Eskimo String Figures 



85 b 



APPENDIX 

 FIGURES BEGINNING WITH A MODIFICATION OF OPENING A 



LXXIII. The Sqttirbel 



The Barrow and Inland natives call this figure takcrik, the Mackenzie 

 natives tcikcik, and the Coronation gulf natives ^ikxik. All have the same mean- 

 ing, "squirrel." I have never seen the Coronation gulf natives make the com- 

 plete figure; they carry out half the movements and obtain a result approxi- 

 mately the same. Another figure, "the angry man" (see No. LXXIV) would 

 be exactly the same but for an introductory movement which occurs, so far as 

 I am aware, in but two other figures (Nos. LXXV and CLI). But "the angry 

 man" is known on both the Siberian and Alaskan coasts, where it is accompanied 

 by chants. It. is found in the Mackenzie also, but the chant is almost absent, 

 while in Coronation gulf the figure appears to be altogether unknown. This 

 suggests that "the squirrel" originated, or was at least preserved, among the 

 western Eskimos, and was handed on by them to their eastern kinsmen. 



Position 1. 



Revolve the right hand once in a clockwise direction. 



With the backs of the indices take up the opposite palmar strings as in 

 Opening A. 



Pass the thumbs down distal to the radial index strings and with their backs 

 from the proximal side take up the ulnar little finger strings and return. 



Drop all but the two loops on each thumb; hold these in the hands, make 

 Opening A again, and repeat the movement. 



Fig. 101 



