Buzz
In today's fast-paced world, where the 24/7, instant-gratification culture reigns, it's no surprise that some individuals opt to escape the chaos of modern living and seek solace in the wilderness. Here are ten individuals who chose this path, embracing self-imposed isolation and the quiet of nature.
10. Valerio Ricetti 1898—1952
Ricetti stands out as one of the most extraordinary hermits on this list. The Italian-Australian held several jobs, including miner and craftsman, in New South Wales, Australia, before working on riverboats. According to legend, Ricetti was caught in a sudden storm while out walking and took refuge in a nearby cave, a shelter he would inhabit for the next 22 years. Over time, Ricetti transformed his rocky abode into a marvel. He carved out a chapel, kitchen, stone walls, stairs, and cisterns, even creating a garden. After a serendipitous encounter with a local doctor (during which Ricetti injured his leg), the two struck up a lasting friendship, and Ricetti helped landscape the doctor's garden, earning enough to visit his brother in Italy. Ricetti never returned, and today, Hermit Cave is part of the New South Wales State Heritage Register.
9. Noah John Rondeau 1883—1967
Known as the Hermit of the Adirondack Mountains, Rondeau's deep connection with the wilderness stemmed from his earlier life as a guide in the very same region. This stands in sharp contrast to his final role before his death—playing Santa Claus at a mall in New York. Rondeau left behind what he viewed as the 'Big Business and Industry Slavery' of 20th-century America, choosing instead to live in solitude near Cold River starting in 1929. He became renowned as a true man of nature, with some hikers even referring to one of his many huts (wigwams and tepees he built around the area) as the 'town hall.' A passionate amateur astronomer and gifted violinist, his music could sometimes be heard by trekkers in the river valley. Above all, he was a master woodsman, whose bushcraft skills were honed as a young man under the guidance of a member of the Abenaki Indian tribe. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Rondeau’s life was his fame. In the 1940s and 50s, he made appearances at numerous sportsmen’s shows across Northeast America, sharing his expertise in big game hunting and trapping. On one occasion, he was even flown to an event by helicopter. Despite this fleeting fame, Rondeau remained a fiercely private person. His journals were written in a cipher that wasn't cracked until 25 years after his death in 1967.
8. Robert Harrill 1893—1972
Harrill was a man in his 60s, with little left to lose. He had bounced from one dead-end job to another and faced several failed relationships. It was no surprise then that he rejected conventional life and made his home in an abandoned World War II bunker in North Carolina. Here, he earned the moniker of The Fort Fisher Hermit. Despite his humble living conditions, it was surprising to learn that Harrill survived on oysters he harvested from the sea and vegetables he grew with his own hands. However, unlike many hermits, Harrill wasn’t averse to attention. In the 1960s, he became the second most popular tourist attraction in North Carolina, and his bunker even had a guest book for visitors to sign.
Despite his unusual lifestyle, local authorities weren’t fond of Harrill and attempted to charge him with vagrancy on several occasions. However, he managed to defend himself in court each time, and eventually, the authorities gave up, allowing him to live in peace. Harrill passed away in 1972 under mysterious circumstances. While his death was officially recorded as cardiac arrest, many believe he may have been attacked by a local gang.
7. Arthur Leslie Darwin 1879—1977
Known as The Hermit of Posseum Key, Darwin lived in Florida's Everglades National Park. In 1945, at the age of 70, he built a hut there and stayed until his death in 1977 at the remarkable age of 112. He survived Hurricane Donna in 1960, despite only having his sand-and-shell hut for protection. Though the National Park Service had banned hermits from residing in the Everglades in 1947, Darwin fought a lengthy legal battle to stay. His lawyer even struggled to convince Darwin to wear shoes to court. Ultimately, Darwin was allowed to remain, provided he ceded the land to the state. A hunter and carpenter, Darwin lived without running water or electricity, cooking his meals on a camping stove, growing vegetables, and raising rabbits for food.
6. Despina Achladioti 1890—1982
Despina Achladioti, a Greek woman born on the island of Kastellorizo in 1890, lived there until the late 1930s. However, with the onset of World War II, Achladioti, along with her husband and elderly mother, fled their home and moved to the uninhabited island of Ro. For several years, the small family survived on the island, tending to goats and chickens. After the deaths of both her husband and mother, Achladioti continued to live alone on the island for the next 40 years. She became known as The Lady of Ro, raising the Greek flag daily until her death in 1982. A symbol of patriotism, she was buried on the island with full military honors.
5. Manfred Gnädinger 1940—2002
Born in Germany in 1940, Gnädinger, affectionately known as Man, moved to the quaint village of Camelle on the Costa da Morte in Galicia, Spain. While some believe his relocation was a pilgrimage, the true reason for his stay remains a mystery. Man was a sand sculptor, crafting large sculptures on the beach where he lived. Living simply in a small 2x3 meter cabin, he subsisted on foraged food, jogged daily, and wore nothing but a loincloth. However, his peaceful existence took on deeper meaning when the 2002 Prestige oil spill devastated the beach and surrounding ecosystem. In the aftermath, grief-stricken, Man secluded himself in his cabin for days. Concerned, the locals broke in and found him dead. His death was attributed to the shock and sadness of the spill by some environmentalists. Soon after, Man became a symbol of the tragedy caused by oil spills worldwide, with some even claiming he was the first person to die from an oil spill. His story spread globally, cementing his place as a poignant symbol of environmental destruction.
4. Richard Proenneke 1916—2003
Known as the Alaskan Wilderness Hermit, Richard Proenneke moved to Alaska in 1968, where he spent the rest of his life in a remote cabin in the Twin Peaks region. His cabin, constructed entirely by hand with basic tools, was an impressive accomplishment, and its interior could easily appear in a vacation brochure. Proenneke, a passionate naturist, kept a detailed journal documenting his observations of local wildlife, flora, and his reflections on life in isolation. Although he mostly survived off the land, he had a friend who would deliver supplies once a year by plane. Proenneke's life inspired the book One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey by Sam Keith, which won a National Outdoor Book Award in 1999. A quote from Proenneke in the book reads, ‘What a man never has, he never misses.’
3. Tom Leppard 1934—present
Leppard, true to his name, embraced his leopard identity, at least in appearance. Just before relocating to the Isle of Skye in Scotland, the 53-year-old decided to cover his entire body with leopard spot tattoos, had leopard eyes inked over his eyelids, and even had cat-like teeth implants. According to the Guinness Book of Records, he was once the most tattooed senior in the world. Originally from Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, Leppard faced a difficult and challenging time in both his education and military career. Eventually, he chose to retreat from society and moved to a small cabin on the Isle of Skye. Once a week, he would travel by kayak to the local town to pick up provisions and his state pension. Leppard lived on the Isle for nearly two decades. Now in his 70s, he resides in a cottage in Broadford, Skye.
2. Józef ‘Fred’ Stawinoga 1920—2007
Stawinoga was a well-known and unforgettable figure in Wolverhampton, England. Fred lived in a tent on an island in the middle of the Ring Road for over 40 years until his death in 2007. His unique lifestyle earned him respect from local Sikhs and Hindus, who began to regard him as a holy figure. He even received an honorary degree from Wolverhampton Polytechnic. A Polish national, Fred fought against the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 before fleeing his homeland in the late 1940s and settling in England. He worked various jobs before ultimately deciding to live in a tent with all his belongings in a pram on the Ring Road. Fred passed away in 2007 at the age of 86, and the Wolverhampton City Council paid for his funeral.
1. Willard Kitchener MacDonald 1916—2004
Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, Willard Kitchener MacDonald was a pacifist who refused to participate in World War II. Instead, in the early 1940s, he ventured into the wilderness of Nova Scotia and never returned. MacDonald spent nearly six decades living in the woods, until a forest fire destroyed his cabin in 2002. While authorities often try to relocate hermits, the officials of Gully Lake took a different approach by building MacDonald a new hut in 2003. However, MacDonald was unable to adjust to his new living situation and soon returned to the wilderness. His body was discovered on June 27, 2004. MacDonald's life stirred some controversy, as he became the first Canadian to receive a state pension without ever holding a job, and some even labeled him a deserter of the war effort.
