Common thread

They were one of the first sources of human artistic expression, emotional comfort and spiritual mystery.

From a lone Buddhist monk rubbing his beads in contemplation of the flaws of man to a Catholic woman holding her rosary in prayer, these tiny objects, bound together by cord, provide tactile comfort and company to those seeking spiritual guidance.

Deseret Morning News graphicPrayer beadsRequires Adobe Acrobat.

Carved from seashells, wood, precious stone or other materials, beads were cherished by stone-age societies as talismans of good fortune.

Tens of thousands of years later, beads are still found in many major religions, including Islam, Buddhism and Christianity.

Anthropologists believe the use of beads in prayers stemmed from the use of beads to keep count. The same ancient technology that gave rise to the abacus was also used by the religious to keep count of their prayers. But they have also become a symbol of humanity, being given at birthdays, weddings and handed down to the next generation in families.

The prayer bead has its own story and journey, having first been used in India, then traveling the spice and silk roads to areas of China, Tibet and west to Arabia and Rome.

The earliest recorded use of prayer beads comes from the Hindu faiths in India as far back as the eighth century B.C. Called Mala, the beads are still used in prayer in India. Those who worship Siva, one of the major Hindu deities, use the rough, brown seeds of the rudrashka tree, which grows in Java. The seeds are segmented into five or more sections, which are said to represent the five personalities, or faces, of Siva.

Hindus who worship the major deity Vishnu make their beads from the wood of the tulsi, or "holy basil tree." Mala beads remain cherished among modern Hindus.

As Buddhism spread in India, around 500 B.C., the tradition of using strings of beads to keep count of prayers followed. Buddhist monks carry strands of 108 beads while lay persons carry smaller strands of 30 to 40. Among Tibetan monks, the most cherished of such beads are made from the bones of revered deceased lamas, or holy men.