The Late Byzantine painter Manuel Panselinos - supposed producer of the famous Protaton frescoes on Mount Athos - is hailed today as the exemplar of what it means to be an Orthodox artist. This paper examines the historical evidence for the existence of Panselinos. While this examination does lead to criticism of Athonite oral tradition, this paper is not an irreverent dismantling of monastic wisdom. Instead, it proposes that a metaphorical interpretation of the name "Manuel Panselinos" can both contribute to the Protaton's justifiable mystique, and assist in impeding further encroachment of the "art" paradigm in the study of Byzantine images.