Handmade braided bracelet Mother of God Hodegetria

The bracelet is handmade. It consists of small knots, into which two seed bead inserts are woven. The bracelet also contains a sterling silver icon depicting Mother of God "Hodegetria", which makes it not just a piece of jewelry, but a Christian symbol of faith. Thanks to a special braiding technique, the bracelet can be easily stretched by increasing the distance between the knots. This means it's is suitable for all wrist sizes.

Komboskini bracelets

Greek komboskini bracelets are woven by the monks of the Mount Athos monasteries with prayer and for prayer. The name of the bracelet reflects its essence and purpose: in Greek, kombos (κόμπος) means "knot", and skini (σχοινί) is a rope or cord.

The weaving of the komboskini bracelets is always accompanied by continuous prayer. Tying each knot, the monk says: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." Due to this, Greeks believe that komboskini bracelet protects the person who wears it. But the bracelets also have a more practical use: like prayer ropes, they are used by the prayers to go through the knots and thus count the number of prayers uttered. 

Bracelets are braided in a special way: each knot consists of 9 crosses of cord, symbolizing the nine crosses, or nine angelic ranks. Often seed beads, little crosses or icons are woven into the bracelet. Komboskini bracelets are usually worn on the wrist of the left hand, as it's closer to the heart. Believers often give such bracelets to their family and friends to remember and pray for them.

Mother of God Hodegetria

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria is kept in the Xenophontos monastery on Mount Athos. It arrived on the Holy Mountain from Constantinople and was originally placed in the main temple of the monastery of Vatopedi. In 1730, however, the icon miraculously moved to Xenophontos. For the first time, the monks decided that the icon had been stolen and placed it in its original place. However, in spite of all the precautions taken, Hodegetria disappeared again and found herself in the monastery of Xenophontos. After this, the monks couldn't oppose the will of the Mother of God, leaving the icon where she herself wished to be. In memory of the miraculous event, Vatopedi annually sends a delegation of monks to Xenophonte with wax and oil for the icon, and every first Sunday in October an all-night vigil is held in front of it.

Characteristics

Length: 18 cm

Weight: ~3 gr

Beads volume: ~3 mm

Material: weaving cord, seed beads, sterling silver