WOMAN-HATING MONKS

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3714, 12 October 1926, Page 2

WOMAN-HATING MONKS

THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD BAN ENGLISH GIRLS' DEFIANCE With the startling ncww that, General Pangalos, tho !ato strong man of Greece, had lifted the 1,000-year-old ban prohibiting women from entering the “hanging monasteries’’ of Mount Athos there caine the story of the daring intrepidity of two young Englishwomen, who, before tho ban was lifted, climbed to the very peaks of these mysterious retreats in the disguise ot Greek boys and watched the 8,000 monks at the risk of their lives. The story 7 is told by Lucienno Philipps in tho New York ‘ Herald Tribune.’

Betty and Pauline Rowe, heroines of this nmazing enterprise, are noted lor their ; canty and their penchant for doing things 0i... of the ordinary. At a reception at tho literary tea shop of Princess Murat, iu tho Quai do ITlorloge, in Paris, recently the two girls recounted their experiences to a gathering of artistic and fashionable Parisians,, who acclaimed them •«« the only women who had ever penetrated no woman’s land” and bearded (ho loniical monks in their lairs. The fierce maledictions which the monks of Mount Alhos had hurled on the heads of females of alt species for I lie last ten centuries■ had not frightened these two adventurous girls in the least, they wanted to see if the most beautiful spot, on earth was mount to bo enjoyed by men on y. fiin whether it was true that these thousands of monks hated women so violentlv and inexorably as to exclude even tne female domestic animals from Mount Athos.

WORST WOMEN'- HATERS IN WORLD.” “ I found it to bo quite true,” said Betty Rowe, “ that tlio monks are the worst women baton* in the world: They detest even Lie female bird's, and climb me the trees >o destroy their nests. During breeding tune they catch the female frogs in I heir beautiful artificial ponds and Id 1 them. In their poultry vards there are only mire birds. The female chicks are exterminated (ho moment their sex is discovered. “In tha small town d Kalauaka we changed into (he make-up of (keek youths and joined l <i party of harvesters who were going ui) to pick fruit for the monks, b was ' a long and tedious up-lull journey, but we eventually reached a bttlo bridge spanning a ravine 2,000 ft, deep. We knocked at an "old iron-studded door, winch was opened cautiously by a sleepy-looking man in a. long "black robe. He called back at someone within, and presently let us mto a bare courtyard, where wo were inspected by a white-bearded, kocn-cycd Cerberus wearing a Russian coat 'and carrying an elaborately-decorated steel cut loss m ms “My heart missed a few boats. I think, but* neither Pauline nor T showed a trace of fear when this formidable watchman fixed his fierce black, eyes on ours. After a while we were let into the orchards and assigned to the monk in charge. 'or nearly four hours wo worked' with the rest of them, picking luscious peaches and tilling up dozens of huge baskets with them. ENGAGEMENT AS PORTERS. “Then, as luck would have it, throe-men happened along who turned out to be American visitors. Me were very , and realised that we would not get a chance to see inside of tho monasteries unless we did something more thru m H tiun pick fruit. So wo talked to the Americans and told them who and what we were and why we had come up in disguise They were astonished, and then laughed, of them said: ‘Atta boy!’ to make its feel comfortable, and then they off^ ed l ° VJ-f us on as porters. We prompt y accept Led and. with coats on our arms, followed to Americans toward the giant rock upon which stood one of tho monasteries, the Holy Trinity. . “ It looked like a tiny bird cage as wo looked at it from below. In answer to our calls, a rope net carrying one of the monks was pushed out from a at an appalling height and lowered to® bv means of a capstan. The net spi around like a whirligig, and the monk ii looked like an enormous black bass. “‘The hemp rope- that holds the ckvator,’ the monk said, ‘is never replaced unless it breaks.’ It looked rather worn but we took our courage in ooth hands and let ourselves be hoisted' up two at a time Tho monk spoke perfect English. One of the Americans asked him if Mount Alios wore dry. ‘Wc drink wine,’ answered the monk, ‘ and plenty of it.’ From the top of tho rock bo pointed to other giant boulders on which stood the deserted monasteries of Meteora bearing witness to the ingenuity of those who built them m bygone centuries.

INACCESSIBLE TRBASUHT*. “ • To-day no one can got up there, tho monk explained. ‘There seems to he no way to ascend those rocks, in spite ot tho temptation to explore their crumbling walls for rich treasure in tho form of gomencrusted mitres, golden wands, and strong boxes filled with precious stones “He was a. good-looking monk, with a long white beard framing his Horid countenance. It was difficult to imagine him a woman hater. The scene before us was marvellous—wonderful vegetation, beautiful monastic buildings! . . " Princes .and grand nobles givmg up (heir lives of debauchery, and generals in disgrace came to this spot to bury for ever their miseries and disillusions. Their rich endowments wito Uk* foundation ot jierily. Under a. constitution approved by tho Emperor Constantine Aloiiomaohiis m 1045 no women or female animal is permitted in tho land. •“Ask him why.’ I. urged one ot the Americans. “The monk’s answer came promptly. •“Woman, three times impure,’ he said, ‘would interfere with our meditations. Tho Holy Mountain is a great temple from winch thousands of prayers must rise to a tone for the. Original Sin.’ “•What a. pity,’ I thought, ‘and what a, life—drab and silent, as if filled with a deep mourning for all the delicious ecstasies of love that cannot be theirs.’ •• Id a, magnificent refectory we-—that is, my American friends—wore given quince jelly, lookooms, raki, cognac, and some coffee in diminutive silver cujis. Wo, as porters, had lo look on. A LIBRARY OF STT/ANDOR.

"A low moments la-tor wo entered the convent of Koullottmoussion, a, place filled with an utisleixi silence as if scared ol flic expiations in flic life beyond. Kxotie gardens surrounded Hie place. AN e walked on thick moss like the shepherds of Vergil, ami outvoices echoed in the arcades <>t the ancient monastery.

" In Ihe library, in spile of tho many arts of vandalism committed by the Turks, we saw treasures that- would delight ihe eyes of (ho most indilforent, bibliophile. In the great hall we. saw imperial dalmatics fringed with massive gold and silver, great tiaras resplendent, in a myriad hues of diamonds, emeralds., and sapphires; scarfs anil (utricles of the. riehesi embroidered m11;s, cross-staffs studded with gents, ami solid gold plate lit for emperors.” It was stated that General Pangalos wished to turn the monastic estates of Mount Athos into the world's greatest health resort, with funicular railways, fine, hotels, golf links, and the 1.000-yea r-oLI monasteries -as show attractions. Tie thenfore overruled the 1,000-year-old ban on women and female animois. It- is stated that the more osten.-ible reason for this sudden change in the attitude of the. (ireel; t Mivenmi.-nt was that the- count ry had !>■-. n lei ribly impoverished by the World War.