Knots in the history of mankind appeared very early - the oldest of the most famous were found in Finland and belong to the late Stone Age. With the development of civilization, knitting methods also developed: from simple to complex, with a division into types, types, and areas of use. The largest category in terms of the number of variations is sea knots.
The role of nodes in culture and religion
There were peoples in whom the methods of tying the ropes were endowed with mystical properties and were applied in the life of representatives of all walks of life. There were civilizations that were taboo on them. The most famous example of the latter is Ancient Rome: priests in the temple of Jupiter were forbidden to have at least one knot in their clothes.
Many peoples of the world had cult, sacred knots: the Chinese “knot of happiness”, the emblem of the Judah tribe in Judaism, dressing hair strands and tying a knot on the beard of the Arabs, and others.
Background
The development of sailing navigation gave a big impetus to knitting - the need for reliable and convenient “tools” created a whole collection of new knots. Another major shift occurred in the XIX – XX centuries with the development of tourism.
By that time, sailing was a hobby, and sea knots were simply no longer in use - now only about 38 knots are studied at nautical schools. Meanwhile, the Ashley Book on Knots, published in 1944, describes 700 options for tying ropes, and their maximum known number reaches 4000. However, when tourists appeared, everything changed.
The development of specific types of recreation (mountaineering, caving, sport fishing) brought to life forgotten and "created" new types of ligaments.
Knitting became a kind of sport - one of the records in it was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records in 1977, certifying that American Clinton R. Bailey Sr. tied six knots in 6.1 seconds.
Where are the nodes used?
Their scope includes all aspects of human life. Knots literally accompany us everywhere - with their help, bows on shoes, hats, ties are tied, dressing of wounds is done, with their help animals are kept on a leash and hair in a hairstyle. Nautical knots are still in use in sailing.
In mountain, water sports, speleotourism and mountaineering, nodes are found at every step. They are also part of fishing, hunting, creating decorative jewelry and clothing. At the same time, each type of activity requires its own kind of nodes.
Types of loops and connections
Knitting knots strictly obeys the laws of topology - at the heart of any complex knot is a simple knot. The first classification comes up from here - the ligaments are simple (basic) and complex.
Any knot can be divided into a combination of two elements - the creation of curved rope shapes (construction) and the formation of additional curvatures in the process of pulling (forming).
Squeezing leads to compression, deformation of the rope at the clutch. As a result, a rope with a knot is less tensile than without it. This leads to another way of classification - according to the degree of reliability.
Practical and decorative
One more general classification can be distinguished - the division into types of nodes by functionality. In other words, the nodes are divided into decorative and used for some work.
The latter are great for decorating gifts, bouquets, elegant decoration of clothes, creating jewelry. Mizuhiki occupy a special place among them: with their help, you can create works of art of any shape and purpose - from jewelry in the form of butterflies and cranes, to rich loops and ornaments on clothes.
There are other classifications - depending on what is associated with what, on purpose, etc.
Classification of nodes, types
In general, these types of nodes are distinguished:
- for tying ropes together;
- to tie the rope to the support;
- loops;
- auxiliary (to create support, weighting, retention of loops of rope bays, etc.);
- tie;
- decorative.
The first, in turn, can be divided into: nodes for tying ropes of the same diameter, different diameters, running (for movably fastening parts of the same rope to each other), conductive and special.
However, this does not limit the answer to the question of what kind of nodes are. Mountaineering and fishing have their own special nodes; among the decorative ones, there is also a huge variety of compounds.
Three main marine nodes
In fact, there are many "marine" nodes, the types of which were needed and popular in the days of sailboats, but have lost their relevance in our time. A fair amount of the ligaments are no longer used, but there are three basic ones that are used almost always and everywhere. This is the "gazebo", "vylenochny" and "eight."
The “gazebo” knot, it’s a pancake, it’s the “king of knots” - it doesn’t tighten even under heavy stretch, it fits easily, compact, it doesn’t slip, it doesn’t spoil the cable, it doesn’t tighten and is easily untied. This is a real king, possessing all the necessary positive qualities and having virtually no flaws. This unit is used as insurance when climbing to a height or descending overboard, and is also suitable for connecting two ropes of the same or different diameters and materials.
The “bulging” knot is very convenient for attaching the rope to smooth surfaces, for example, to a mast or pole. It refers to that version of nodes, the types of which can be used safely, without fear of problems with sliding or self-loosening. The name derives from the fact that they have long been fastened to the guys ratlin (sections of tarred rope used to lift on mast). This knot has a drawback - it is reliable only with constant tension. In the marine business it is used for fenders, tying boats to a pile.
"Eight" - the locking unit that underlies one and a half dozen more complex options. It is considered classic, and its big plus is that even with strong traction it does not spoil the rope and is easily untied. In everyday life, it serves as a good way of attaching a rope handle to a bucket, to children's sledges, strings to pegs of violins, mandolins, guitars and the like.
In addition, the types of marine nodes can be divided into auxiliary, connecting the ropes to each other and fastening the cable to the support.
Base nodes in mountaineering
In mountain sports, similar types of knitting are used. Although some of them came from the sea and have been known for many years, there are also “ours” designed and invented by tourists and professional athletes. In mountaineering, 17 main bindings can be distinguished:
- Straight (for connecting ropes and ropes of the same size. It is imperative to use control units. It is tightened under load, “creeps”).
- Grapevine (from the category of knots, the types of which are used to bind ropes of the same and different diameters).
- Brahmskotovy (used to bind cables of different diameters. It is imperative to knit control nodes to it).
- Conductor (application - fastening the rope to something. It is easy to tie on any segment of the cable. It is tightened and “creeps” under the load).
- Eight-conductor (the knotted knot does not “creep” and does not tighten much under load. It is used where a reliable loop is needed).
- “Bunny ears” (the scope is wherever you need a good strong loop. It doesn’t “creep”, it drags heavily under the load).
- Bulin (it is used to attach the rope to the rings, to fix it around the support. This is a good, simple and reliable unit that does not tighten much under load, but “creeps” if the load is variable).
- Garda loop (it is used for insurance, rope pulling and braking. Works well with a loaded cable, suitable for use in any condition).
- Prusik knot (used for self-insurance. It does not rest on icy cables and poorly on rigid ones. This knot moves and tightens freely under load, after removing it without difficulty it returns to its original state).
- Vyblenochny ("Stirrup". It is well suited for attaching a rope to any number of supports, for example, trees. It does not tighten under load and is quite reliable at its constant level).
- Austrian grappling knot (for pulling the cable when organizing the crossing. It moves freely, is pulled under the load and returns to its original position after removing it. One of the most reliable knots. Types of such sliding-grabbing bundles are very popular among sailors and speleologists).
- Self-decoupling (this knot is knitted from a segment of the main rope and is used when hovering. It is well untied even under heavy load and is quite reliable. To avoid spontaneous untying, use a reef knot or carbine).
- Marking the rope (a very simple and convenient way to keep the rope in order. Knits on any skein of rope, ribbons, fishing line, etc.).
- Blocking ISS (method and procedure for tying insurance. There are several options).
- Control - sliding, deaf, carabiner (the main knots in any field related to the use of ropes. Only those who do not knit knots in need are without the control ones. Their task is to prevent spontaneous untying of the main knot. It is obligatory to use control knots with some knots. B On the whole, they are used when there is doubt about the reliability of the core, especially if it is tied to a wet, slippery, icy, dirty, etc. rope).
The main nodes in speleotourism
The types of rope knots used by speleotourists are very similar to the “climbing” ones, although depending on the team and school, different knitting methods can be called the main ones. However, it will not be a mistake to name among the basic, absolutely necessary for study by all who want to go in for speleotourism, the following: direct, pancake, “eight” (stop, double and oncoming), nine, Austrian guide.
Of these, the double “eight” is practically the most used in speleo-everyday life. If formed correctly, it is well untied after loading. Used on a hitch and in many other cases.
Straight
A straight knot, also known as Hercules, consists of two half-nodes, sequentially tied one above the other in different directions. This connection method is only suitable for ropes of the same diameter - otherwise, thin under load will break the thick. When a rope or cable is loaded, this loop is prone to self-loosening.
The same is true if the rope gets wet - a knot can crawl. Use necessarily with control. On synthetic cables, it is unreliable, but when used correctly it is universal and relatively easy to untie.
Similar but unreliable options are known: mother-in-law and a woman’s knot. Admiralty and surgical nodes are also considered to be related to the direct .
"Eight"
One of the simplest locking knots, which has several indisputable advantages: it is easy to knit, it looks beautiful, it is tightened on its own, it does not spoil the rope too much. It is not suitable for use under load, since in this case it is very tightened and as a result it is difficult to untie it.
The Eight, like the direct knot, has been known since antiquity. There is a loop similar to it with the same name, which is used in mountaineering mainly for fastening a carbine on the main rope.
What are the nodes based on the "eight"? In general, it serves as an element of many more complex mating, for example, the oncoming and double G8.