Athens Museum of Komboloi

kompoloi worry beads

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.