1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:11,839 when sleep is sweetest we rise at the bidding of a bell there is no moment for idleness or 2 00:00:11,839 --> 00:00:20,320 self-indulgence everywhere peace everywhere serenity and a marvelous freedom from the 3 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:37,390 tumult of the world i'm emily and i'm sam we're here at reba abbey we're here to discover what 4 00:00:37,390 --> 00:00:47,590 it was like to live in a medieval monastery let's go ah young pilgrims my name is ale red and i am 5 00:00:47,590 --> 00:00:54,929 the abbot of revo abbey now i understand that you want to learn something about our way of life yes 6 00:00:54,929 --> 00:01:00,649 i think the best way to learn about what it's like to be a monk is to wear the same sort of 7 00:01:00,649 --> 00:01:06,370 clothes that monks wear would you like to come and dress as monks yes please then follow me 8 00:01:06,370 --> 00:01:14,530 You look very, very smart now in your monk's habits. 9 00:01:15,030 --> 00:01:16,109 Why are you called Elrod? 10 00:01:16,590 --> 00:01:20,810 My name means noble strength. 11 00:01:20,930 --> 00:01:22,049 It's Anglo-Saxon. 12 00:01:22,569 --> 00:01:24,469 My family come from the north of England 13 00:01:24,469 --> 00:01:27,989 and for many years they've been devoted to the northern saints, 14 00:01:28,209 --> 00:01:30,150 especially Saint Cuthbert. 15 00:01:30,450 --> 00:01:31,530 What does a monk do? 16 00:01:31,909 --> 00:01:35,650 When you become a monk, you leave the world behind 17 00:01:35,650 --> 00:01:38,909 with all its riches, possessions, your family, 18 00:01:38,909 --> 00:01:43,689 And instead, you come to an abbey and you devote your life to the glory of God. 19 00:01:44,010 --> 00:01:45,629 What do you eat for breakfast? 20 00:01:46,030 --> 00:01:49,069 We have one meal a day, and that's normally in the middle of the day. 21 00:01:49,469 --> 00:01:53,250 And that meal is a sort of, I suppose you'd call it porridge. 22 00:01:53,549 --> 00:01:56,430 It's made of bread, which we grind up. 23 00:01:57,609 --> 00:01:59,510 Then we add hot water. 24 00:02:00,930 --> 00:02:04,370 And then we add whatever vegetables we happen to have, depending on the season. 25 00:02:05,430 --> 00:02:07,769 Some herbs, and maybe some fish. 26 00:02:07,769 --> 00:02:12,250 so what you end up with is a sort of porridge with vegetables and fish in it 27 00:02:12,250 --> 00:02:18,689 and that's what we have to sustain us why are your robes white by wearing white we're wearing 28 00:02:18,689 --> 00:02:23,569 the color that wool is when it comes off a sheep's back so that makes it the cheapest so 29 00:02:23,569 --> 00:02:27,889 it's a way of showing that we believe very strongly in our vow of poverty do you have to 30 00:02:27,889 --> 00:02:34,030 be silent all the time and if you do how do you communicate well saint benedict whose rule we 31 00:02:34,030 --> 00:02:39,710 follow stresses that silence is very very important for monks because it stops us gossiping 32 00:02:39,710 --> 00:02:45,770 and lets us concentrate instead on god so we're not allowed to speak at certain times of the day 33 00:02:45,770 --> 00:02:50,409 we have a set of signs that we use to communicate with each other so that people still know what's 34 00:02:50,409 --> 00:02:59,530 going on so see if you can guess what these might be the signs for is that like fire like light out 35 00:02:59,530 --> 00:03:00,530 Candle. 36 00:03:00,530 --> 00:03:01,530 Very good. 37 00:03:01,530 --> 00:03:03,530 What about this? 38 00:03:03,530 --> 00:03:05,530 Does that mean porridge? 39 00:03:05,530 --> 00:03:06,530 Yes, it does. 40 00:03:06,530 --> 00:03:09,530 So you see, we can communicate with each other quite easily 41 00:03:09,530 --> 00:03:11,530 without the use of words. 42 00:03:11,530 --> 00:03:12,530 That's very clever. 43 00:03:12,530 --> 00:03:13,530 Thank you. 44 00:03:13,530 --> 00:03:20,169 Well, you have done very, very well. 45 00:03:20,169 --> 00:03:25,169 You have learnt all about the life of a monk in an abbey. 46 00:03:25,169 --> 00:03:27,169 But you face one final test, 47 00:03:27,169 --> 00:03:31,169 and that is the test of silence. 48 00:03:31,169 --> 00:03:37,090 So I challenge you to see who can be silent for longer. 49 00:03:37,349 --> 00:03:39,569 So Emily, Sam, face each other. 50 00:03:41,759 --> 00:03:42,120 Begin. 51 00:03:50,430 --> 00:03:51,490 And everything is peace. 52 00:03:52,129 --> 00:03:54,009 And everything serenity.