from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Stylite \Sty"lite\ (st[imac]"l[imac]t), n. [Gr. styli`ths, fr.
sty^los a pillar.] (Eccl. Hist.)
One of a sect of anchorites in the early church, who lived on
the tops of pillars for the exercise of their patience; --
called also {pillarist} and {pillar saint}.
[1913 Webster]
The two other holy men in Gregory's narrative had more
exotic origins than the pair that has just been seen.
Gregory encountered one of them when on a journey to
the north-eastern parts of the Frankish kingdom. This
was a Lombard, named Vulfolaic, who had spent some
years in the arduous exercise of being a stylite, the
Christian equivalent of a flagpole sitter; in other
words, Vulfolaic was a monk whose main austerity
consisted in living on top of a pillar. By carrying out
this feat in the rain, snow, and frost of the Moselle
valley, Vulfolaic had convinced the local population to
overthrow and abandon the idol of Diana to which they
were addicted. --Walter
Goffart,
FOREIGNERS IN
THE HISTORIES
OF GREGORY OF
TOURS
(http://www.arts.uwo.ca/florilegium/goffart.html).