The blessed Theotokos and Mount Athos

[Ken McRae]

Dear All ~

I have been under the impression that the Blessed Theotokos was the only woman permitted on Mount Athos; but recently learned that St Mary Magdalene is one of the patron saints of the Simonos Petras Monastery (http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/images/greece2005/HM%20of%20Gregoriou%20and%20Simonos%20Petras/slides/img_3257.html). How can that be if she is not permitted on the Holy Mountain, and if it is true, that she is permitted there, then how is it that some say only the Theotokos is granted that special honour?

in humility,
Theophilus

(Message edited by theophilus on 19 April, 2005)

[Herman Blaydoe]

As I understand it, the Theotokos is the only woman to have ACTUALLY visited Mt. Athos. I don't believe the prohibition extends to icons of women saints. I would be very suprised to learn that there are no other icons of women saints on Mt. Athos, but I haven't been there.

The honor accorded the Theotokos is that Mt. Athos is considered her special spiritual garden. Has St. Mary Magdalene been seen wandering the paths of the Blessed Mountain?

[Herman Blaydoe]

The following site cites an example of an icon of the Myrrh-bearing women meeting Christ from Mt. Athos...

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/bulletin/num26/galavaris3.html

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Dear Theophilus,

This rule refers not to relics but to a flesh & blood woman. So the rule is not broken by Simonos Petras Monastery having part of her relics. The monastery honours her feast day on July 22 in an especially festive way.

As one is approaching St Paul's monastery from the sea there is a chapel. This is the spot where the Theotokos met, I think it was one of the Byzantine Empresses, and told her to go back as she- ie the Theotokos- was the only woman allowed on the Holy Mt.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Actually as there have been complaints in recent decades about women not being allowed on the Holy Mt one could reply that if after you die you are a saint- we will bring your relics to the Holy Mt.

Actually this sounds like Greek humour!
In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Ken McRae]

Dear Fr Raphael and Herman ~

Thank you for clarifying the matter for me. It just seemed a little unusual to me to forbid one of your patron saints the right of passage or entrance into your Garden sanctuary. Carnal-thinking on my part, I suppose. My apology.

in humility,
Theophilus

[Olga]

Dear Herman

It is not strictly correct to say that the Mother of God is the only woman to have visited Athos. Over the centuries since the "no women and no female creatures" (do the monks import their eggs if they can't keep hens?) came into practice centuries ago, a few women tried anyway to enter, some successfully for a short while. This may also explain the "men visiting must be bearded" rule, which was also enforced until only in the last decade or so, though this rule would also guard against young boys entering monasteries (voluntarily or under duress) before they were mature enough to make such a serious decision.

[John Wilson]

While women are not supposed to enter Mount Athos, the monasteries have provided refuge for women and children in the past during the wars that have beset Greece. It should also be noted that while the Theotokos makes frequent visits to the monasteries and to individual monks, she is not the only female saint to do so. Her mother, Saint Anna, has been known to visit the sketes dedicated to her on occasion http://www.monachos.net/mb/clipart/happy.gif

John

[Anthony]

I was interested to read (I think on Monachos, though I can't find it right now) about the association of Athos with the place of refuge appointed for the "woman clothed with the sun" in Revelation. Does anybody know whether any of the Desert Fathers applied this text to monasticism in general? Many thanks.

Anthony

[Kosmas Damianides]

Simonos Petras is blessed enough to have the hand of St Mary Magdalene which is incorruptible and has a holy aroma. It also miraculously retains it's body temperature. I suppose that only the hand of Mary of Magdala touched Jesus garment before he could say "Do not touch me". I know all this because we are fortunate enough to have a monk from Simono-Petra here in Perth WA. now.

[leandros]

Dear friends,

you can find a catalog of some of the treasures of Mount Athos, as they were presented at an exhibition in 1988, in this site from Greek Ministry of Culture : Full Catalog of the Exhibition (http://www.culture.gr/2/21/218/e21800.html)

[Albert Hein]

Dear Theophilus,

This rule refers not to relics but to a flesh & blood woman. So the rule is not broken by Simonos Petras Monastery having part of her relics. The monastery honours her feast day on July 22 in an especially festive way.

As one is approaching St Paul's monastery from the sea there is a chapel. This is the spot where the Theotokos met, I think it was one of the Byzantine Empresses, and told her to go back as she- ie the Theotokos- was the only woman allowed on the Holy Mt.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

The prohibitions for women to go to Athos only began to apply after the moutain was claimed for Orthodoxy. Before Orthodoxy had its debut there, the mountain was running rampant with paganism and women.

[Nina]

The prohibitions for women to go to Athos only began to apply after the moutain was claimed for Orthodoxy. Before Orthodoxy had its debut there, the mountain was running rampant with paganism and women.

Yes, of course and I am sure that Father meant about Orthodox times. Because before that actually there was a place in the pagan Mount Athos where men were not allowed to enter at all. Just women, priestesses etc. were allowed there.

[Effie Ganatsios]

In William Dalrymple's book "From the Holy Mountain, A journey in the shadow of Byzantium" there is a reference to an English woman who visited Mt. Athos in recent times (1800-1900???). I have this book in Greek and tried all the variations I could think of to write her name and find details of this visit on the Internet. I was unsuccessful.

I've just been leafing through the book trying to more details about this woman but I couldn't find the place (it's a large book).

I recommend this book by the way. It is very, very interesting.

Some information about women and Mt. Athos :

"Τhe prohibition of men's entry and sojourn in convents and the prohibition of women's entry and sojourn in monasteries, that is, the avaton in its strict sense, is a very old concept deriving from the very essence of the monastic movement, especially since the abandonment of every material pleasure by the first anchorites included sexual continence in the broadest sense.
[…]

III

The avaton principle has been faithfully observed by all the Monasteries of Mount Athos without exception ever since they were founded. Α brief introduction to the status of Mount Athos would perhaps be useful at this point.

Pursuant to Article 105 of the 1975/1986/2001 Greek Constitution, the Athos peninsula, beyond Megali Vigla, and constituting the region of Mount Athos (Holy Mountain/ Άγιον 'Ορος), is, in accordance with its ancient privileged status, a self-governed part of the Greek State, whose sovereignty thereon remains intact."

" Personal freedom, which according to Article 5 paragraph 3 of the Constitution is inviolable, is not unlimited - as indeed is the case with any other individual right. The Constitution expressly mentions that freedom of movement may be restricted, when and as stipulated by law.

Naturally, such restrictions on personal freedom and particularly the free movement of any person cannot be arbitrary. They should be justified by sufficient reasons serving the general public or social interest and it is up to the courts to examine whether such conditions concur.

So, as none has ever thought of contesting the constitutionality of other restrictions on the free movement of persons, such as the prohibition of entry into military areas or the prohibition of hunting or fishing in several areas or during certain seasons etc., for the same legal reason there is no violation of the Constitution in the case of the avaton."


Prohibition of entry for women
In order to reduce sexual temptation, women are completely barred from the peninsula, a fact which has earned a certain amount of fame; even female domestic animals (with the exception, some say, of cats, as well as chickens, which lay eggs that provide the fresh egg yolk needed for the paint used in iconography) are forbidden.

The interdiction is punished by imprisonment from one to two years. The European parliament has urged Greece twice to change this rule, but the demand was rejected.[6]

Athos did shelter refugees including women and girls twice in its history, during the aftermath of the failed 1770 Orlov Revolt and during the Greek War of Independence in 1821"


"



Effie

http://www.saltfilms.net/zababdeh/aug02/dalrymple.html
http://www.athensguide.com/journalists/articles/athos.htm

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

effie ganatsios wrote:


In William Dalrymple's book "From the Holy Mountain, A journey in the shadow of Byzantium" there is a reference to an English woman who visited Mt. Athos in recent times (1800-1900???). I have this book in Greek and tried all the variations I could think of to write her name and find details of this visit on the Internet. I was unsuccessful.

I've just been leafing through the book trying to more details about this woman but I couldn't find the place (it's a large book).

Oh I've heard about this. Her name was Mary. But I don't think she was necessarily English.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Paul Cowan]

Here is the link to the story (http://www.athensguide.com/journalists/articles/athos.htm)and the womans name is in this link (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/08/TRG5ULIAVC1.DTL)at the very bottom.


There have been a few exceptions to the ban. During the Greek Civil War, Mount Athos granted sanctuary to refugees, including women and girls. And in the 1930s a Greek beauty queen named Aliki Diplarakou, who had won the Miss Europe title, dressed up as a man and sneaked in.

OK Mike, I am ready for the final exam in Googling now.

Paul

[Nina]

Who knows the story of the (Serbian?) princess who was taken there and held by her slaves as not to touch the ground, not to set foot?

[Effie Ganatsios]

effie ganatsios wrote:



Oh I've heard about this. Her name was Mary. But I don't think she was necessarily English.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

As far as I remember the author said she was. But, without rereading the book I can't be sure. How did she do it? Was it a lie and was she only boasting?

Effie

[Nicolaj]

I have also heard and read about this woman!

And the details Father Raphael tells about her name are most likely to be true, for they are most likely to come from the same source as I have.
As Father Rafael says she isn't necessarily English, no it appears that her roots are to be find in the orient. She was married and had most likely one child.

Hopes this helps you. Nicolaj

[Paul Cowan]

http://www.kosovo.net/history/kosovo_saga/saga02.html


Dushan travelled to visit the Serbian monastery (Hilandar) on Mount Athos, together with his wife Jelena, a feat in itself, because no female (human or animal) was ever permitted to set foot on the peninsula of Mount Athos. Today, as one visits Hilandar and walks the path leading from the small harbor to the monastery there is a stone cross-like monument where allegedly Empress Jelena heard the voice of the Blessed Mother, warning her not to enter the monastery but to stay put where she was. Even the monks who tell you this story today shake their heads in reverent awe and say: "I wonder who would have dared say that to Dushan the Mighty!"

This is all I could find on a woman on mount Athos except for the story of the Beauty Queen I posted a couple of days ago who dressed up as a monk and stole in.

Paul

[Kris]

There have been a few exceptions to the ban. During the Greek Civil War, Mount Athos granted sanctuary to refugees, including women and girls.

I've heard the same was true during WWII at which time sanctuary was granted to Jewish women fleeing persecution (how many I don't know).

[Nina]

I've heard the same was true during WWII at which time sanctuary was granted to Jewish women fleeing persecution (how many I don't know).

Wow! Thank you for this information. I never knew this! (My maternal great-grandmother was Jewish.)