Thamno̱di̱ monastery

The Holy Thamno̱di̱ monastery (Greek:Θαμνωδη) is the second monastery built on Ierá Parádeisos or Holy Paradise, a site of some of the most Prestigious and influential monasteries in all of Diadochia. The name of the Thamno̱di̱ monastery comes from the Greek word for brushy, because of the shrubs and brush of the valley where the monastery is located. The monastery was founded in 975 by three rich nobles named Andrew, Anastasius and Gregorios, who happened to be disciples of Andrew of Ierá Parádeisos.

Structure

Overtime the monastery acquried many smaller monasteries including the Monasteries of Chalkeos, Veriotou, Ieropatoros, Kaletzi, St Demetrius, Xystrou, Tripolitou, and Trochala. In the present day the monastery has 500 monks.

Treasures and relics

The Monastery Library contains 4,000 manuscripts, 48,000 printed books, 36 scrolls. Among the Monastery's treasures, there are many wonderful priceless treasures and ancient relics include,

• the Zone (or Girdle) of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary),
• Iaspis or Jasper cup, reputed to turn water into a milk like antidote to snake venom.

The monastery has many elaboratee vestments and sacred vessels, and several miracleworking icons of Our Lady Thetokos, such as

• the Docheiarissa
• the Ktitorissa
• the Esphagmeni
• the Paramythia
• the Pyrovolitheisa

The Docheiarissa

This icon called the Docheiarissa was originally found in the “docheion”, meaning container (storeroom for liquids – oil, wine and other beverages) of the Monastery. The legend around the icon goes that the Blessed Gerasimos of Thamno̱di̱ had the responsibilty of overseeing the storehouse; while under his charge the oil supply ran low and he was foreced to inform the Abbot that the oil supply was nearly gone, and they would have to withhold oil from the brethen so that the last vessel could be kept for the needs of the church, but the Abbot commanded him to deal out the oil freely without restraint. When Gerasimos went to draw off the last amount of the the jar, he found it had overflowed with oil and seated on the top was a icon of the Virgin. The icon gives off a marvelous sweet smelling fragrance.

The Ktitorissa

The legend that surrounds this icon dates back to the monastery's founding and two hunded years before its founding. During the Iconoclasm period a noblemen by the name of Nicholas, a great lover o icons hid a priceless icon of the Theotokos and a cross, placing before them a burning candle in a old well. The three founders, Andrew, Anastasius and Gregorios, of the monastery chose the old palace as the site of their monastery. While in the process of fixing up the building the three men decided to open up a long forgotten well; they opened the well and found the icon and the cross upright on the surface of the water, while the candle was still burning. found a icon of the Virgin Mary and Child dating back to the iconoclasm period hidden in a well, the icon became known as the “Ktitorissa” (Foundress).

The Esphagmeni

The legend surrounding this icon says that it was damaged by the knife of a angry Hierodeacon (deacon-monk). The story goes that the Hierodeacon was late to the refectory three times and on the third time the official in charge refused him food. The enraged Hierodeacon took his anger out on the icon and from the wound ran blood and the face of the virgin turned pale while the Hierodeacon was blinded and out of his senses for three years. The abbot and all the monks prayed for him and the Theotokos appeared before the Abbot on the last day of the third year and told him that the monk was cured.

The ashamed monk spent the rest of his life in a stall opposite the icon pleading with the Theotokos, and bewailing his terrible sin; before his death the Theotokos gave him her forgiveness but decreed that his sacrilegious hand would be the only thing to suffer punishment, to this the Hierodeacon's completely black uncorrupted hand can be seen near the icon.

The Paramythia

The legend surrounding the Paramythia icon tells the the original expression on the faces of the figures and position of the bodies of Christ and the Blessed Virgin changed when pirates landed on the shore of the monastery and were waiting to attack once the gates were opened in the morning. The story goes that the Abbot of the monastery while in prayer heard these words from the Virgin's lips "Do not open the gates of the Monastery today, but go up on the walls and drive away the pirates”.

Legend holds that just as the father Abbot turned to look, he saw the Holy child stretch out His hand and cover the mouth of His mother, saying “No, Mother, let them be punished as they deserve”. But the Blessed Virgin, taking Her Son's hand in Hers and turning Her head a little to free her mouth, repeated the same words once more to the Abbot. This last arrangement of the figures has remained permanently on the icon. The monks were saved from the pirates, and gave thanks to the Theotokos and named this icon “Paramythia”, which means “calming down” or “restrain”.

The Pyrovolitheisa

In the 15th century a, during the division of the empire and the great civil war when a muslim invading force was in the area, a muslim soldier dared to shoot at the Icon of the Theotokos. The bullet damaged the right hand of the Theotokos, and the sacrilegious culprit, who was the nephew of the commander of the squad, lost his mind and hanged himself from an olive tree in the garden opposite the entrance to the Monastery. The commander admitted that this was indeed a case of divine retribution and ordered that his nephew's body should be denied burial and left the monastery intact and did not lay a finger on any of the monks of the monastery.