Praying Beads and Praying Ropes in Coptic Art in the Context of Coptic Heritage

Abstract

In Christianity, praying beads and praying ropes are used by pious people to keep counting their prayers. By the third century AD, these beads were mentioned in Egypt through the writings of the first Deserts Fathers. Thus, they were used in Egypt even before using the Dominican Rosary in Europe in the thirteenth century AD. The invention of praying ropes was attributed to St. Anthony who tied a leather rope every time he started praying "Kyrie Elesion". In Coptic art, praying beads and praying ropes are represented either in the right hand or the left hand of prominent monastic characters. They were accompanied with the cross, the staff, and with the adoration gesture made by one or both hands. Icons from the churches of Old Cairo, monasteries of Wadi El-Natrun, and the monasteries of the Red Sea and Upper Egypt reveal the shape of praying beads and praying ropes. These hand objects are still used in modern monastic life forming a tangible element of the Coptic heritage of Egypt. In Christianity, "praying beads" or "praying ropes" are used by religious people and are accompanied with certain bodily, vocal and mental actions during their prayers. In other words, the lips, fingers, and definitely the minds of the Christian worshippers are involved during using their praying beads. 4 Thus, many religionists enhance using such beads which enable its bearer to keep track of a repetitive prayer leading to a clear mind and a relaxing phycological state. 5