Spirituality on a String

Continued from page 3

Islam

Prayer beads are also used by Muslims. No one knows exactly when or how prayer beads entered this faith tradition, although scholars believe that prayer-bead use in Islam was adopted from Buddhism. Muslims use strings of 33 or 99 beads with one "leader" bead, which represent the 99 names of Allah found in the Koran and the one essential name. Called masbaha or subha -- from the Arabic word meaning "to praise" -- Muslim prayer beads include markers after the 33rd and 66th beads. Often subha are made of wood, or from date pits produced in the Islamic holy city of Mecca.

Judaism

In Judaism, prayer beads have been considered a form of paganism. However, because the Jewish prayer shawl known as the tallit includes a specified number of knots, we can perhaps intuit that numbers are as spiritually significant to the tallit in Judaism as they are to prayer beads in other traditions.

Made of blue and white silk and featuring fringe, five knots, and four tassels, the tallit indicates obedience to a passage in Numbers 15:37-41. In it, Moses asks that the tallit be made and looked at, specifically noting the number of tassels to include "so you will remember all the commandments of the Lord."

Native American

Beads have always had a spiritual significance to Native Americans; neck medallions as early as A.D. 800 served as talismans against threat. Certain items of jewelry and other ornamentation using beads were often integral to their healing ceremonies. For instance, Native American first used seashells and quills for their beadwork. Europeans introduced glass beads, which Native people incorporated into their beautiful and colorful work. These tiny beads were called "little spirit seeds" by some tribes, who felt that they were a gift from the gods.

Vestiges of Christian missionaries appear in the rosaries of the Yaqui tribe of Arizone, who have been Christians since the early 1600s. Their culture blends the symbolism of Christianity with their traditional Native beliefs.

Native Americans bring a spiritual philosophy to their beadwork, believing that the time it takes to make items beautiful honors the spirit world. In "A Primer: The Art of Native American Beadwork," author Z. Susanne Aikman, who is of Eastern Cherokee descent, counsels using a "Spirit bead," or a bead that stands apart from the rest of the pattern, when creating beads of one's own: "Each piece should contain an intentional mistake or Spirit bead," she writes. "The reason for this is that we are but human and cannot achieve perfection; if we attempt perfection in a piece it could be bad luck. So always remember your Spirit bead."

African

African cultures have long prized beads, though their earliest use served as indicators of power and wealth. Africans also used beads to communicate. The "love letters" of the Zulu tribe manipulated the colors and patterns of beaded offerings to one's suitor in order to convey secret messages. In Rhodesia, Matabele chiefs gave beads to witch doctors as tribute to their god. These beads were known as "ambassador beads," since they were used to elicit the goodwill of the Divine. For the Yoruba, beads represent the qualities of spiritual wisdom, the power of the gods, and the gods themselves. The Yoruba believe that using beads in ritual or on ritual objects will enhance their power. Diviners wear special bead necklaces that identify them as spiritual leaders and enhance their power. The Masai find beads so meaningful to their culture that their language includes more than 40 words for different kinds of beadwork.

Given both the religious and cultural significance that beads have held around the world, we can trust the significant precedent their spiritual power holds for our own lives.

(Click here for ideas on how to pray with prayer beads.)