Pater Noster cord

The Pater Noster cord (also spelled Paternoster Cord and called Paternoster beads) is a set of prayer beads used in Christianity to recite the 150 Psalms, as well as the Lord's Prayer.[1][2] As such, Paternoster cords traditionally consist of 150 beads that are prayed once or 50 beads that are prayed thrice; one end of the Paternoster cord has a Christian cross and the other end has a tassel.[2][3] In the medieval era, those persons who were illiterate simply recited the Lord's Prayer (known as the Pater Noster in Ecclesiastical Latin) 150 times instead of the 150 Psalms, hence giving these Christian prayer beads the name of the Paternoster cord.[4]

Pater Noster Cord containing 150 beads for the 150 Psalms in the Bible

Development and use

In the 3rd century, the early Christian Desert Fathers carried pebbles in pouches to count their praying of the Psalms.[3] The Pater Noster Cord originated in the 8th century in Ireland, as a way to count the recitation of the one hundred and fifty Psalms in the Bible, which are incorporated into the fixed prayer times of Christianity.[5] Those who could not read or had difficulty memorizing the canonical hours prayed the Lord's Prayer one hundred and fifty times.[5] Ropes of 150 knots prayed once or ropes of 50 knots (to be counted thrice) were made, giving the Pater Noster Cord its current form.[5] The use of the Paternoster Cords spread throughout Western Christendom.[6]

The Pater Noster cord has been carried by Christians who wear it off of their girdle or belt, or also hang it off of "the neck or wrist or arm".[7] Others have worn the Pater Noster cord by attaching it to a brooch worn on the breast, or simply carrying it in their hand.[7]

Assemblage

The making of Paternoster Cords in the Middle Ages was done by guilds who were distinguished based on the kind of materials they used to assemble them ("coral and shell, amber and jet, or bone and horn").[8]

In the present day, religious orders such as the Solitaries of DeKoven (a community of Anglican hermits) make Pater Noster cords to support themselves.[9]

See also

References
  1. Doerr, Nan Lewis; Owens, Virginia Stem (28 August 2007). Praying with Beads: Daily Prayers for the Christian Year. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. viii. ISBN 978-0-8028-2727-2.
  2. Karras, Ruth Mazo; Kaye, Joel; Matter, E. Ann (11 February 2013). Law and the Illicit in Medieval Europe. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-8122-0885-6.
  3. Pater Noster Cord. Santa Anna: Solitaries of DeKoven. 2015. p. 1.
  4. "Pater Noster Cords". Solitaries of DeKoven. Retrieved 10 March 2022. Monks and clergy recited or chanted the Psalms as a major source of hourly worship. People living near the monasteries/abbeys realized the beauty of this devotion but unable to read or memorize the lengthy Psalms, the people were unable to adapt this form of prayer for their use. It was suggested that the people might substitute 150 Our Fathers in place of the Psalms.
  5. "Pater Noster Cords". Solitaries of DeKoven. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  6. Safran, Linda (18 April 2014). The Medieval Salento: Art and Identity in Southern Italy. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-4554-7.
  7. Lightbown, R. W. (1992). Mediaeval European Jewellery: With a Catalogue of the Collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Victoria & Albert Museum. p. 342. ISBN 978-0-948107-87-0.
  8. Polack, Gillian; Kania, Katrin (15 June 2015). The Middle Ages Unlocked: A Guide to Life in Medieval England, 1050-1300. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-4589-6.
  9. Winston, Kimberly (2008). Bead One, Pray Too. Church Publishing. p. 156. ISBN 978-0-8192-2276-3.
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