I'm sorry to say I do not know. I have a chotki, but I'm not sure about the differences and reasons for those differences. But I'm sure someone will know!
�Both in the Greek and in the Slavonic Monasteries it is customary, as a part of the investiture of the Little Habit and of the Great Habit, and after the Sandals have been put on, to give a Knotted Cord to the Monk or Nun...This Cord corresponds, though very remotely, to the Western Rosary, which originated at a much later date...The custom of reciting prayers upon a string with knots or beads thereon at regular intervals has come down from the early days of Christianity...It seems to have originated among the early Monks and Hermits, who used a piece of heavy cord with knots tied at intervals upon which they recited their shorter prayers...The Greeks call the Cord a Komvoschinion (a knot and a cord)...The Russian name for the cord is a Vervitsa and Chotki. �The modern Komvoschinion, as used by the Monks on Mount Athos, consists of 100 knots, divided into four equal parts by four large beads, with three additional knots in a pendant adorned with a small cross-shaped tassel. The Megaloschemos is expected to make daily 12 X 100 times the prostration down to the ground (metanoia), and in the evening 300 similar prostrations, accompanied with the following prayer: �Lord Jesus Christ, Son and Word of the living God, through the intercessions of thine all-pure Mother and of all thy Saints, have mercy and deliver us.� If, however, the prostrations, or metanoias, are imposed upon Monks as a penance, the accompanying prayer is: �Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me a sinner.�...
�The Knotted Cord used by Russian Monks is the old Slavonic Vervitsa, which is made with 103 knots or beads, separated as follows by means of four larger beads: The first of the larger beads is followed by 17 small beads, the second large bead by 33 small ones, the third large bead by 40 small ones, and the fourth large bead by 12 small ones; and an additional small bead is added at the end. (The smaller for the Jesus prayer, the large to the Virgin Mary)...�
[Taken from, "Monasticism in the Orthodox Churches" by N.F. Robinson, 1964]
The division of the Russian version represent 17=the OT Prophets+St. John the Forerunner, 33=the number of years Christ lived on earth, 40=the number of lashes Christ received, 12=the Apostles.
If Divine Services are missed: One schema for replacing the Divine Services with the Jesus Prayer is as follows:
Instead of the entire Psalter: 6000 Jesus Prayers One kathisma of the Psalter: 300 prayers (100 for each stasis) Vespers: 600 Great Compline: 700 Small Compline: 400 Midnight Office: 600 Matins: 1500 The Hours: 1000 (250 for each hour) A Canon or Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos: 500
The typical edition of the Chasoslav (Slavonic: Book of Hours), published in Rome in 1950 for the Ruthenian Church gives a rule of monastics using the Jesus Prayer which, when adapted, can be of use to us as well.
Make the sign of the cross upon yourself. Then say each of the following prayers accompanied by a prostration to the ground:
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner! O God, cleanse me of my sins, and have mercy on me! O Lord, You are my Creator, have mercy on me! O Lord, forgive me, for I have sinned without number! O Virgin Lady, Mother of God, save me! My holy guardian angel, protect me from all harm! Holy (your patron saint), pray to God for me.
Now we pray the Jesus Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.(100 hundred times)
Some believers use a rope rosary of one hundred knots with larger knots dividing them. This aid is called a chotki. On the larger knots, we pray:
Why are some Chotki made from wooded beads while others are wool? Is it because some regions have forests and fewer sheep whereas other regions have little lumber but lots of sheep?
The description of the Russian Chotki is especially interesting. Why are these "Rosaries" on istok.net divided into five decades rather than "103 knots or beads, separated as follows by means of four larger beads: The first of the larger beads is followed by 17 small beads, the second large bead by 33 small ones, the third large bead by 40 small ones, and the fourth large bead by 12 small ones; and an additional small bead is added at the end."?
In the description of the Lestovka, I read that there are four leaves and between the leaves are seven movable pieces in token of the seven sacraments.
When I was "very small" I remember taking her Lestovka and (to my shame) pulled apart the leaves. After reading your entry I went on a hunt to see is I could find it and fortunately I found her old Lestovka and other religious items in the attic in her trunk form the old country and took a close look at it and could not find the any movable pieces. I noticed that I had not, those many years ago really pulled it completely apart and noticed that the four leaves were actually fussed together. Is this the way it is supossed to be?
Having never pulled the lapostky/flaps apart, I never know what to make of the movable piece claim! I do have one lestovka that's rather frail from two trips through the washing machine and there a gap between the upper and lower lapostky... but no sign of anything in there.
The flaps should really be stitched together and not glued.
There is more than one tradition for using the Lestovka among the Old Ritualist Orthodox.
One tradition is to begin with the Prayer of the publican on the first three large steps. Then the Jesus Prayer is used throughout on the 100 small steps, punctuated with the Eastern "Hail Mary" on the three divider steps. At the end, the Psalmic Doxology is recited: Glory be . . . Alleluia, Alleluis, Glory to Thee, O Lord (3 x) Lord have mercy (3 times) and Glory be . . .
Seven lestovkas at a minimum should be said daily.
One can also use it to substitute for the Office:
6 Lestovkas each for Nocturns and Vespers.
4 Lestovkas for Small (and Middle) Compline, 7 for Great Compline
15 Lestovkas for Matins
1000 for the four Hours combined (1500 when the inter-hours are added)
As a rule, 3 Lestovkas can replace one Kathisma of the Psalter which is divided into three Stases.
The Rule of St Pachomius calls for one Lestovka at the beginning of each hour of the day and night.
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