Athens Komboloi Museum
Komboloi is the Greek word for worry beads and it comes from the
phrase: "kombo-leo", which means "in each knot, I say a prayer". Greek
men with a komboloi in their hands is a common sight in Greece.
By the time, the knots or the cores of the komboloi were replaced
by amber, which is said to encompass energy.
Amber is considered
by many civilizations to have the ability to relax the nervous
system and to have beneficial effects in the illnesses of thyroid.
In Europe, worry beads were propagated by the Crusaders, while
in Greece they became famous by the Turks who used them as accessories
for their relaxation.
In Greece, worry beads (komboloi) initially were used by "outcasts" and
generally those who had plenty of time for relaxation, leisure,
vacancy.
By the time worry beads became more and more major symbols
of valor and prestige. Today, during the century of speed, information
and intensive production, worry beads can be advisable accessories
for both men and women, as they can become a good way for relaxation
and giving up the bad habits.
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