1920] on String Figures 81 



brought away, it is impossible to be certain how it was made by the 

 aborigines, but the construction I am about to employ lias I 

 suggested, and is probably correct, since it is simple and involves no 

 unusual actions. [The figure as shown by the Lecturer was made 

 by successive movements, as set out in the next paragraph.] In the 

 figure thus obtained I pull with my index fingers, and then the part 

 which represents the man moves up the part which represents the 

 tree trunk. Such motion is characteristic of figures of this kind ; 

 hence such results are often used as a framework for stories — two 

 warriors fighting, a hammock breakiug and its occupant falling out, 

 and so on. 



[A Man Climbing a Tree. — The successive movements which pro- 

 duced the result shown in the Lecture may be put in the form of 

 the following rules : — First: Take up the string in the form of 

 Opening A.* Second: Bend each little-finger towards you over four 

 strings, with its back pick up the next striug, and return. Third: 

 Xavaho'- the little-finger loops. Fourth: Bend each index-finger 

 over the palmar string between the two strings of the loop on 

 the corresponding index-fingers, and press the tips of the fingers on 

 the palms. Fifth : Holding the strings loosely, slip the loops off the 

 thumbs and index-fingers. Lastly : Put the far little-finger string 

 under one foot, or under a heavy book, release the little-fingers, and 

 pull steadily with the index-fingers, after hooking their tips into the 

 string they hold. 



Closely allied to the production of moving figures, and almost 

 indistinguishable from them, are String Illustrations of Stories. The 

 well-known representation of the Yam Theft will serve as an example 

 of this type of figure. [The construction as shown by the Lecturer 

 was made by successive movements, as set out in the next paragraph, 

 the final form being shown in the diagram on next page.] You 

 can tell the story much as you like. In one version of it the thumb 

 loop represents the owner of a yam paten. He is supposed to be 

 asleep. The loops successively taken up from the dorsal string and 

 put on the fingers represent the yams dug up by a thief, and tied up 

 in bundles ready for carrying off. The loop coming off the thumb 

 represents the owner waking and going to see what is the matter. 

 He looks down the dorsal side, sees the yams collected for removal, 

 notices that the dorsal strings hold them tight, and looks about for 

 the thief. The thief, who may be represented by a loop on the 

 pendant palmar string, coming back for his booty, sees the owner, 

 whereupon (pulling the pendant palmar string) he disappears with 

 all the yams. There is at least one British specimen of such a string 

 story which deals with the misadventures of a thief who stole some 

 tallow candles. I include these string illustrations of stories among 

 the figures in Class ft. 



* This term is explained below, on page 93. 



Vol. XXIII. (No. 114) o 



