When sleep is sweetest
we rise at the bidding of a bell.
There is no moment for idleness
or self-indulgence.
Everywhere peace,
Everywhere serenity,
and a marvellous freedom from the tumult of the world.
Hi I'm Emily, and I'm Sam,
we're here at Rievaulx Abbey.
We're here to discover what it was like to
live in a medieval monastery. Let's go!
Ah, young pilgrims,
my name is Aelred,
and I am the Abbot of Rievaulx Abbey.
Now I understand you that want to learn something about our way of life.
Yes, correct.
I think the best way to learn
about what it's like to be a monk
is to wear the same sort of clothes that monks wear.
Would you like to come and dress as monks?
Yes please!
Then follow me.
You look very, very smart now in your monks habits.
Why are you called Aelred?
My name means, noble strength, it's Anglo Saxon.
My family come from the north of England and for many years they have been devoted to the northern Saints, especially St Cuthbert.
What does a Monk do?
When you become a Monk you leave the world behind
with all its riches, possessions,
your family and instead you come to an Abbey
and devote your life to the glory of God.
What do you eat for breakfast?
We have one meal a day and that's normally the middle of the day
and that meal is a sort of... I suppose you would call it porridge.
It's made of bread which we grind up.
Then we add hot water.
And then we add whatever vegetables we happen to have depending on the season.
Some herbs, and maybe some fish.
So what you end up with is a sort of porridge with vegetables and fish in it
and that's what we have to sustain us.
Why are your robes white?
By wearing white, we are wearing the colour that wool is when it comes off a sheep's back,
so that makes it the cheapest so that's a way of showing that we believe very strongly in our vow of poverty.
Do you have to be silent all the time and if you do how do you communicate?
Well St Benedict whose rule we follow
stresses that silence is very very important for Monks, because it stops us gossiping and lets us concentrate instead on God
so we're not allowed to speak at certain times of the day.
We have a set of signs that we use to communicate with each other,
so that people still know what's going on.
So see if you can guess what these might be the signs for.
Is that fire?
Light out, candle?
Very good!
What about this?
Does that mean porridge?
Yes it does.
So you see we can communicate with each other quite easily without the use of words.
That's very clever.
Thank you.
Well, you have done very, very well and you have learnt
all about the life of a Monk in the Abbey.
But you face one final test.
And that is the test of silence.
So I challenge you, to see
who can be silent for longer?
So Emily, Sam, face each other
Begin!
And everything is peace,
and everything serenity...