The icon of the Mother of God Paramythia (Joy and Consolation, or Joy of All Who Sorrow) originates from a fresco in the outer narthex of the main temple of the Vatopedi Monastery.
There is an old tradition associated with the history of this icon. According to the monastery way of life, at the end of the service the abbot would hand over the keys to the monastery gatekeeper, as the monastery gates had to remain closed during the night. On January 21, 1320, just before handing over the keys, the abbot heard a voice coming from the icon, warning him not to open the monastery gates but to climb its walls to drive away pirates. This warning was repeated twice. When the abbot turned to the icon, he saw the Divine Child reaching out to cover the mouth of the Virgin Mary, so that the monks would not hear Her warning and be punished as they deserved. However, the Mother of God took Christ's hand in Hers, moved it away from Her face, turned Her head toward the abbot, and repeated her warning. The abbot immediately informed all the monks of the impending danger, and the entire brotherhood rushed to the walls. There they saw that pirates had surrounded the monastery, waiting for the gates to open so they could enter. Thus, thanks to the intervention of the Theotokos, the monastery was saved.
After this miracle, the icon was transferred to a separate chapel next to the main temple, which was named after it.
The celebration of the icon falls on January 21. On this day, it is moved from the chapel to the main temple of the monastery and placed on a special throne, where it remains until the Presentation of the Lord. During this time, canons to this icon are sung instead of the Theotokion hymn during the evening service. The chapel of the Theotokos Paramythia hosts a Divine Liturgy every day.
The Virgin Mary is depicted holding the Infant Jesus in Her left arm, turning Her head to the right, away from His face. Raising Her right hand, She holds the wrist of the Infant. Christ holds a closed scroll in His left hand, turning His body and head toward his Mother. The silver setting of the icon was created in Moldova in 1859, as indicated by the corresponding inscription preserved at the bottom of the setting.
Despite this type of iconography of the Virgin Mary being relatively rare, it was known in Byzantine art. 
It is most often found in icons from the island of Cyprus, the earliest of which dates back to the second half of the 13th century. In frescoes, this image can be found in the Monastery of Odigitria in Crete (14th century). Starting from the 13th century, this type, with minor differences, is also found in Sinai, Serbia, Italy, France, and Russia. The earliest images date back to the 11th century and belong to a fresco on the northern pillar of the sanctuary of the Saint Sophia church in Ohrid.
In the narthex of the church of St. Demetrius, a fresco copy of this icon from 1791 is preserved, depicting the scene of the monastery siege by pirates, and the miraculous intervention of the Mother of God warning the abbot of the danger. The abbot is depicted kneeling to the left of the icon inside the main temple, while on the right, the walls of the monastery are seen, on top of which monks have gathered to defend their abode. The pirates are put in flight. On a blue background, an inscription "Paramythia speaks to the abbot and drives away the Arabs" is preserved.
The icon of Theotokos Joy and Consolation of the Mount Athos Vatopedi Monastery is dated by various scholars to different eras. The most likely dating is considered to be the 14th century.
