Penitents used strings or little cords with knots to count the number of "Our Fathers" to be recited. The name given to this tallying device was Paternoster or Pater. The Paternoster is older than the ...

A: Called Chotki, the Russian rosary is a version slightly different from the Byzantine rosary, dating back to the seventh century. It has one hundred knots and is usually made of wool. Each group of ...