Mount Athos Treasures On View To Women After 1,000 Years

For the first time in almost 1,000 years, many of the legendary Byzantine treasures of Mount Athos in Greece are on view to women.

Almost 200 works of art from the male-only Orthodox enclave in northern Greece are on show at the Petit Palais in Paris until July. Most of the works have never previously left the peninsula, from which women - and even most female animals - have been banned since 1045.

The 20 monasteries of Mount Athos house one of the largest collections of Christian art in the world. Direct access to these treasures is notoriously difficult to obtain for men, and impossible for women.

But Paris has been granted the privilege of hosting this "world premiere", largely as a result of France's presidency of the EU last year. The Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dora Bakoyannis, described the exhibition as a "cultural event of the first order".

"The treasures exhibited here are a part of European culture," Ms Bakoyannis said. "A large number of these relics are going 'beyond the walls' of Mount Athos for public viewing for the first time by men and women."

Previously, only two very small exhibitions have been held of Mount Athos artefacts, both in Greece. The director of the Petit Palais, Gilles Chazal, said: "The monks of Mount Athos have been very enthusiastic in their support of this project." He added that the exhibition would be "hugely significant".

The original decree banning women, and female animals (except cats, which help control the rat population), from the enclave was issued by the Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomachos in 1045. Under Greek law, a breach of the ban by a woman can still lead to a jail sentence. The ban on female animals is enforced as strictly as possible. The monks maintain that the presence of women slows their path towards spiritual enlightenment.

Particularly spectacular are the displays of imperial gifts which include "one of the most remarkable objects of metalwork of the Byzantine world": a chalice belonging to Manuel Cantacuzène (1349-1380), the son of Emperor Jean VI Cantacuzène, made from a single piece of jasper and most likely of Venetian origin.

The exhibition will remain at the Petit Palais until 5 July.

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Comments

[Diogenis]

XPICTOC ANECTH !

[minimalist syntax]

Alithos anesti!

[davidwayneosedach]

It is about time!

[JohnFromCensornati]

Are you sure you are on te right thread?

[Diogenis]

Minimalist Syntax..we ran out of space. Yes, I have fascinating experiences and I love sharing.

[JohnFromCensornati]

I'd love to share my fascinating experiences as well.

[minimalist syntax]

Do. Because I want to know them. Especially, I want to understand what alienated you so much as a child. I am sincere here. In my other life I actually do teach Sunday school and I think of the kids and what the line between passing on our values and brain washing is. You would be surprise to know how much some of your concerns are important to me. I almost became your fan this week, but I thought it would confuse people too much.

[JohnFromCensornati]

Women & snakes. They can't be trusted.

[minimalist syntax]

Welcome John!

[JohnFromCensornati]

What is your icon? It looks psychedelic.

[JohnFromCensornati]

BTW - You're missing out on another lively "dea@th of religion in america" discussion even as we speak.

[janeinmia]

What no one has mentioned is that this type of religious misogyny is by no means isolated to the monks of Mt. Athos. How about the Vatican, the Western Wall (Judaism's most religious site where women are not allowed access), or any other religious institution that bars women due to the belief that they impede the spiritual progress of the men.

If you do not understand this concept (that women prevent spiritual progress) then may I recommend that you read the Malleus Maleficarum, a 15th century "witch hunter's guide" officially sanctioned by the Catholic church. There it spells out in specific detail the religious objection to women as temptresses and emissaries of the devil, sent to derail men from the spiritual path. At that time, of course, the Christian thing to do was to put such women to death.

But don't blame just the Catholics or the Protestants or the Orthodox, as this type of religious apartheid/misogyny is, quite sadly, a phenom that has occurred throughout history and still does occur around the world.

[minimalist syntax]

You are making statements about ways of life you have not experienced. Believe me, spiritual life in Orthodox is just as rich for women as it is for men. There are women saints, "spiritual mothers". Men are not allowed to live in a female monastic community either. It is not so easy to remain celibate without one's sexual nature being expressed in some perverted way. Therefore, the celibacy must be carefully guarded in a community that represents thousands of years of successfully (mostly) remaining celibate.

[terragazelle60]

Oh so seperate but equal works for the religious? Its ok that men say that if they fail to reach their idea of spiritual path...its the woman's fault? Some just did not progress from Heinrich Kramer & James Sprenger with their writing of the Witches Hammer...it was a how to on how to discover Witches...with all the ways that the evil of man can concieve. Saying that people just do not understand is not a reason to allow or exuse bigotry.

Its said that some Muslims want to live in the 14th century..seems that some orthodox Christians want to bring back the Dark Ages. What of Constantine's False Donation? After the church admitted to knowing it was a fraud...did they give the money back and vacate vatican city?
As far as experiencing a way of life...I may not know what the Salam Witch trials were like personally...but I do not need to hang to know it was about fear and man's own weakness.

[Diogenis]

It is not about religious misogyny.

[lasublime]

really?

[Pleneras]

A Greek and Italian were arguing over who had the superior culture.

The Greek says, “We have the Parthenon.”

Arching his eyebrows, the Italian replies, “We have the Coliseum.”

The Greek retorts, “We Greeks gave birth to advanced mathematics”

The Italian, nodding agreement, says, “But we built the Roman Empire.”

And so on and so on until the Greek comes up with what he thinks will end the discussion. With a flourish of finality he says, “We invented sex!”

The Italian replies, “That is true, but it was the Italians who introduced it to women.”

[Diogenis]

funny, tell that to the pope

[PatriaNostra]

The Pope is German what does he have to do with it?

[Diogenis]

This article is poorly researched.

[minimalist syntax]

I agree. It in no way gives an accurate representation of Orthodox monastic life.

[Diogenis]

I shall say good night for now. Christ is Risen!

[lasublime]

It is not an article about orthodox monastic life.

[RevSpaminator]

What did the article misstate about the monastic life in Athos?

[Diogenis]

In a one line...forget it. The article is poorly written.

[lasublime]

No it is not.

[RevSpaminator]

A bunch of old Greek men sitting around arguing theology all day. Maybe the law was more like sour grapes than a path to spiritual enlightenment.

[Diogenis]

ignorant comment

[RevSpaminator]

Ignorant about Athos, maybe. About Greek men? No.

I am one. We love to argue and debate. It could even be something as trivial as the contents of a box of cereal.

[minimalist syntax]

Actually at least some of the male monastic communities of Mount Athos are filled with young intellectuals from many different professions: professors, engineers, medical doctors, etc. Same thing in the dynamic female monastic communities. In many monastic communities monastic women are extremely knowledgeable about theology with PhD's or other advanced degrees and sacred arts such as iconography and sacred embroidery-- I know monastic women in Greece with Law degrees, Ph.D's in computer science, Ed.D.'s from Harvard, and many other degrees including ones in theology. However, theology from the Orthodox perspective is also a praxis. You can't sit around arguing a praxis.

[Diogenis]

We agree.

[lasublime]

Your point being? That's nothing new, the monastic life is well known to have produced great minds, but, my point, the ban on women is punishable. They can stay alone all they want, makes me no nevermind. The punishment angle gets my goat.

[Indie2008]

Their heads must be spinning from such dizzying social change every thousand years. Just think of the progress another millineum will bring.

[regulargal]

Sad, but true.

[IDIOTA]

I am more interested in finding out who the artists were. Were they men and women?

[Diogenis]

The artists were men.

[minimalist syntax]

How do you know? There are and were women iconographers and women monastics.

[Halter]

Pictures, where are the pictures?

[AsISaid]

They don't want women to see them.....joke.

[ApolloSpeaks]

I was pleased hear that Athos has finally caught up to Olympus and that Arianna can now read these sacred texts. On our holy mount female deities were permitted to read our holy books as of the 7th century BCE, when Sapho published her first book of verse. On that day we honored the poetess by turning her into a Muse.

[Khirad]

Mprabo!

[Diogenis]

Opa opa

[wndrwrthg]

What a bunch of buggers.

[IDIOTA]

Insensitive but hilarious and succinct.

[mKelly57]

You can't judge the past by the conventions of the present. Take it for what it is.
Hopefully they will catch up with the rest of the world....or not.

[kazy]

Not so much in the past. Quite a current sentiment as some of the archaic posts here show. Men have not stopped hating/fearing women.

[Diogenis]

In this case it is not about hating women. On the contrary, it is about faith. Mount Athos was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, according to her will.

[mwoman]

At first I thought this was significant news for women until I read the story. Mount Athos continues its custom of denying women access by saying that women interfere with their spiritual journey. Kind of strange.

[v eyepete]

How unfortunate that women do not have the right to be up everyone's Mt. Athos. There are many places in a woman's world a man can not go, but women get to always have a double standard and crabbing rights that I am getting rather sick of. I may have to retire on that mountain.

[MsBlack8]

Which places did women make a law that men could not go? Throughout history it has been men who seem to think it is okay to oppress, rape, and subject women to humiliating, irrational regulations.

And since when did pressing for equality mean "crabbing rights?" Are some people more equal than others. You go have fun on that mountain.... u and those sexist, ignorant priests. From the sound of your attitude, you won't be missed.

[kazy]

And how unfortunate that men have run this world into the ground with their violence and barbarity, killing and maiming. Murdering children, committing genocide. These ancient texts should not be denied women anymore than is should be denied to men. What century do you come from? Your sickness of women having crabbing rights sounds like a personal problem.

[janeinmia]

Please do go asap!!!

[Diogenis]

To you strange. Yet, it would avail you to google this and find out why?