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grazing_hermits [2008-05-29 11:03] – theunkarelse | grazing_hermits [2010-01-31 12:36] – theunkarelse | ||
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==== Bosci or Boskoi; the Grazing Hermits. ==== | ==== Bosci or Boskoi; the Grazing Hermits. ==== | ||
- | On one of my explorations through hagiographic literature in the Central Library of Amsterdam, I came across a text which just mentioned a piece of very very odd behavior, where early Christians literally joined the flock. | + | * βοσκοί (Greek) Boskoi (E) = grazers or browsers; from bovskw, to graze, to feed. |
+ | * Boskoi = name of an [[augmented_foraging]] app we're creating for mobile phone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | On one of my explorations through hagiographic literature in the Central Library of Amsterdam, I came across a text which just mentioned a piece of very very odd behaviour, where early Christians literally joined the flock. | ||
== Historical back-ground: | == Historical back-ground: | ||
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Near Nisibis there lived a group of Boskoi or grazing monks. When meal time came they took sickles and sallied forth to cut grass and on this they made their repast as if they were cattle. Others the so-called Dendrites lived in trees. | Near Nisibis there lived a group of Boskoi or grazing monks. When meal time came they took sickles and sallied forth to cut grass and on this they made their repast as if they were cattle. Others the so-called Dendrites lived in trees. | ||
</ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Much like Kevin Butcher in 'Roman Syria and the Near East' p392: | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | Some ascetics became boskoi, ' | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
and the sickle also appears in this picture: [[http:// | and the sickle also appears in this picture: [[http:// | ||
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Writing in Constantinople in the middle of the fifth century, the church historian Sozomen believed the first monks of Syria were those who had ' | Writing in Constantinople in the middle of the fifth century, the church historian Sozomen believed the first monks of Syria were those who had ' | ||
- | Those who graze on grass and roots instead of delicacies, | + | Those who graze on grass and roots instead of delicacies,\\ |
- | and in place of lofty dwellings, live in caves. | + | and in place of lofty dwellings, live in caves.\\ |
- | Like birds they go up to live on rocky ledges, | + | Like birds they go up to live on rocky ledges,\\ |
- | Where ever one of them goes, | + | Where ever one of them goes,\\ |
- | he enjoys the herbs he picked in faith, | + | he enjoys the herbs he picked in faith,\\ |
- | he leaves the rest behind and moves on from there, | + | he leaves the rest behind and moves on from there,\\ |
- | because he has heard the saying; | + | because he has heard the saying;\\ |
- | Do not be anxious about tomorrow. | + | Do not be anxious about tomorrow.\\ |
+ | |||
+ | Such zealots for ' | ||
</ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Present day: ==== | ||
+ | Bishop Kallistos Ware on his [[http:// | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | There arc even solitaries on Athos today who follow the same way of life as the boskoi [browsers] in primitive monasticism—dwelling with the animals like Adam in Paradise, not building cells but remaining in caves or in the open air, wearing no clothing and eating no cooked food. Although I have not myself seen any such, I have spoken with monks who know about them. They are to be found chiefly near the tip of the peninsula, on the wooded slopes above the Great Lavra and Kerasia. For a description of one such monk, see J. Valentin, The Monks of Mount Athos (London 1960), pp.36-38.</ |