Knotted Rope Charm
A rope or cord with three knots, tied by a 'wise' seller and sold to sailors as a wind charm. Untying the first knot raised a gentle wind, the second a stronger breeze, and the third a storm, so prudent captains kept the third knot tied. The three-knotted wind cord is documented in Nordic and Sami maritime folklore and was often credited to Lapp (Sami) sorcery. Olaus Magnus drew and described the custom in 1555: a seaman from the north sold a cord of three knots to sea captains, warning that the third must never be loosed unless the ship stood in danger. The poet Petter Dass and later collecto