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A woven knot of many interlocking crosses, tied in wool.
Also known as: Komboskini, Chotki, Orthodox prayer rope, Woven wool knot
An Orthodox prayer rope is knotted in a pattern where each knot contains several interwoven crosses, and the difficulty of tying it is traditionally part of the point — the knot is described as one the devil cannot untie. It is counted like a rosary but the object and the practice are distinct.
Denotes the knot of an Orthodox Christian prayer rope, a woven wool knot containing several interlocking crosses.
Contexts: History
Is counted through in prayer, most often the Jesus Prayer, in a practice related to but distinct from the Catholic rosary.
Contexts: History
Is traditionally described as a knot the devil cannot untie, an account within the tradition rather than a claim about the knot's topology.
Contexts: History
Is tied in wool rather than beads, so the rope is silent in use — which is part of why it is used in continuous private prayer.
Contexts: History
A dense knot of interwoven wool strands forming several superimposed cross shapes, strung with others along a black woollen cord.