String figure

From Free net encyclopedia

A string figure is a pattern formed by weaving string around one's fingers by manipulating the digits in certain ways, or sometimes between the fingers of multiple people. Some string figures even involve the usage of the mouth, wrist, and feet! String figures may be created and altered as a game or as part of a story. Various figures that can be made in sequence include a cup, then a glasses and a fish. Another series is mountains, river, fish, fisher, big fish, king and bones of the fish.


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String figures were widely studied by anthropologists from the 1880s through around 1900, as they appear to have arisen independently as an entertainment pastime in many societies. Many figures were collected and described from Pacific Islanders, Inuit and other Native Americans. The first known book of string figures was String Figures and How to Make Them, by Caroline Furness Jayne.

The most popular and well known string game appears to be cat's cradle, though other ones that are well distributed throughout the world are Jacob's Ladder ( Osage Diamonds, Fishnet), Cup and Saucer (Sake Glass, Coffe Cup) and Tree Hole (The Moon Gone Dark, Sun).


A great deal of additional information on string figures, on-going efforts to collect them worldwide, and their often unique methods of construction is available in the publications of the International String Figure Association (ISFA).

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String figure moves

In string figure literature there are many phrases often used. Shown below are some common moves, openings, and extensions.

  • Navahoing: When there are two loops on a figure, you can do this move. You basically just the lower loop over the upper loop and release it.
  • Caroline Extension: You do this when there is one or more loops on the thumb. Lift the instructed string up in the knook of your index finger, lift the string up, then pinch the string together with your index finger and thumb. This requires a lot of practice to do properly, so don't get discouraged if you fail at first.
  • Index Opening: Grasp the loop with your middle, ring, and little fingers so that there is a couple inches of string between them. Put thes finfers together so there is a circle made by the overlapping strings. Insert your index finger from your far side into the circle, then rotate the index finger upwards, circling towards you.
  • Position 1: Put the untwisted loop on your thumb and little fingers.
  • Opening A and Japanese Opening: To do Opening A, first do Position 1. Then make the right index finger pick up the string on the left hand going between the thumb and the little finger. Finally, make the left index finger go between both strings of right index finger, and pick up the string going from the right thumb to little finger. The Japanese Opening is almost the same except you pick up the strings with your middle fingers, not index fingers.

NOTE: Even though these words I type are more on the "following" side of string figures, I encourage you to make your own string figures. After all, some of the most famous string figures were just developed by people messing around with string and seeing what they could find.

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Further reading

  • Caroline Furness Jayne, String Figures and How to Make Them, ISBN 048620152X
    An exhaustive study of this material culture
  • Anne Akers Johnson, String games from around the world, Klutz 1996
    A book for beginners
  • Kathleen Haddon, String games for beginners, Heffer 1974
    28 figures, 40 pages
  • Camilla Gryski, Cat´s cradle, owl´s eyes, 1987, William Morrow & Co Library
    A book for beginners
  • Many stars and more string games, William Morrow & Co Library 1985, ISBN 0-688-05792-6
    A book for beginners
  • Super string games, William Morrow & Co Library 1996, ISBN 0-688-15040-3
    A book for advanced
  • Fascinating String Figures, International String Figure Association 1999, Dover, ISBN 0-486-40400-5
    A book for advanced
  • Julia P. Averkieva with Mark A. Sherman (contributor), Kwakiutl string figures, Anthropological papers of the American Museum History, Vol. 711992, University of Washington Press, ISBN 0-7748-0432-7
    199 pages
  • J. Elffers and M. Schuyt, Cat's Cradles and Other String Figures, Penguin books 1979
    207 pages, a book for beginners and advanced
  • Anne Pellowski, Story vine, Macmillan Publishing Compagny 1984, ISBN 0-02-044690-X
    116 pages - String stories
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External links

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