits. A brief story accompanies the video.

URL: story – http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/28/eveningnews/main5816436.shtml
URL: video – http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5816761n&tag=api

The Eleanor Roosevelt College of the University of California, San Diego, offers a course on hermits and eremitism taught by Matthew Herbst, professor of history. Here is the catalog description:

The Hermit: Solitude, Society, and the Search for Meaning
Herbst, Matthew
Location: ERC Conference Room 311
Thursdays, 4:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet January 8, 15, 22, 29: February 5, 12, 19, 26.

What is the connection between community and hermit? Hermits have appeared in societies across the globe from Taoist and Buddhist hermits in the mountains of East Asia to Christian anchorites in deserts and forests, Hindu ascetics in India, and transcendentalists in the American wilderness. The hermit has, at times, represented the highest moral or religious ideals of a society, attracting disciples and admirers alike, while at other times, the hermit has been marginalized and ignored. This class provides students with a general introduction to the eremitical (“hermit”) tradition from a global perspective. Students will be introduced to a variety of literary, artistic, and cinematic depictions by and about hermits.