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There is a very interesting chapel near Soria, Spain, called San Baudelio de Berlanga. At the center is a pilar shaped like a palm tree with a tiny nook at the top.
Stylite dwellings. Stylites were "pillar dwellers", a type of Christian ascetic who lived their lives atop pillars, preaching, fasting and praying and were common during the Byzantine empire. You should read "In The Shadow of The Sword" by Tom Holland for interesting insights into the lives of the most famous stylites of history.
I had not heard of stylites before. This episode did jog my memory of a scene from one of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy books where Arthur meets with a saint or monk who lives on top of a pillar.
The idea of stylites and other extreme asceticism is the performance of extreme physical feats which could only be explained to be happening with the aid of supernatural assistance, thus proving the power and glory of their god and the worthiness of the ascetic to receive such favor. Remember the early stylites didn't have little huts to shelter in but simply stood like Blane on surfaces too small to lay down on through all kinds of weather year round and often, especially early on, through all sorts of taunts and objects thrown at them from passers by. If ever lost concentration enough from sleepiness they'd fall to their deaths, so clearly they had to sleep standing up which would seem to most in those days to be impossible, thus divinely assisted. Prolonged standing and sleep deprivation is used even today as a torture so doing so for years and not going insane would require extreme grace (meaning both coolness under pressure and also divine favor). The stylite could come down whenever they wanted, but chose not to. Finally the utter reliance of the stylite on random acts of charity from strangers to not starve or thirst to death was an inspiration to the general public to remember christian charity. If you don't support that guy on top of the pillar who's in excruciating pain to prove the worth of his god and who's ability to endure it is such a proof, well, you're conscious is on you at that point. Maybe the member of him, whatever you do, and the worthiness as proved by his holiness will cause you to pass by without thinking somebody else who is helpless and in need who isn't nearly so grand and worthy.
they were obsessed with geometry. they considered it as a way of communicating with the logos. so whilst we can now build far larger projects, we don't spend all of our brain power obsessing on everything being inch perfect in accordance to certain ratios and alignments like they did.
I mean if you look at the ancient greek gods family tree you might notice it bears a striking resemblance to how we today explain the big bang theory. There is also evidence pointing towards the greats greek minds if ancient Greece talking about stuff that we today would know and recognize as string theory and quantum physics or the possibility of outside influences upon human dna or the importance of language and the development of it etc etc etc Theres alot more we have lost, thanks to Caesar burning down the library of Alexandria and then later the fanatic christians burning it down completely and with that gone and those works of wonder along with it, there is no telling how advanced the ancient greeks really were.
You might be interested in Anchorites: typically women, often disgraced aristocrats, who were walled up a cell attached to a church. They were brought food and have advice until their death. Often the only window was one giving them a view of the church altar. They were considered holy people who had entirely given themselves to worship.
Some cultures stay on a pillars for days/years to see visions, other cultures just take some natural vision inducing items to see visions. Seems like the later would be the best route.
An elder brother of mine had an old copy of "Ripley's Believe It or Not" that had an article about an ascetic who lay still with a seed in a mound of dirt on his lower lip until the seed germinated and sprouted from the dirt. The edition was from 1934. People do strange things. Not that this has much to do with Ancient Architecture, but the same book mentioned a couple of pole sitters as well. If you can find an edition copied online you would have material for months to stun your audience. I have not seen the book for decades.
I, too, never heard of this practice before your video. I've occasionally seen pictures of monasteries built on top of natural rock formations in locations of the Mediterranean world - like Greece, Italy, and the Balkans around the Adriatic Sea - but never single individuals perched on top of a pillar. I suppose it's similar in principle to ascetics living in remote caves in the Himalayas. Thank you for revealing another example of bizarre human behavior! I do support having the freedom to express oneself so long as it doesn't harm or inconvenience others.
The stylites remind me a bit of how Buddhist monks would set up temples on mountain tops. Interesting how we're always trying to go up to find answers.
Up is where everything came from that makes us question everything here in earth. So the sun will let out a blast everyone will never forget. Well the ones who are unlucky enough to survive.
super interesting Matt. the story of stylite dwellers and David Blaines hallucinations of buildings with animal heads is very similar to the cover of Steely Dan's "Royal Scam".
@@AncientArchitects you have made the quarantine lockdown a much more inspiring moment in time. your work is appreciated and I contribute. stay safe Matt.
A Stylite saint was mentioned in Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court". The man would bow his body incessantly and the Yankee connected him to a sewing-machine on the ground. He got hundreds of shirts made before the saint got him to his reward.
History built on more ancient history. It reminds me of the Mayans or Aztecs building on top of ancient megalithic structures. It is not the same quality work but history nonetheless. Good video Matt.
I remember a fad in the USA called "pole sitting" during the late 1960's and '70's. Also, several local radio DJs would, as a stunt, camp out on their rado station's billboard for days or weeks at a time, for promotional purposes.
I think perhaps you may be confused on your timeline. Pole sitting was during the Great Depression when people would do anything for some publicity in order to get money to live on. It's also when the "riding a barrel over Niagara Falls" thing started, if memory serves me correctly.
@Jeff Guse Yeah I remember the streaking thing. I grew up in a very rural area so we didnt see any DJs doing stunts. The pole sitting must have been a retro thing then.
@Jeff Guse Interesting. I didnt remember the local stations thing. But I do remember KAAY out of Little Rock Arkansas. Beaker Street kept me up to 2 AM. I did alot of sleeping in school, lol.
Your awesome Matt, I'd never ever have seen this or known anything about.. Roman history is not my favourite subject, so I'd not have looked, but you did, and I'm glad, greatful and again, your work gets better every week!! 👍
Evidently, when old building parts are removed for use elsewhere, the columns may be unusable due to shape and location of the parts - so rectangular parts (like the apartment on top) had to come down.
I really enjoy your channel, and appreciate all the time and research you put into it. This brings to mind Meteora, Greece, where Orthodox monastics built beautiful monasteries on top of the natural pillars of the area. Its a marvel how they did it before modern technology. Thank you, for the never failing interesting content.
I agree. The stylite home on top of the column was part of greek History and deserved to be preserved. But all the fuzz was about the classical period back then.
fascinating content as usual. worth noting that the repurposing of ancient buildings is often kept in place. some of the ruins around the pyramids for example and indeed the pyramids themselves.
Oh, I get to feel smart today: I did indeed about the Syrian Simeon Stylites, and his 30+ years atop a pillar. That's about all I knew about him, and I had no idea the practice of living on pillars was widespread to the point of someone building a structure on the ruins of the Athenian Temple of Zeus; but since I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever been slightly more knowledgeable about an obscure historical practice presented in an AA video, I'm going to embrace the transitory feeling of minor accomplishment.
The phenomenon of stylite monks is an ancient tradition in Eastern Orthodoxy. You can still find active ones in Greece (such as Meteora), Georgia, and Bulgaria, as well as other countries. Even early Irish monks did this. Have you ever heard of Skellig Michael?
Ive been there myself, those pilars are VERY high, highest ive seen. also if anyone goes to the Acropolis , be careful, the millions of shoes over thousands of years have made the stones VERY slippy. no one tells you that.
Absolutely fascinating video! Love the new content. Hilarious when you said " I wonder what his view of the world was after 36 years" 😂. Full blown tripping most likely
Thank you for watching! If you want to support the channel, you can become a Member of the channel at ua-cam.com/channels/scI4NOggNSN-Si5QgErNCw.htmljoin or I’m on Patreon at www.patreon.com/ancientarchitects
Nice always loved the ancient Greeks 🤘😜🤘
Living on top of a column or in the middle of the woods not much difference you would think.
There is a very interesting chapel near Soria, Spain, called San Baudelio de Berlanga. At the center is a pilar shaped like a palm tree with a tiny nook at the top.
@@noahkirkpatrick3528 Spain ... The tampad of the planet earth
You do have a sense of humor. " Was this Zeus scaling down and being defiant"? Hahaha Now that's funny.. I like that side of you.
Stylite dwellings. Stylites were "pillar dwellers", a type of Christian ascetic who lived their lives atop pillars, preaching, fasting and praying and were common during the Byzantine empire. You should read "In The Shadow of The Sword" by Tom Holland for interesting insights into the lives of the most famous stylites of history.
I will check it out. Thank you
I didn't know spider man wrote a book
@@sideeggunnecessary much easier for him to scale up and down the columns
@@jozz2248 that makes sense
@@sideeggunnecessary lol
That's actually funny. I can imagine some strange Monty python type of sketch with a hermit man living on top of a column
Ni
S'just a flesh wound, he's fine
I had not heard of stylites before. This episode did jog my memory of a scene from one of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy books where Arthur meets with a saint or monk who lives on top of a pillar.
The one with the solar powered photocopier and flatulent hermit in a cave? That was my first thought.
@@neilbain8736 Yes!!! That scene!! Oh the old hag and her photocopier, swatting flies🤣
@@lyra2112 That was brilliant!
Lol. Good shit
" It's imperative that we get drunk, right now, immediately!"
The idea of stylites and other extreme asceticism is the performance of extreme physical feats which could only be explained to be happening with the aid of supernatural assistance, thus proving the power and glory of their god and the worthiness of the ascetic to receive such favor. Remember the early stylites didn't have little huts to shelter in but simply stood like Blane on surfaces too small to lay down on through all kinds of weather year round and often, especially early on, through all sorts of taunts and objects thrown at them from passers by. If ever lost concentration enough from sleepiness they'd fall to their deaths, so clearly they had to sleep standing up which would seem to most in those days to be impossible, thus divinely assisted. Prolonged standing and sleep deprivation is used even today as a torture so doing so for years and not going insane would require extreme grace (meaning both coolness under pressure and also divine favor). The stylite could come down whenever they wanted, but chose not to. Finally the utter reliance of the stylite on random acts of charity from strangers to not starve or thirst to death was an inspiration to the general public to remember christian charity. If you don't support that guy on top of the pillar who's in excruciating pain to prove the worth of his god and who's ability to endure it is such a proof, well, you're conscious is on you at that point. Maybe the member of him, whatever you do, and the worthiness as proved by his holiness will cause you to pass by without thinking somebody else who is helpless and in need who isn't nearly so grand and worthy.
Remind me of Ace Ventura when nature calls. "Earthquake Test.."
We need more men like this - they are the pillars of society
Groan 🤣
Pillar Dwellers?
Ha ha ha ha .....very droll. But a good one I will pay that.
It is staggering how little they knew about everything but their construction skills still amaze us modern humans.
all we have is their refuse, in a way
You’re assuming quite a bit here.
they were obsessed with geometry. they considered it as a way of communicating with the logos. so whilst we can now build far larger projects, we don't spend all of our brain power obsessing on everything being inch perfect in accordance to certain ratios and alignments like they did.
I mean if you look at the ancient greek gods family tree you might notice it bears a striking resemblance to how we today explain the big bang theory.
There is also evidence pointing towards the greats greek minds if ancient Greece talking about stuff that we today would know and recognize as string theory and quantum physics or the possibility of outside influences upon human dna or the importance of language and the development of it etc etc etc
Theres alot more we have lost, thanks to Caesar burning down the library of Alexandria and then later the fanatic christians burning it down completely and with that gone and those works of wonder along with it, there is no telling how advanced the ancient greeks really were.
Beauitful structures, but we know how they were made. No mystery, just big projects for their days.
Everyone:
What is that?
Stylites:
We are the knights who say ni!!
Hahaha
😂😂😂😂
Lmao. GREAT STUFF
Lol
Psst! Wanna buy a shrubbery, cheap?
Not too big, either.
Thanks Matt, always good to see new content from you. Be well.
Thank you
You're on a roll! All these videos of habitats atop amazingly high places! Excellent research! Thank you for sharing! I learned a lot!
I enjoyed researching it and making it :)
You might be interested in Anchorites: typically women, often disgraced aristocrats, who were walled up a cell attached to a church. They were brought food and have advice until their death. Often the only window was one giving them a view of the church altar. They were considered holy people who had entirely given themselves to worship.
I’ll do some research - cheers
Sounds similar to the vestal virgins of Rome
Religion! Cruel and unusual brain washing.
@@sammycinnamon7300 lol some things never change.
Another day and yet another fantastic video from Matt.
Thanks for this brother.. all the best
Thank you!
Some cultures stay on a pillars for days/years to see visions, other cultures just take some natural vision inducing items to see visions. Seems like the later would be the best route.
This video was incredibly interesting, I had no idea Stylites were a thing.
My life is never going to be the same
This channel is just a gift to mankind! thank you!
Wow! I never knew anything about this. Thanks for sharing! ❤️
thanks for the video, greetings from Athens Hellas [Greece]
Nice video, the world never runs out of fascinating things like this!
There seems to be a never ending list of topics
This is the most interesting thing I’ve seen in a long time. How crazy!
Super cool content I’ve never seen covered yet. Great video!
Thanks for watching
An elder brother of mine had an old copy of "Ripley's Believe It or Not" that had an article about an ascetic who lay still with a seed in a mound of dirt on his lower lip until the seed germinated and sprouted from the dirt. The edition was from 1934.
People do strange things.
Not that this has much to do with Ancient Architecture, but the same book mentioned a couple of pole sitters as well. If you can find an edition copied online you would have material for months to stun your audience. I have not seen the book for decades.
I, too, never heard of this practice before your video. I've occasionally seen pictures of monasteries built on top of natural rock formations in locations of the Mediterranean world - like Greece, Italy, and the Balkans around the Adriatic Sea - but never single individuals perched on top of a pillar. I suppose it's similar in principle to ascetics living in remote caves in the Himalayas. Thank you for revealing another example of bizarre human behavior! I do support having the freedom to express oneself so long as it doesn't harm or inconvenience others.
Agreed. Well said
The stylites remind me a bit of how Buddhist monks would set up temples on mountain tops. Interesting how we're always trying to go up to find answers.
Yes!
Up is where everything came from that makes us question everything here in earth. So the sun will let out a blast everyone will never forget. Well the ones who are unlucky enough to survive.
I guess that is because digging down is far more complicated.
Now check out Anchorites, who bricked themselves into little cells in medieval churches.
I’m gonna! Someone else said the same!
@@AncientArchitects There are famous Saints who lived in the Pechersk Cave monastery in Kiev who did this, being fed through holes in the brick wall.
Made my Monday!
Had never heard of Stylites before. Thanks much!
Those closing insights were seriously the bomb 💣
It was an abomination. Imagine that monstrosity on the Great Pyramid? Nasty job running the buckets.
super interesting Matt. the story of stylite dwellers and David Blaines hallucinations of buildings with animal heads is very similar to the cover of Steely Dan's "Royal Scam".
Yeah?! Thanks for watching!
@@AncientArchitects you have made the quarantine lockdown a much more inspiring moment in time. your work is appreciated and I contribute. stay safe Matt.
Fascinating as always, great video. Thanks
Thanks a lot I really appreciate your Channel
I appreciate the viewers and the supportive comments. Thank you
I enjoyed this interesting video. Thank you.
Nicccccce! Always love to learn new things. Fantastic!👍🏼👍🏼
A Stylite saint was mentioned in Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court". The man would bow his body incessantly and the Yankee connected him to a sewing-machine on the ground. He got hundreds of shirts made before the saint got him to his reward.
Awesome job as always
Wow. All news to me! Thank you for adding to my abundant but rather random store of ancient architectural knowledge. Much appreciated.
Greek likes here.. Amazing ancient stuff in Greece and hidden treasures of the past🇬🇷♥️♥️
History built on more ancient history. It reminds me of the Mayans or Aztecs building on top of ancient megalithic structures. It is not the same quality work but history nonetheless. Good video Matt.
Wow that's fascinating... I have never heard of that... great find.. your channel is so educational... thanks
That's what I thought it was, just after the first minutes of the video.
Thank you so much! Greetings from Athens Greece!
Cool story Matt. Love Greek history.
This feels like a Monty python sketch
Yeah I think these guys were naked with fig leaves on their bits.
I remember a fad in the USA called "pole sitting" during the late 1960's and '70's. Also, several local radio DJs would, as a stunt, camp out on their rado station's billboard for days or weeks at a time, for promotional purposes.
Not religious purposes? 😂
I think perhaps you may be confused on your timeline. Pole sitting was during the Great Depression when people would do anything for some publicity in order to get money to live on. It's also when the "riding a barrel over Niagara Falls" thing started, if memory serves me correctly.
@Jeff Guse Yeah I remember the streaking thing. I grew up in a very rural area so we didnt see any DJs doing stunts. The pole sitting must have been a retro thing then.
@Jeff Guse Interesting. I didnt remember the local stations thing. But I do remember KAAY out of Little Rock Arkansas. Beaker Street kept me up to 2 AM. I did alot of sleeping in school, lol.
@@billd.iniowa2263 no - I lived in Decatur, IL in the 1960's and '70's and remember my mom taking us kids out to watch a "pole sitter"
awesome content, thank you
I was thinking about temple of Artemis & ancient Greece & damn you made this video
That’s fascinating.
Thanks for the upload
Never saw this before. Wow
Me neither until recently!
@@AncientArchitects yeah. Looks like a pic from a paralel universe.
So many times I watched picture's from that area. Just wow.
This was a strange and real interesting video, love the content!
I'm always blown away by your content, honestly thank you , for opening my third eye👁
LOL! Yes, they should have left the dwellings there! It adds to the story, making it even more interesting!!
Your awesome Matt, I'd never ever have seen this or known anything about.. Roman history is not my favourite subject, so I'd not have looked, but you did, and I'm glad, greatful and again, your work gets better every week!! 👍
Yes, Paul Cooper.
I’m a big fan of his work, Fall of Civilizations is such a fantastic podcast.
I personally never heard of that type of building before I glad you had on u tube. Thank you very much for the information.
You're right about keeping the stylite adobe.
i enjoyed this video and your research !
Thanks for your time and effort making videos like this !
Much better than going to class !
Evidently, when old building parts are removed for use elsewhere, the columns may be unusable due to shape and location of the parts - so rectangular parts (like the apartment on top) had to come down.
Interesting and bizarre. Probably you’re funniest video yet.
Thanks, that was very interesting. I love learning new things!
Never heard of pillar saints before now! ❤️❤️❤️
Very interesting that they took down the building.
I really enjoy your channel, and appreciate all the time and research you put into it.
This brings to mind Meteora, Greece, where Orthodox monastics built beautiful monasteries on top of the natural pillars of the area. Its a marvel how they did it before modern technology.
Thank you, for the never failing interesting content.
It was probably just an Air BnB up there
How much would you pay for a night?
I guess it would depend on if Zeus-like powers come with it!
How ridiculous to have removed that incredible building. It’s part of ancient history regardless of whether or not it is original.
I never heard of pillar saints, that is very interresting !
I agree. The stylite home on top of the column was part of greek History and deserved to be preserved. But all the fuzz was about the classical period back then.
fascinating content as usual. worth noting that the repurposing of ancient buildings is often kept in place. some of the ruins around the pyramids for example and indeed the pyramids themselves.
Nice to see you’ve veered away from Egypt.
Very Interesting 🧐, thank you!
Wow another great video.
In those days, they call it Stylite, today we call it Penthouse.
I learned something today :) Thanks.
Up a pole or down a hole, it’s Monty Python rigmarole! 🤪
He was a ‘pillar of the community’.
Couldn't keep that one bottled up could ya Brian ;)
@@prdoohan lol!!
Who ever lived there just wanted a room with a view .
Good subject for a Monty Python sketch!
You should never remove something this hilarious!
Thank you! That is most interesting and well observed.
There is a film by Bunuel called Simon of the desert about a bloke living on top of a column.
Oh, I get to feel smart today: I did indeed about the Syrian Simeon Stylites, and his 30+ years atop a pillar. That's about all I knew about him, and I had no idea the practice of living on pillars was widespread to the point of someone building a structure on the ruins of the Athenian Temple of Zeus; but since I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever been slightly more knowledgeable about an obscure historical practice presented in an AA video, I'm going to embrace the transitory feeling of minor accomplishment.
amazing, but how awesome to live up there, the view
I knew about pilar saints very well
i remember reading this book on sufi mystics in finnish where it was said that these "column mystics" also used to exist in the islamic world as well!
The pillars of faith
Wow , never heard of that. Thank you, Matt.
♥️⛰♥️
This is why I make a point to drop by. Thanks.
The phenomenon of stylite monks is an ancient tradition in Eastern Orthodoxy. You can still find active ones in Greece (such as Meteora), Georgia, and Bulgaria, as well as other countries. Even early Irish monks did this. Have you ever heard of Skellig Michael?
Did not know that, about Stylites. Thank you.
Nicely odd. Thank you.
5:31 the wall in the foreground looks like similar, if not the very stones used to build atop the end pillar.
brien forester: must have been an ancient high tech, medieval people couldnt use rope
Fascinating 🙏
I'd be afraid of a wind gust tipping it over, but cool place to live. I agree it's part of the history
Wait, so some dude in the 14th Century went up and stayed up for 37 years? I mean a wooden ladder would work fine.
To build it?
Ancient Architects:
"Who Lived on Top of the Temple of Olympian Zeus Pillars in Greece?"
Zeus:
"Zeus!"
Ive been there myself, those pilars are VERY high, highest ive seen. also if anyone goes to the Acropolis , be careful, the millions of shoes over thousands of years have made the stones VERY slippy. no one tells you that.
I think the bigger question is why was this building destroyed at all, who wouldn't enjoy looking at it
Well done!!!
When you remember Terry Pratchett mentioned this in Small Gods...
The difference between them and David blain is David didn't get to sleep or go to the bathroom or eat n drink but they did
Hopefully, there were two different buckets well- marked.
It's likely he used a hologram...
great piece...... I know there are some sadhu ascetics doing similiar during our modern era
Absolutely fascinating video! Love the new content. Hilarious when you said " I wonder what his view of the world was after 36 years" 😂. Full blown tripping most likely