Sowha
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Sowha are Coptic Christian monks who dwell in the desert living off the land with aid from no man. They live neither in monasteries nor even caves, a favorite residence of desert hermits such as Anthony of the Desert. Sometimes at night, the singing of psalms by sowha can be heard in the mountain canyons around monasteries.
The sowha are shrouded in myth. Some believe if one sees or speaks to one, it means that God will soon call you home.
The sowha are believed to be closer to heaven than earth, making their transition after death to heaven a relatively short one. It would seem they are granted a special grace by which God may be pleased to send them back to earth to complete a mission for the Lord or so that their praise may once more ascend from the deserts of Egypt to heaven to the glory of God.
[edit] References
- Gruber, Mark (2002). Journey Back to Eden: My Life and Times Among the Desert Fathers. Orbis. ISBN 1-57075-433-0.
