Prayer rope

A prayer rope (Greek: κομποσκοίνι - komboskini; Russian: чётки - chotki (most common term) or вервица - vervitsa (literal translation); Arabic مسبحة - misbaha; Romanian: metanii / metanier; Serbian: бројаница - broyanitsa; Bulgarian: броеница - broyenitsa) is a loop made up of complex knots, usually out of wool or silk. These prayer beads are part of the habit of Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic monks and nuns and is employed by monastics (and sometimes by others) to count the number of times one has prayed the Jesus Prayer or, occasionally, other prayers. Oriental Orthodoxy also uses the prayer rope, where it is known as by the Coptic term mequtaria/mequetaria.

Historically, the prayer rope would typically have 100 knots, although prayer ropes with 150, 50, or 33 knots can also be found in use today. There are even small, 10-knot prayer ropes intended to be worn on the finger. Hermits in their cells may have prayer ropes with as many as 300 or 500 knots in them.

There is typically a knotted cross where the prayer rope is joined together to form a loop, and a few beads at certain intervals between the knots (usually every 10 or 25 knots) for ease in counting. Longer prayer ropes frequently have a tassel at the end of the cross; its purpose is to dry the tears shed due to heartfelt compunction for one's sins. The tassel can also be said to represent the glory of the Heavenly Kingdom, which one can only enter through the Cross.

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