History of worry beads

People may call them Worry Beads, Komboloi, Tespih, Masbaha, Mala, or Prayer Beads.
Whatever the name, they all help relieve stress and anxiety!

Greek Worry Beads - Komboloi

In northern Greece, worry beads are said to have started by monks on Mount Athos, where strands of beads were made of knots tied on a string at regular intervals. These knotted prayer strings were called komboskini and are examples of fine workmanship. Komboloi or komboskini are still made and used today.    

Other old-time monks made their worry beads out of handy, inexpensive materials such as wood, shells, hazelnuts and olive pits. Still today, there is a group of komboloi lovers who claim that true komboloi must only be made by organic materials like amber, coral, bone, horn, mother-of-pearl, seeds, jet (black amber). 

The Greek word for worry beads, "komboloi", comes from the time when they were used as prayer beads and combines the word "kombos" (knot), and the verb "leo" (to say), meaning, "in each knot, I say a prayer". They are pronounced "combo-loy". Today the name remains, even though they are no longer used for prayers.

Modern Greek worry beads usually have 19-23 beads, although much larger and smaller versions exist as well, depending on the size of the beads. Half-worry beads (or open-style) called "begleri" (pronounced beg-le-ry), are also widespread. An exact number of beads is not needed anymore, since komboloi are not used to count something specific, but as a companion, a tool to pass the time with, and a way to relieve tension.

In Greece, where modern komboloi are designed not for use in prayer, but for fun and relaxation, there is an important difference in design from prayer beads used in other cultures or faiths: the cord provides enough space for the beads to move. This freedom offers pleasure through the sound the beads make as they fall from the one end of the cord to the other, the feel of the material the beads are made of, and the performance of endless variations of komboloi flips and tricks. 

Muslim rosaries, called tespih, were made originally by Istanbul craftsmen and sold to buyers throughout the Islamic world. They were made from gold, silver, amber, pearls, coral, other organic materials such as elephant ivory, walrus ivory, whale tooth, tortoiseshell, horn, camel bone, and countless types of wood, including snake wood, ebony, blood wood, olive, rosewood, tamarind, tulip wood, satinwood, sugar maple, teak, and Burmese sandalwood. Even seeds and nuts like coconut, olive stones and date stones were used.  These materials come from many parts of the world, including India, Egypt, Madagascar and South America. 

Tespih made of fragrant woods are kept in closed boxes to retain the fragrance. In Ottoman times rock crystal beads were preferred in summer for their coolness to the touch, and for the play of light diffracted by the facets.

Here is the native Turkish terminology of prayer beads: at the top section of the beads, the long piece marking the beginning of the string is called "imame" (pronounced ee-mameh), meaning "priest bead". The remaining group including the tassel is called "tepelik". Notice two different shaped beads put at each 1/3 of the chain, marking each 33 beads: these are called "durak" (stoppers) and not counted in the number of beads. Imame, tepelik and duraks are three main characteristics of Turkish prayer beads. 

Prayer beads are used to practice the zikr, a form of Muslim meditation. During the zikr, 99 sacred names of Allah, some "ayet"s or some surahs of the Koran are repeated. The beads then serve to count the number of repetitions the prayer has done. Since the allowed sacred names of Allah are limited to 99, Muslim prayer beads usually are not longer than 99 units, although mystic sects sometimes used 500 or 1000 bead tespih with very large beads.

Buddhist worry beads - Malas

The purpose of a mala is to recite a mantra or prayer. Mala beads are similar to a rosary or "worry beads", and can be carried in the pocket or worn on the body, to be used whenever you need to center yourself and focus on spirituality. They also serve as a portable "sacred space"; after several months of use, you begin to relax as soon as you pick them up. This is especially helpful in our stressful careers and personal lives. Most malas contain 108 beads and a bigger bead at the top, called the guru bead. The sacred number 108 represents the number of names, or aspects, attributed to Hindu deities or gods, from which Buddhism evolved.

In ancient India, around 500 B.C., a devoted student had to say the Mantram (prayer) 108 times. However, he didn't know how to count. The solution to this problem came by connecting 108 pierced cores with a cord and tying up the two ends. This is how the first worry bead is said to have been born.  

The number 108 has several esoteric explanations: it is a multiple of 4 and 27, for 4 lunar quarters in each of 27 lunar houses or constellations. The number 27, the product of 3 and 9, is also 3-cubed, or 3 to the 3d power. As a result, 27 is a special number. As a "magic" number, 9 times any number yields a number whose digits when added yield a multiple of 9. Also, 9 is the Auspicious product of the nearly universally special number of 3 times 3. Obviously, there are many ways to reinforce the numerology of 108, 27, 9, 4 and 3. Many are timeless and transcend all practices. Pranayama Yoga states that humans take 21,600 breaths every 24-hours, in 60 periods of 360 breaths. A 12-hour "day" cycle yields 10,800 breaths. 

108 beads ensure at least 100 mantra recitations completed in a full mala turning or cycle, then counting resumes in the opposite direction, always counted in the left hand.  

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