| Actual Image
Kompoloi Storre House (2)
aimilios
![Silver Note Writer [C: 7 W: 7 N: 27]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/n-n-s.gif) (559) | The Greek word for worry beads is kompoloi (Greek: κομπολόι), often spelled koboloi, komboloi, or coboloi and was first introduced by the Turks. From the Turks it became popular, as an accessory at the hands of the dignitaries and sovereigns as symbol of force, wealth and power. Soon kompolois became popular among the common people as means for meditation and companion in lounging and to calm the pain.
Because kompoloi is a accessory able to cover various human needs, it passed to the hands of antisocial elements. For them it became symbol of independence, freedom and reactive and rough behaviour. The above, in addition to the intensification of the production and the rhythms of life after the second World War, lead to the decay of kompoloi, since the new conditions and ideologies created societies of people struggling to success and survive. During that period worry beads were only popular among religious people. They used names such as Deitiko Stefani tis Panagias (Greek: δεητικό στεφάνι της Παναγιάς), meaning "Praying Crown of Virgin Mary" or paterimi (Greek: πατερήμι). However the most common name for the religious worry beads is worry knots or komposkini (Greek: κομποσκοίνι), meaning a rope with knots, because the religious persons in each knot say a prayer. The Greek word for worry beads: kompo~loi (Greek: κομπο~λόι) also derived from this expression: "in each knot he says" which in Greek language is translated to "se kathe kompo leo" "Greek: σε κάθε κόμπο λέω".
When tourism development in Greece occurred, kompoloi, being an important element of Greek culture and tradition, became again popular but this time as a souvenir sold to tourists. During this period kompoloi was a just kitschy festoon usually made of plastics, metals, or machine made silver platted beads and had nothing to do with the jewel of superior aesthetics and a symbol of wealth, power, freedom and prestige that used to be in the past.
Info:www.kompoloi.org |
|
