Let’s start with “Sha” folks. The Egyptian word for “luck” was the
syllable: Sha. The Egyptian word for Beads was: Sha-Sha. Ain’t no
tough stretch here to figure the wearing of beads was considered good
luck. Ah … but it was considered more than that … quite a bit
more in fact.
It’s Monday morning. You’re not feeling well. You’ve had a tough
weekend … what with betting on the chariot races and playing
nose-to-nose with cobras to see who could come the closest to an
asp’s forked tongue without getting fanged … and drinking mead and
watching Salome do her topless thing at the local bistro. Besides
… you don’t really feel like going to work today. It’s going to be
a scorcher and as far as you’re concerned … the pyramids can wait
till Tut goes home. So you go to your local priest who knows all
about the idiosyncracies of the nasty little creatures that are
causing you all your aches and pains. If the mood so strikes him …
he can get you off the hook for the day with an Incanter’s note
telling one and all you’re too sick to work today.
Ah … an incanter … that is what this local priest is. He who
has the uncanny ability of recognizing by the pain you describe
which particular demon or demons it is that is tormenting you. Not
only that … but our talented priest–who is also … by some
strange quirk of fate … a jeweler–and who also has in his
back-room parlor a variety of precious and semi-precious gems in the
form of beads … each gem containing the particular power required
to cure that which ails you.
There was a constant demand for beaded amulets inscribed with
magical symbols in those days … not very unlike the enlightened
needs of today in fact.
The wearing of beads and amulets was treated with great reverence by
the wearer … the seller … and the prognosticator … who all had
the symbiotic interest of healing the poor tired soul which was
presently housing a myriad of evil demons. An agate for you dear
sir. A tourmaline for you ma’am. You have a back-ache? Wear this
dear soul. Cramps? I have just the string of beads for you.
Blindness … scurvy … syphillis? Wear this … and this … and
that.
Everybody owned beads … men … women … children … from blue-
bloods roaming the palaces in regal attire to the lowly collector of
empty soda-cans --you thought maybe they didn’t have soda-cans in
those days? Sheesh! Who could afford to be without supernatural
assistance?
And so we come to our modern day beaded necklace … a $40,000 doo-
dad meant for the elite … a 582 graduated … beaded … seven
strand … emerald treasure. Beads range from 5.0 to 10.0 mm. Four
strands at the back. 18 karat gold rondelles. Stylized buckle
motifs with 227 round diamonds … total weight 14.00 carats. A site
to behold for those of you who like to wear beads.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits…may I
direct you to my home page at www.tyler-adam.com where you will
scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that says
Tidbits Graphics … and then click on the link that says: Beads …
where you’ll see an image of a gorgeous emerald beaded necklace.
And there ya have it.
That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark
-- http://www.tyler-adam.com --