AW 

: Death-like life vs actual anchoritic life.

Beginning of anchoritic life and the office of the dead:

(Part 1) Several of the prayer and psalms they are advised to recite come from the ‘Office
of the dead’ or from those usually recited after it. ‘efter þe suffragies of Uhtsong, seggeð
Commendaciun’ (p.10). This seems to suggest that she has to perform the Office of the
Dead every day to remind herself of her spiritual death.

The cell as grave:

(Part2) They should scrape up their own grave to keep themselves busy and as a reminder
of their own death and of last judgment day in order to keep themselves away from sin: “ha
schulden schrapien euche dei þe eorðe up of hare put et ha schulen rotien in. Godd hit wat,
þet put deð muche god moni ancre; for as Salomon seið, Memorare nouissima tua et in
eternum non peccabis. þeo þe haueð eauer hire deað as biuoren hire ehnen (þet te put
munegeð), зef þet ha þencheð wel o þe dom of ¦ Domesdei, þer the engles schule cwakien,
ant te eche ant te eateliche pinen of helle, ant oueral ant al o Iesu Cristes passiun” (pp.46-
7). The grave-motive is important and even became true if the anchoress chose to be buried
in her cell, though not all did.
(Part 3) the nest as a death-bed: “Iob cleopeð nest the ancre-hus, ant seið as he were
ancre, In nidulo meo moriar, þet is, ‘Ich chulle deien i mi nest, beon ase dead þrin (for þet
is ancres rihte) ant wunien aðet deað þrin, þet Ich nulle neaver slakien, hwil þe sawle is i þe
buc, to drehen heard wiðuten, alswa as nest is, ant softe beo wiðinnen.’” (p.53). The nest-
anchor-house is symbol of their being dead to the world and also shows that they suffer
outward, bodily pains while their soul remains ‘soft’ inside, that is, is purified by this
suffering. The anchor-house is their ‘grave-in-life’ or ‘grave-while-waiting-for-death’.
Their being dead to the world does not make them insensitive, on the contrary it enhances
their bodily sufferance.

Life as death is life of shame, pain and bitterness in imitation of Christ’s passion:

(Part 6) Shame, bitterness and pain are what will help the anchoress reach salvation by
feeling what Christ felt on the cross. If her heart is at peace and she contemplates heaven,
then she will feel the bitterness coming from being wearied from the world of the living.
Moreover, to live in a confined space is bitterness. Just as Christ was confined in Mary’s
womb, in a narrow cradle, on the cross and in his tomb, the anchoress’s soul is confined in
her body which is confined in her cell, which is her tomb. Her soul will go out of her body
and cell to reach heaven as Christ went out of Mary’s womb, his cradle, the cross, the
tomb, and the world, rising to heaven (p.142).

Being dead to the world but still part of it:

(Part 6) Anchoresses should take care of their reputation, that is, hardly anyone should
talk about them, because they are dead to the world, but if some treats them with insolence,
then they will feel the same shame as God on the cross and should be glad for it: “Ah ye
ahen unnen þet na word ne beo of ow, na mare þen of deade, ant beon bliðe iheortet зef зe
þolieð danger of Sluri þe cokes cneaue, þe wescheð ant wipeð disches i cuchene; þenne
beo зe dunes ihehet toward heouene” (p.143). This is the second time that care for her
reputation is discussed. Reputation is a worldly preoccupation, but if it is bad it may
endanger her purity because it might increase temptation. On the other hand, depending on
who speaks baldly of the anchoress, this will provoke her shame and this brings her closer
to Christ.
(Part 2) the anchoresses should not be acquires a bad reputation by being too talkative
with worldly people or seductive since dead people do not do that: ‘totilde ancres, ne of
tollinde locunges, ne lates þet summe oðerhwiles - weilawei! - uncundeliche makieð; for
aзein cunde hit is ant, unmeað sulli wunder, þet te deade dotie ant wið cwike worlt-men
wede þurh sunne.’ (p.21) But she can have guests if she wants, provided that she does not
spend too much time with them. This flexibility in the rule seems to be there so that she
can show some gratefulness for her patrons or her family.
(Part 8) An anchoress should not be too friendly nor eat with guests because she is dead
to the world and the dead do not eat with the living: “Sum ancre makeð hire bord wið hire
gest utewið. þet is to muche freondschipe; for of alle ordres þenne is hit uncundelukest, ant
meast aзein ancre ordre þe is al dead to þe world. Me haueð iherd ofte þet deade speken
wið cwike - ah þet ha eten wið cwike ne fond Ich зet neauer.” (p.156).
(Part8) She should not provide earthly help because she is dead to the world: “Tendre of
cun ne limpeð nawt ancre beonne. A mon wes of religiun, ant com to him efter help his
fleschliche broðer, ant he tahte him to his þridde breðer, þe wes dead biburiet. Þe
ondswerede wundrinde, "Nai," (quoð he) "nis he dead?" "Ant Ich", quoð þe hali mon, "am
dead gasteliche. Na fleschlich freond ne easki me fleschlich froure." (p.160). But she can
help people with spiritual prayers for their soul and some had visions they shared with the
people concerned by these visions.