"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." ~Henry David Thoreau
This hermit seems a bit like the desert fathers, but instead of the desert, he has chosen the forest. He comes not to hide away, but to see the truth within himself. By being alone, and living simply, he is not distracted or too busy to see this truth.
“If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi
This hermit also reminds me of St. Francis, who loved the animals as much as people. When I saw his strange posture, I thought perhaps the animals had alerted him to another injured animal. He was in such a hurry to care for it, that he had to stop suddenly when he came upon it (which is why the lantern swings outward). The other animals look with concern upon the animal (or person?) we do not see that needs help. This is the part of the hermit that is willing to assist others.