A life spent between four walls in solitary confinement might sound restrictive from a modern perspective, but many lay women in centuries gone volunteered for a life of isolation to avoid the social and financial dependence that came with marriage, or the lack of rights that came with being an unmarried spinster.

To some, the privacy, excusal from domestic slavery, absolution of sin, and autonomy were all seen as benefits that came with being an anchoress.

https://www.sciencealert.com/religious-hermit-found-buried-in-the-fetal-position-and-archeologists-arent-sure-why

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