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[[Image:Mantamados.jpg|thumb|right|Icon of Arch. Michael the "Mantamados"]][[Image:Procession - Mantamados.jpg|right|thumb|Procession at the church of Mandamados on Lesvos, Greece, during the religious festival dedicated to the [[Archangel Michael|Taxiarchis Michael]].]] '''Archangel Michael of Mantamados''' (Gr. O Μανταμάδος) refers to a miraculous [[icon]] of the [[Archangel Michael]] on the island of [[w:Lesvos|Lesvos]] and is one of the four miraculous [[icons]] of the Archangel in the [[w:Dodecanese|Dodecanese]] of [[Church of Greece|Greece]]. The monastery is known locally as ''Taxiarches'' (the "Archangel") and the feast of the icon is celebrated on [[November 8]] (the [[Angels|''Synaxis of the Bodiless Powers'']]) and [[September 6]] (the ''Miracle at Colossae'').

In either case, one the story of the creation of the icon shares the theme that the target of the main targets raids was the monastery of the Taxiarchis, where . The pirates threatened the monks with death if they would not reveal the whereabouts of the hidden villagers. The monks refused and the invaders slaughtered all of the [[monk]]s in the monastery. One except for one [[novice]]-monk, however, in his attempt <ref>According to escapewhich story you are told, climbed up the roof, and was pursued. As his attackers closed in on him, the Archangel Michael appeared novice is supposed to have either been working in front of the Saracens with his own sword drawn and forced them to retreat in fields nearby or hidden behind a panic. Thanks to this miracle from the Archangel the monk survived, the sole surviver from among his brotherhoodrock.</ref>

The monk was As the pirates where leaving, the novice climbed to the roof of the monastery to be sure that the pirates had left. However, the pirates noticed him from afar and returned to kill him as well. It is at this point in such deep respect and reverence for having witnessed the story that the Archangel Michael makes his appearance in all front of the Saracens with his fury, that he decided own sword drawn forcing them to recreate the image while it was still vivid retreat in his memoryterror<ref>According to some accounts they were drowned.</ref>. Not having any other tools but that of clay and Thanks to this miracle from the blood of the martyred monks, he began to sculpt Archangel the image. The monk did not have enough clay survived and descending to work with and so the head of the Archangel has turned out disproportionally larger than courtyard buried the rest bodies of his bodyfellow brotherhood.

The monk still in deep respect and reverence for having witnessed the Archangel Michael in all his fury, gathered up the earth that was red by the blood of the martyred monks and shaped it into the icon-sculpture of the Archangel as it is today;while it was still vivid in his memory. According to legend, the monk did not have enough of this dirt-blood mix and so the head of the Archangel has turned out disproportionately larger to the rest of his body. This [[icon]], is now kept within the interior of the church. Many islanders claim to have had personal experiences of miracles being granted for them by Mantamados. This is evident by the numerous cabinets full of ''tagmata'' (gifts) to the Archangel housed inside the church. To this day, [[pilgrimage|pilgrims]] to this church have mixed emotions regarding this icon. At times, the expression on the [[icon]] can appear severe, sad, or happy, according to the message that the Archangel wants to convey to that pilgrim or the faithful. This is the tradition of the much-celebrated [[icon]] of Mantamados.