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pr. kom po LO i, sometimes spelled komboloi meaning a group of knots, and loosely translated by function to worry beads.
these most probably have religious origins, cousins to rosaries and buddhist prayer beads. in modern greece, religious rosaries are call komposchini, whereas kompoloi are purely secular. people, usually older men -- but some women too -- carry them around on a daily basis. the more skilled snap them around and deftly twirl them through their fingers, the motion becoming more agitated when a discussion, usually on politics, becomes particularly lively.
the younger generations like them as well, mostly in desperate attempts to keep their hands busy as they try to quit smoking, or simply as decorations for the home or office... and let's not forget the specimens hanging from the car rear-view mirror. those who attempt to use them as a fashion statement usually let it go quickly enough.
i'm not particularly fond of them, simply because they are part of a caricature of the contemporary greek that i find inaccurate. i must admit that they are great for strings of bokeh in the late afternoon sun.
i shot this outside the touristy shops at nafplion and i've placed it on the map on its original flickr page.
