Contents
Spotlight
Komboloi: Natural Stress Busters!
So now we enter a new year and also a new decade. 2009 wasn’t exactly the easiest of years for many people, and who knows what lies ahead? Exciting but anxious times, with many things to think about. For example: how are we going to manage to keep those New Year resolutions? Never mind, help is at hand for anybody who might be feeling a little stressed out right now. And of course - despite the hectic party scene that we have described on our This Month Page - there are plenty of ways to chill out and relax in Rethymnon in January. Long walks along the beach, enjoying a glass of wine in a Taverna, taking a leisurely excursion into the countryside….
However, that being said, it’s clear that many of us aren’t able to just down tools and escape from it all as and when. So here we focus on an alternative ’any time any place’ natural stress buster which comes in the form of ‘komboloi’ (aka worry beads). Komboloi are the traditional tool used by Greek men to reduce anxiety and / or boredom and to encourage reflective thought. They form part and parcel of Greek life and come in all colours and forms. You’ll find strings of komboloi in practically every souvenir shop in town, and it is hard to imagine waiting in line at the post office or the bank without hearing the rhythmic click of bead on bead. However, for the owner, komboloi may be much more than a way in which to while away the time and often have deep personal and symbolic meaning.
A Little Bit of History
The history of the komboloi is fascinating, mysterious, and, as you can probably imagine, hotly disputed! Some say that the earliest komboloi originated in India over 4000 years ago. Others say that komboloi were first created by the Muslims as prayer beads. These Komboloi consisted of 99 beads, which were used to help keep count while reciting the 99 prayers that corresponded to the 99 tasks of Allah. Whatever the actual origins, throughout the centuries, prayer beads have been associated with many different faiths including Hinduism, Bhuddism and Catholicism.
How, when and why the komboloi first came to be used in Greece is not clear. There are those who will tell you that komboloi derive from the ‘komboskini’ used as prayer strings by monks on Mount Athos. An alternative explanation we found is that they were adopted by Greeks during the days of Ottoman rule as a way to mock or mimic the Turkish occupiers. In modern Greece, komboloi are not associated with a specific religious ritual, and they also differ from prayer beads in that there is more space for movement between each bead on the string. This allows for playful ‘flips and tricks’. However, it is also the case that the head or lead bead, which dominates the string (generally knotted to a tassel) is known as ‘papas’ or ‘priest’….
Traditional and Modern Forms
Traditionally the preferred material for making komboloi were organic materials such as bone, shell and - most valuable of all - amber. The use of organic materials - rather than metal or glass - was considered to be particularly important due to the natural feel that these materials have in the hand. And given that the komboloi has been described by some as a ‘constant companion and confessional’ one can see why. Aside from the materials used to make komboloi, the choices of colours, forms and designs that can go to make up a string of these ‘worry beads’ are potentially infinite. This again reflects the individual and personal nature of the komboloi. In many families in Greece, a prized possession is the string of komboloi that is passed down from grandfather to grandson - maintaining continuity between generations. The komboloi are also extremely important as a way of documenting the history of the Greek diaspora. As Greeks have travelled, so have the komboloi, and antique strings of Greek komboloi have been discovered in many places across the globe - from Canada to Alexandria.
Nowadays, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to find an antique string of komboloi made of real amber in any of the standard outlets here. But as one website told us when we were researching this topic ( About.com: Greece Travel ) ‘Don’t worry, bead happy’. From fashion accessories to charms warding off the evil eye there are still a host of modern day komboloi out there to suit many individual tastes and needs! Once you have chosen the feel and look that is right for you, it shouldn’t take you long to start playing with your komboloi, and soon you’ll be clicking away with the rest of them. Relax and enjoy!
Finding Out More
One of the best known sources of information about the komboloi comes from the aptly named Komoboloi Museum and Workshop, in Nafplion in the Peloponnese. You can find out more online at the www.komboloi.gr website. This unique museum was set up by Aris Evangelinos in 1998, partly in homage to his grandfather, who urged Aris to discover the history of his own Komboloi collection. The website has an online shop, where you can purchase handmade komboloi from the workshop and also reference books.
Finally, many thanks to Dimitris for the help he gave the Bugle team to find out more about this fascinating topic.
