Description The Athonite prayer rope for the hand is thin, discreet, and waxed for greater durability. The prayer ropes are woven according to a tradition that dates back to ancient times. Perhaps one of the earliest forms of a prayer aid was the gathering of small stones or seeds and moving them from one point or container to another during the “rule” of prayer or the “rule” of small or large prostrations. There is also a story of a monk who thought to make simple knots in a rope and use it in his daily “rule” of prayer. However, the devil would undo the knots and frustrate the poor monk’s efforts. Then an Angel appeared and taught the monk a special knot, as is now found in prayer ropes, consisting of successive crosses. These knots the devil could not undo because of the presence of the crosses. With the help of the prayer rope, short prayers can be said, such as the tax collector’s prayer: “God, be merciful to me, the sinner,” the prayer to the Theotokos: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us,” or other short prayers to the guardian angel, individual saints, or all saints. The usual form of such a prayer is: “Holy Angel” or “Holy (name), pray for me.” By turning the words of these short prayers into “have mercy on us” or “pray for us,” or by including the name or names of people for whom we wish to pray, we can also use the prayer rope for intercessions for others. The same applies to prayers for the deceased: “Grant rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your servant.”
