did you know that the word "bead" orifinally meant "prayer" in Old English, and then cam by association to represent those things strung on a chain?
and bead still means prayer in German.
"Although a bead is in English today "a small perforated ball which is threaded with others on a string to form a necklace" but it was originally a bead from a a rosary - "a string of beads used to count prayers as they are being recited". And 'bed' in Old English was the
prayer itself - as in modern German: das Gebet [gø beet]"
http://kimkat.org/amryw/1_enwau/enwau_lleoedd_llyfr_3_0965e.htm 
Reply
