Wikipedia states that
a knot is an intentional complication
in cordage which may be practical
decorative,
or both.
To that I would add there is a mystical
dimension to the tying of knots
which imbues the resultant
outcome
with complexity
and awe.
An example is the hangman’s knot
A gruesome exercise in symmetry, and
another kinder yet equally complex one
is the wonderous wongle beloved of scouts.
I like the sailors knot, sometimes
called a Turks head, and puzzle over
who in the world invented the little known
corn beef knot used in the cooking of said meat?
Also don’t forget the granny knot
a heartwarming name for one
that can slip under load and
let you down at the crucial time.
Mathematicians love the trefoil
and there is a whole body of
learned work on the subject often
calculated in n-dimensions.
Meanwhile the endless knot
or Shriivatsa dates back five
centuries to the Indus Valley and
represents the eternal wisdom of the Buddha.
And finally I have to mention
the impassable Gordian knot
of legend cut through By Alexander.
The seeming impossible problem solved
In such a simple way. If only life were like that.
Reflections on life in Poetry and Prose. 