Basque ring rosary
Encyclopedia
A Basque ring rosary is a typical Basque rosary
.
Like all rosaries, its aim is to enable a faithful of the Catholic religion to count the number of recited prayers.
At the top is a cross (typically with 4 branches of the same size) symbolizing the prayer Our Father. On the periphery, 10 small spheres equally distributed symbolize the Hail Mary
.
The user places a finger in the opening at the center and puts his thumb on the cross at the top. He recites an Our Father, then moves his thumb onto the first small sphere. He recites as many Hail Maries as he wishes, advancing one bead after each prayer.
The central opening is then often replaced by a little figure like the Basque cross
Lauburu.
It is sometimes adorned with a slogan such as Ongi ene gogoa (= "[Doing] good [is] my wish/mind").
Other cultures use ring rosaries. Specially in case of religious persecutions against Catholic people. These rosaries are small and can be hidden in clothes. An example is the Irish penal rosary
also with 10 beads.
However, they also were worn for protection and adornment at times when Catholicism was not persecuted, as it would be more difficult to break or wear-down a rosary ring, rather than a traditional rosary threaded onto a string.
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
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Traditional Basque rosary
The rosary is a circular wooden piece, 4 cm in diameter with a hole in the middle to introduce a finger.Like all rosaries, its aim is to enable a faithful of the Catholic religion to count the number of recited prayers.
At the top is a cross (typically with 4 branches of the same size) symbolizing the prayer Our Father. On the periphery, 10 small spheres equally distributed symbolize the Hail Mary
Hail Mary
The Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional biblical Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within the Catholic Church, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...
.
The user places a finger in the opening at the center and puts his thumb on the cross at the top. He recites an Our Father, then moves his thumb onto the first small sphere. He recites as many Hail Maries as he wishes, advancing one bead after each prayer.
Basque rosary in jewelry
The Basque rosary is a simple piece of jewelry, gold or silver, 1 to 4 cm diameter. Worn with a little chain around the neck.The central opening is then often replaced by a little figure like the Basque cross
Lauburu
The lauburu or Basque cross has four comma-shaped heads similar to the Japanese tomoe. It can be constructed with a compass and straightedge, beginning with the formation of a square template; each head can be drawn from a neighboring vertex of this template with two compass settings, with one...
Lauburu.
It is sometimes adorned with a slogan such as Ongi ene gogoa (= "[Doing] good [is] my wish/mind").
Other ring rosaries
Irish penal rosary
The Irish Penal Rosary was a single-decade rosary used in Ireland during penal times when religious objects were forbidden. This version of the rosary is easily hidden, allowing devout Roman Catholics to pray with less fear of being detected.-Description:...
also with 10 beads.
However, they also were worn for protection and adornment at times when Catholicism was not persecuted, as it would be more difficult to break or wear-down a rosary ring, rather than a traditional rosary threaded onto a string.