Sources regarding ancient Knot-writing, knot-counting etc.

[Rocky Lionmouth]

Hullo!

 

So, i’ve been after some source or resource on those old knotted-string record keeping systems that are said to have preceded actual chinese writing systems, back in the day when people wore leaves and did their thing.

 

I’ve heard that some of it survived old Sage Fu (is it?) when he came and taught people pictowriting. I saw something a while back that could have been a callback to that system if not a later use of it to codify or compress information. Hard to say of course, i’m stumbling in the dark (usual pasttime)

 

I’m doing a spot of research and deciphering and google was unfriendly about this since selling cord and tutorials for decorative knotwork is just waaaay more en vogue than so e stuffy academia about intelectually functional knots on strings.

 

Do share here or shoot me a PM if you are able and so inclined, just some pointers as to what the practice is called, if you know the characters that make up its name in traditional or modern writing or sysgemic romanization, anything to point in a general direction, i’d be over the moon about it!

[dawei]

Laozi mentions it more than once.

 

Also see:

Ancient Chinese Version Of Quipu -Tradition Of Tying Knots Dates Back To Antiquity

 

CHinese Knot TyingIn Ancient China, Tying Knots as an art form

 

 

[Rocky Lionmouth]

Dawei my friend thank you!

 

First link seems to be broken or something?

 

I read the wiki article before posting here, the sources referred to weren’t retirevable, sadly.

 

onward upward.

[dawei]

5 hours ago, Rocky Lionmouth said:

Dawei my friend thank you!

 

First link seems to be broken or something?

 

I read the wiki article before posting here, the sources referred to weren’t retirevable, sadly.

 

onward upward.

 

link fixed.

[thelerner]

I'm reminded that knot tying was an art of the samurai, a martial or post martial I should say.  Relatively forgotten but one with depth of technique and many levels. 

 

Even today in Aikido there are ceremonial knots worn on traditional clothes and woe be it to the newby who unties them, cause to redo them takes quite a depth of knowledge.  Undoubtedly because beyond there intricate beauty there are  deeper symbolic meanings to them. 

Edited March 12, 2018 by thelerner

[Boundlesscostfairy]

A wonderfully mindful excercise is to tie and untie knots in the mind.. just by thinking of them, we can form and untie.. I'm a grandmaster of creating and untying in my mind.. but I'm working on the one I have on the left side of my gut.. This can be a process of untying guilt as a residual attachment..