Im engrossed in a book at present called the 8th day which is based around Islamic mystism. The first few chapters were slow going until I came to a section of the book called "The Reluctant Anchorites". Anchorites in general are people who commit themselves to their faith, originally becoming religious hermits and eventually burying themselves within the foundations or structure of a church or place of worship. They created small tombs barely big enough to move and a small gap was left to receive only water and bread. It is said that these people could be seen during services and prayer, only their eyes showing, watching the worshipers. If you observe now within in many religious structures, you will find statues within the walls to commemorate the people who gave their lives like this, the statues sitting silently, they have presence.

The book went on to talk about "reluctant anchorites" and a 1000 year old folk song titled "Walled Up Wife". The song apparently was well known from Bombay to Bucharest and there are more than 700 versions of the song in different languages and dialects. In the Yugoslavian varient, a woman is immured in the walls of a fortress. In Turkey, it's a caravansary. In Persia, a bridge. From research though, it seems that the most poignant of the songs was Transylvanian. In this variation, a group of masons labour far from home, to build a monastery - only to have their work undone by night. "Spirits" were said to be at fault, and the men apparently feared they would never return home. They came to believe that the only way the "spirits" would be placated is by the sacrifice of a woman. Specifically, the first woman that should appear must be immured, buried alive, in the foundations of the bridge to allow the men to cross.

The next morning a woman was seen walking towards them some distance away, the cheif masons excitment turned to horror when he realised that the woman was in fact his young wife, come from far away, carrying flowers, food and wine. He begged the gods to allow her to pass but she was eventually cemented into the wall and the mason died of grief. When I thought about this story, whether it be a story or an actual account stretched out oever time, I pondered whether it was infact a deadly metaphor for married life? Yet when you read other variations of the story they tell of children also "walled up", so considering the religion perhaps its a symbolic reference to the immurment of the serbs by muslim invaders. Something that also crossed my mind and I will leave you with is a popular nursery rhyme that I grew up with and seems to creepily relate so well to this idea of "reluctant anchorites" and I believe everytime I now now cross this bridge, I will think of the people who may be lain there.

"London bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
Take the keys and lock her up,
lock her up, lock her up.
Take the keys and lock her up,
My fair lady."