Mount Athos

What mysteries are buried beneath the sanctuary at Mt. Athos? Beneath the building are seven bodies. One is believed to be a female and six are without skulls.

Interestingly, I found reference to the Belt or Girdle of the Virgin Mary being housed in the convent on the mountain.

It had been said that this belt or girdle had been given to Thomas when the virgin died. However, whenever it has been seen in public, there has been reference to fertility and curing of disease. In this reference, it was said to have stopped some epidemic of disease.

Could it be that the relic being held at the convent is actually the belt of Aphrodite and they bar females for fear of the lust that can break out among priests? In one account of a female who had broken into the convent, one priest only spoke of lust.

My theory is that the beheaded were helping to guard the female. Perhaps she was the embodiment of Aphrodite. The loss of their heads, in the universe of my books, could also signify that she was protected by vampyre and/or werewolves. Perhaps the seven could have attacked the female or been part of some kind of ritual as well.

There also seem to be different accounts of the color of the belt and the fabric it is made out of. Some say it is leather, while others claim it is blue velvet. One description exists of the belt being made of camel hair, while another says the belt is green. Again, this would likely point to a number of belts having been collected from wolves. It might also account for the seven bodies buried under the convent.

The poppies are a clue.

And, weirdly, the convent also reminds me of the Belle Isla Asylum in Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Belle is a name tied to Bella in Twilight and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Also, my father was born in New Jersey and his family has lived there for decades and my mother lived on Whidbey (near Seattle) for decades. It may or may not be a coincidence that these were the locations used in Aqua Teen Hunger Force.