A knot is one of humanity's oldest technologies. Before writing, before the wheel, human beings knew how to tie: to build shelters, carry objects, fish and weave. It is no surprise that the knot also became a powerful symbol, charged with opposite meanings: it unites and imprisons, protects and holds back, is tied and untied. In spiritual traditions the gesture of binding and the gesture of loosening are two sides of the same reality.
The double meaning of the knot
The symbolism of the knot revolves around two poles:
| Tying | Untying |
|---|---|
| union, covenant, commitment | liberation, forgiveness, opening |
| protection, safekeeping | birth, passage |
| fixing an intention | letting go |
| continuity, bond between generations | end of an obligation |
Many rites of passage use the knot precisely because of this ambivalence. In wedding ceremonies of various cultures the hands of the couple are tied with a ribbon or cord to represent their union. Conversely, several European folk traditions recommended untying the knots in the house at the time of childbirth, as a symbolic gesture to favour a birth without obstacles.
Sacred knots in the ancient world
The knot of Isis
In ancient Egypt the tyet, also called the knot of Isis, was an amulet shaped like a knot of cloth, similar to the ankh but with its arms lowered. It was associated with the goddess Isis and with protection, and was often made of red stone such as jasper.
The Herculean knot
In the Greek and Roman world the Herculean knot, formed by two intertwined cords, was a common motif in jewellery and was associated with protection and marriage. In Roman custom the bride's belt was fastened with this knot.
The Gordian knot
According to the ancient story, the city of Gordium kept a cart tied with a knot so intricate that no one could undo it. It was said that whoever succeeded would rule over Asia. Alexander the Great, in the best-known version, cut it with his sword. Since then "cutting the Gordian knot" has meant solving a problem with one decisive act rather than endless manoeuvring.
The endless knot
Many cultures have knots with no beginning and no end, symbols of eternity and interdependence:
- the endless knot of Tibetan Buddhism, one of the eight auspicious symbols, represents the interconnection of all things and the union of wisdom and compassion;
- the Celtic interlace of illuminated manuscripts and of Irish and British stone crosses, in which the lines overlap without ever breaking;
- the Solomon's knot, two interlaced rings found in Roman and early Christian mosaics, including in Italy.
In these cases the knot does not imprison: it tells us that everything is connected and that every line passes, sooner or later, through all the others.
Knots and words
The symbolism of the knot has entered language deeply. In Italian people say that "knots come to the comb", meaning problems eventually surface; in English we speak of a "knot in the stomach" or of "tying the knot". In Christian tradition there is a widespread devotion to Mary "Untier of Knots", inspired by a Baroque painting kept in Augsburg, Germany, in which the knots represent life's difficulties to be entrusted to prayer.
The rosary, the prayer rope of Orthodox monks and the knotted cords of various traditions also use the knot as a unit of prayer: each knot is a step, a repetition, a moment of attention.
Knots in folk tradition
European folk traditions know many symbolic uses of knots. Northern tales told of sailors buying cords with three knots in which the wind was "enclosed", to be untied one at a time during the voyage. These stories illustrate the logic of the symbol well: the knot holds, the untying releases.
The Studio's reading
For Studio Esoterico Cornelio the knot is a very concrete image of inner life. Everyone carries bonds that support and bonds that suffocate. Spiritual work does not consist in cutting everything or holding on to everything, but in recognising which knots to keep and which to untie.
A reflective exercise with a simple length of cord:
- tie a knot while thinking of a bond for which you feel gratitude;
- tie a second knot while thinking of something that holds you back;
- slowly untie the second knot, patiently, noticing how much time and attention it takes;
- keep the cord with the remaining knot as a reminder.
In short
- The knot is an ambivalent symbol: it unites and holds back, protects and imprisons.
- Ancient Egypt knew the knot of Isis, the classical world the Herculean knot and the legend of the Gordian knot.
- Endless knots, such as the Buddhist endless knot and Celtic interlace, represent eternity and interconnection.
- The knot has entered language and prayer practices such as rosaries and knotted cords.
- Spiritually it invites you to distinguish the bonds to keep from those to untie.