Kombolói

Trademark of rebetiko culture!
.

Komboloi:Created with 3D software by SDimis

My journey in grasping the pre-war rebetiko style, brought me face to face with a traditional accessory used by rebetes of that era....the komboloi. I thought to write some information I collected from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/) :

"Kombolói or kompoloi (Greek: κομπολόι, bead collection) is a part of modern Greek culture, used to relieve stress and generally pass the time. It was especially popular up to the end of the 20th century while now it has dropped in popular use. It's still though considered a traditional trademark of Greek (and especially rembetiko) culture.

Modern Greek κομπολόι is derived from medieval Greek κομβολόγιον < κόμβος "knot" + -λόγιο "collection". On a different take on the etymology, κομπολόι is sort for the phrase σε κάθε κόμπο προσευχή λέω, "in every knot I say a prayer"- κόμπο "knot"-λέω "say" > κόμπο-λέω > κομπολόι . This etymology accounts for the fact that κομπολόι evolved from κομποσκοίνι, the Greek word for prayer rope

Komboloi worry beads resemble prayer beads, but, unlike them, bear no religious significance.
The origin of the Greek komboloi is debated. It may derive from the komboskini used by Orthodox monks or the Islamic Misbaha. Armenians also have their own worry beads which serve the same purpose as the komboloi and are also non-religious in nature."