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Some new arrivals to Crete get their first sight of worry
beads on a flight to Greece, especially if they happen to be sitting near to
a nervous Greek passenger.
However, once settled into their new homeland, many
immigrants pick up the habit, and are soon fingering the little beads right
along with their native neighbours.
But how many really know what they are all about?
As with a lot of Greek folk lore there are a few theories as
to the origins of the beads or komboloi.
The most popular theory is that they first appeared in India,
invented to help count prayers. From India, they appeared in Turkey, and
then the Turks introduced them to Greece.
The original ones were made from fruit pits on a piece of
string, and eventually the pits were replaced by amber, coral or semi
precious stones. A tassel was added and a fixed bead, or
παπάς,
also a shield, θυρεός,
to separate the two threads and help the beads flow easily.
Another theory is that the worry beads started as knotted
prayer strings called komboskini used by the monks on Mount Athos. It
is said the monks still use them to count prayers.
The word komboloi comes from the
Greek, kομβολόγιον,
κόμβος, for knot,
and λόγιο,for
collection.
It is now believed that using the worry
beads helps reduce blood pressure, ease tension and stimulates acupuncture
points in the fingers.
But does it work?
In three experiments carried out by
University College, London, researchers found that viewers who performed
tasks with their hands, such as swinging the worry beads around, while they
watched a distressing video suffered fewer disturbing memories in the
following week. |
Not only do they apparently help to
ease tension, but it is thought to be cool to be seen nursing a
frothy frappe in one hand and gently swinging the beads in the other.
In the late 1990s the sales of worry
beads began to increase, and the stones and beads went from the simple
styles to mother-of-pearl, gold, ivory and precious stones.
So if you want to lower your blood
pressure, ease all your tensions and generally be at peace with the world,
then get some worry beads and see if they work for you.
After all, when in Crete . . .
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