When a Greek Orthodox monk passed away at the age of 82, all the other monks living at Mount Athos gave him a special burial. They believed that he was the only man in the world who had never seen a woman in his entire life. He learned about their existence only through descriptions in books and from his peers. It’s also said that he had never seen a car, airplane, or even a movie.
Michael Tolotos was born around 1856, and his life faced a tragic start when his mother passed away a mere four hours after his birth.
With no father or other family members coming forward, the baby was abandoned on the steps of a monastery situated atop Mount Athos. Fortunately, the monastery took him in and became his new home.
Laws forbidding women and domestic animals, such as cows or sheep, from entering the Mount have existed since the 10th century.
The reason behind this rule was to ensure that all the monks living in all the monasteries of Mount Athos could fulfil their requirement to stay celibate for their entire life.
However, he could have ventured into the wider world and could of easily come across a member of the opposite sex but the decades Tolotos never left Mount Athos.
Tolotos died in 1938 after never being curious enough to leave his home. Read more