https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_hermit Garden hermit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search [300px-Ziereremit_in_Flottbeck_bei_Hamburg] Representation of an ornamental hermit in Germany in the late 18th century Garden hermits or ornamental hermits were hermits encouraged to live in purpose-built hermitages, follies, grottoes, or rockeries on the estates of wealthy landowners, primarily during the 18th century. Such hermits would be encouraged to dress like druids and remain permanently on site, where they could be fed, cared for, and consulted for advice, or viewed for entertainment.^[1]^[page needed] [ ] Contents * 1 History * 2 Concept * 3 In popular culture * 4 See also * 5 References * 6 External links History[edit] Professor Gordon Campbell, of the University of Leicester, suggests that Francis of Paola was among the first of the trend, living as a hermit in the early 15th century in a cave on his own father's estate.^[1]^[page needed] He later served as a confidant and advisor to King Charles VIII. Thereafter, throughout France, estates of dukes and other lords often included small chapels or other buildings where a resident religious hermit could remain in attendance. According to Campbell, the first estate with a well-known hermitage (which included a small house, chapel and garden) was Chateau de Gaillon, renovated by Charles Cardinal de Bourbon during the 16th century. Garden hermits became popular with British aristocracy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Contemporary accounts suggest the Weld family kept an ornamental hermit in a purpose-built hermitage on the Lulworth Estate in Dorset.^[2] Of equivalent novelty, the Welds also maintained a "mimic" fort and harbour beside an adjoining lake.^[2] Both Painshill and Hawkstone Park were said to have employed ornamental hermits. The one at Painshill, hired by The Hon. Charles Hamilton for a seven-year term under strict conditions, lasted three weeks until he was sacked after being discovered in a local pub.^[3]^ [4] The trend continued through to the 1830s, when the idea became less popular as estate landscaping concepts evolved.^[5] Concept[edit] Even in the 18th and 19th centuries, garden hermits were novelties and eccentricities. Grottos had become more popular during the 18th century as places to withdraw for meditation, relaxation and reflection.^[1]^[page needed] With an increased focus on industrialism and production, contemplative garden meditation was viewed by some as an extravagance. With the lack of personal free time in combination with an increase in disposable income, the popularity of "natural" garden landscaping and the rise of neoclassical culture established an environment in which the idea of garden hermits as novelty guests became popular.^[1]^[page needed] In some early instances, hermits were simply represented or hinted-at, rather than personified; outside a folly or grotto, a small table and chair, reading glasses and a classical text might be placed suggesting that it was where a hermit lived.^[5] Later, suggestions of hermits were replaced with actual hermits - men hired for the sole purpose of inhabiting a small structure and functioning as any other garden ornament.^[1]^[page needed] Hermits would sometimes be asked to make themselves available to guests, answering questions and providing counsel. In some cases, the hermits would not communicate with visitors, functioning instead like a perpetual stage play or live diorama.^[1]^[page needed] In return for their services-in-residence, hermits would generally receive a stipend in addition to room and board.^[2]^[5] In popular culture[edit] * Tony Robinson's Channel 4 television documentary show The Worst Jobs in History featured this occupation in a 2004 episode focusing on the worst jobs of the Georgian era. * Tom Stoppard's 1993 play Arcadia deals specifically with the case of an ornamental hermit, investigated by one of the main characters. * The Bee-Loud Glade, a 2011 novel by Steve Himmer, is narrated by an ornamental hermit. * Terry Pratchett had Sam Vimes discover that his wife's country estate housed an ornamental hermit in his 2011 novel Snuff. See also[edit] * Garden gnome * Sacred garden * Historic garden conservation References[edit] 1. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Campbell, Gordon (2013). The Hermit in the Garden: From Imperial Rome to Ornamental Gnome. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199696994. 2. ^ ^a ^b ^c Handbook for Travellers in Wiltshire, Dorsetshire and Somersetshire. John Murray. 1869. 3. ^ Keenan, Mark (11 September 2020). "A 300-year-old Queen Anne style home with fishing rights to the River Liffey". Irish Independent. 4. ^ McKie, David (9 May 2002). "Homes fit for hermits". The Guardian. 5. ^ ^a ^b ^c Fox, Robin Lane (7 February 2014). "Why a hermit can be the perfect garden ornament". Financial Times. External links[edit] * "Before the Garden Gnome, the Ornamental Hermit: A Real Person Paid to Dress like a Druid" * Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Garden_hermit&oldid=1005156511" Categories: * Obsolete occupations * Hermits * Garden ornaments Hidden categories: * Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from July 2019 Navigation menu Personal tools * Not logged in * Talk * Contributions * Create account * Log in Namespaces * Article * Talk [ ] Variants Views * Read * Edit * View history [ ] More Search [ ] [Search] [Go] Navigation * Main page * Contents * Current events * Random article * About Wikipedia * Contact us * Donate Contribute * Help * Learn to edit * Community portal * Recent changes * Upload file Tools * What links here * Related changes * Upload file * Special pages * Permanent link * Page information * Cite this page * Wikidata item Print/export * Download as PDF * Printable version In other projects * Wikimedia Commons Languages * Catala * Deutsch * Italiano * Ri Ben Yu * Polski Edit links * This page was last edited on 6 February 2021, at 07:12 (UTC). * Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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