In the Footsteps of Giovanni the Hermit
What is the nature of the caves?
“Caves,” began the dead man, “have always been special places. They are the wombs and the tombs that mark the beginning and the closing of life on Earth. Some, such as the cave of St. Michael the archangel in the Gargano Mountains of southern Italy, mark the spot where the final battle between good and evil will take place at the end of time.”
The Hermit nodded knowingly, for his mother had told him that very story when he was just a little boy.
“Just a stone’s throw from the church of Hagia Sofia in Constantinople is the cave of the Gorgon, Medusa,” the dead man continued. “It is a cave of death and also the birthplace of Pegasus, the flying horse. Other caves, such as those in Lascaux, France, and in Altamira, Spain, mark the places where man received his first divine spark of artistic life, as evidenced by his writing on the wall. It was in those caves that man learned to become creator. It was in a cave where the Christ was born, and in a cave where his body was entombed.”
Once again, Giovanni marveled at the paradox of how the caves marked the beginning and the end.
“You are now walking toward the mountain of the seven falls. There is a cave behind every one of them. They all mark the real beginning of your life as it undergoes a transformation and,” the dead man paused, “without telling you too much as of yet, it will be in a cave where you will die — violently.”
Giovanni closed his eyes, trying to banish that fearful image from his mind. With the inner eyes of the mystic he could see what was going to happen but just how it would happen, he didn’t yet know. Nevertheless, he was prepared to see his journey through. He had already spent 21 years in caves and deserts of South America, Mexico and Cuba before coming to the New Mexico territory.
As they approached the foot of the mountain of El Salto, Laureano de la Torre pointed to some ruined foundation stones and said, “See those towers melting back into the earth? That is where I was buried.”
The Hermit was touched by the words of the dead man. It wasn’t everyday that a man got to contemplate his own burial place and talked about it. Quietly, softly, Giovanni wandered over to the three ancient torreones and held out his hand, whispering gently in Latin: “Pax huic domui, et omnibus habitants in ea (Peace to this house and to all who dwell in it).”
Immediately the dead man felt relief, gaining hope as tiny as a mustard seed. “Come now, let me tell you the story of the Seven Sleepers,” he said.
“There was a time when Christianity was but a local practice, somewhere around 250 A.D., that a man named Decius came to rule the country. He ordered all Christians to give up their property rights and renounce their religion. He would give the people only seven days to make up their minds.
“Seven young men were reluctant to do so, however. Instead, these seven young men — Maximianus, Malchus, Martinianus, Dionysius, Joannes, Serapion, and Constantinus — fled to a nearby cave to pray. The cave was located on Mount Anchilos.
“Now, as the young men were praying,” the dead man went on, “they were overcome with fatigue and fell asleep. Decius and his armies came by and inquired into the whereabouts of the seven young men. Having learned that the men had fallen asleep inside a cave, Decius ordered it sealed, and so the men were immured within.
“Two centuries passed, and Theodosius was now the new ruler. Within that time Christianity had gained acceptance as a bona fide faith. Adolios, who was a rich landowner, had bought the property where the cave was located, and he ordered it unsealed, for he wanted to use it as a cattle stall.
“The fresh air rushing into the cave awakened the Seven Sleepers, who thought that they had only been asleep for one night. Great was their surprise when Dionysius — who had been sent out to get food for them — revealed that there were now great churches everywhere. They had started life out in a different time and had lived to experience the change in another.
“The story was so popular that it was translated into various languages. During the Middle Ages it was known as Li Set Dormanz. Prior to that, it was found in the Holy Koran itself.”
The dead man paused to look at the Hermit.
“Now you have been prepared,” he said. “You are ready to be changed by the mysteries of the seven caves in this valley. Follow me.”