Eskimo String Figures 11 b 



Position I. — This name may be applied to the position in which 

 the string is placed on the hands when beginning the great majority 

 of the figures. 



Place the string over the thumbs and little fingers of both hands 

 so that on each hand the string passes from the ulnar side of the hand 

 round the back of the little finger, then between the little and ring 

 fingers and across the palm; then between the index and thumb and 

 round the back of the thumb to the radial side of the hand. When the 

 hands are drawn apart the result is a single radial thumb string and a 

 single ulnar little finger string on each hand with a string lying across 

 the palm. 



This position differs froni the opening position of the English cat's 

 cradle in which the string is wound round the hand so that one string 

 lies across the palm and two across the back of the hand with a single 

 radial index string and a single ulnar little finger string. 



Opening A.- — This name may be applied to the manipulation 

 which forms the most frequent starting point of the various figures. 

 Place string on hands in Position I. With the back of the index of 

 the right hand take up from proximal side (or from below) the left 

 palmar string and return. There will now be a loop on the right index, 

 formed by strings passing from the radial side of the little finger and 

 the ulnar side of the thumb of the left hand, i.e., the radial little finger 

 strings and the ulnar thumb strings respectively. 



With the back of the index of left hand take up from proximal 

 side (or from below) the right palmar string and return, keeping the 

 index with the right index loop all the time so that the strings now 

 joining the loop on the left index lie within the right index loop. 



The figures now consists of six loops on the thumb, index, and 

 little finger of the two hands. The radial little finger string of each 

 hand crosses in the centre of the figure to form the ulnar index strings 

 of the other hand, and similarly the ulnar thumb string of one hand 

 crosses and becomes the radial index string of the other hand. 



The places where the strings cross in the centre of the figure may 

 be termed the crosses of Opening A." 



The term "navaho" is derived from Miss Haddon, who defines it 

 thus^ "When there are two loops on a digit, a distal one and a proximal 

 one, you are often required to lift the proximal loop over the distal one, 

 and over the tip of the digit on to its palmar aspect. This movement 

 I refer to as "Navahoing" on account of its frequent occurrence among 

 the string figures of the Navaho Indians of New Mexico, U.S.A." 



For the purpose of this monograph I have ventured to add three new terms, 

 two of which indicate opening movements from which many figures are derived, 

 while the third denotes a movement which recurs so constantly that the Eskimos 

 themselves have given a special name to part of it. These new terms are: — 



Opening B — 



Make Position I. Bring the right hand across and with the palm of the 

 right index {i.e. from the distal side) take up the left palmar string and return, 

 half-circling the index counter-clockwise. With the back of the left index 

 from the proximal side take up the radial left little finger string. Drop both 

 little finger loops. (See fig. 1.) 



■Haddon, Kathleen. Cat's Cradle from Many Lands, London, 1912, p. 6, 



