The Pater Noster cord (also spelled Paternoster Cord and called Paternoster beads) is a set of

prayer beads Prayer beads are a form of beadwork used to count the repetitions of prayers, chants, or mantras by members of various religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, Umbanda, Islam, Sikhism, the Baháʼí Faith, and some Christian denominati ...

used in

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

to recite the 150

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

, as well as the

Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...

. 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. In the

medieval era In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, those persons who were illiterate simply recited the

(known as the ''Pater Noster'' in

Ecclesiastical Latin Latin, also called Church Latin or Liturgical Latin, is a form of Latin developed to discuss Christian thought in Late Antiquity and used in Christian liturgy, theology, and church administration down to the present day, especially in the Ca ...

) 150 times instead of the 150 Psalms, hence giving these Christian prayer beads the name of the Paternoster cord.

Development and use

In the 3rd century, the early Christian

Desert Fathers The Desert Fathers or Desert Monks were early Christian hermits and ascetics, who lived primarily in the Scetes desert of the Roman province of Egypt, beginning around the third century AD. The is a collection of the wisdom of some of the ea ...

carried pebbles in pouches to count their praying of the Psalms. The Pater Noster Cord originated in the 8th century in Ireland, as a way to count the recitation of the one hundred and fifty

in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

, which are incorporated into the fixed prayer times of Christianity. Those who could not read or had difficulty memorizing the canonical hours prayed the

one hundred and fifty times. 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. The use of the Paternoster Cords spread throughout Western Christendom. The Pater Noster cord has been carried by Christians who wear it off of their

girdle A belt, especially if a cord or rope, is called a girdle if it is worn as part of Christian liturgical vestments, or in certain historical, literary or sports contexts. Girdles are used to close a cassock in Christian denominations, including th ...

or belt, or also hang it off of "the neck or wrist or arm". Others have worn the Pater Noster cord by attaching it to a

brooch A brooch (, also ) is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments, often to fasten them together. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold or some other material. Brooches are frequently decorated with enamel or with g ...

worn on the breast, or simply carrying it in their hand.

Assemblage

The making of Paternoster Cords in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

was done by

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

s who were distinguished based on the kind of materials they used to assemble them ("coral and shell, amber and jet, or bone and horn"). In the present day, religious orders such as the Solitaries of DeKoven (a community of Anglican hermits) make Pater Noster cords to support themselves.

References

{{reflist Christian prayer Prayer beads Psalms Lord's Prayer

Development and use

Assemblage

See also

References