The Monk That Lived For 82 Years And Died Without Ever Seeing A Woman.
Mihailo Tolotos, an Orthodox Greek Monk, is said to have lived for 82 years and died, without ever laying eyes on a woman.
His story is so rarely talked or written about, it's even hard to find information about him on the internet, let alone in books or newspapers. Putting whatever pieces we have of the puzzle together, we can get a bit of an idea of what Michael's life was like.
In 1856, just after 4 hours after his birth, his mother passed away. Since no father or other family members came forward, the boy was abandoned on the steps of a monastery atop Mount Athos. He was adopted by the monastery and the monks named him Michael Tolotos.
Having very limited contact with the outside world, Tolotos (among many others) never met women as they were not allowed inside monasteries or on the mountain. Tourists were allowed, but only men, who came to experience the monastic life or to settle there as monks.
Bred and educated in the walled monastery, Mihailo never even once ventured past the gates of the monastery. Throughout all this, a law passed in 1060 banning women and animals from Mount Athos was in force. A law that still stands today.
Since Mihailol never had any contact with the outer world and no woman was allowed to visit the monastery, he died in 1938, at the age of 82, without ever knowing what a woman looked like. Even today, only male tourists are allowed inside the monastery and the monks are not allowed to shave, bathe, fight, argue or ask what lies beyond the walls of the monastery.
Some clarifications though, upon birth he may have seen a woman, but he just had no memory of doing so. Also, many who have been blind from birth have never seen a woman, though even they have had contact with them. Mihailol had no contact or communication with a woman whatsoever.