Komboloi, ceramic Greek worry bead chain, different versions available

Komboloi - Greek Worry Beads: Origins, History and Use

The word Komboloi (pronounced come-bo-loy) comes from the Greek words "kombos", meaning a large number of knots, and "loi," meaning a group that sticks together. Komboloi beads, also known as "worry beads," are arranged in a strand of sixteen to twenty beads, with one bead tied and set off, usually adorned with a tassel. Greek worry beads are commonly believed to have first been used on Mount Athos in northern Greece during medieval times, where strands of beads made of woolen knots were tied on a string and used as an aid to recount prayers.

Your first encounter with Greek Komboloi worry beads may have been a quick flash of beads being skillfully maneuvered in the hands of a nervous traveler or hanging from the rearview mirror of a taxicab, however the origins of this renewed trend are from the days of ancient Greek history.