Introduction

This paper gives a personal formalization of the string figures in Chapters 2 and 3 of Jayne's String Figures: A Study of Cat's-Cradle in Many Lands [4] using Tom Storer's string figure calculus [8]. This is a “personal” formalization because the constructions given below are not exactly, move for move, the same as those given in Jayne. There are multiple reasons for the differences in the calculus here and the constructions given by Jayne.

First, there are moves which Jayne describes step-by-step which the calculus allows us to notate directly. To give a concrete example of this, Jayne does not use the term “to navaho a loop” and explains the operation each time (e.g Many Stars, Sixth move, p. 50). Although she does not use the term in her writing, she remarks that, “following Dr. Haddon”, one uses the verb “to Navaho” conversationally (p. 20). The string figure calculus has notation for navahoing a loop and we use this notation below. By doing so, we lose potentially interesting anthropological information about whether a string figure practitioner performed a navaho move with their mouth, or the opposite hand, or by a slight rotation of the wrists.

Second, Jayne gives step-by-step instructions for performing manipulations that can be easily summarized. For example, Jayne writes:

Third: Transfer the thumb loops to the index fingers by taking up from below with the back of each index the far thumb string. (Bogobo Diamonds, p. 43)

We can summarize this in the calculus as:

$$\Circled{3}\ \overrightarrow{1\infty... ... \overrightarrow{2}(\underline{1f}) \ensuremath{\char93 }: \ensuremath{\Box}1.$$

If we only gave the loop-transfer formula, then there would be a loss of information. The right hand side of the equivalence tells us about a particular manipulation to accomplish the loop-transfer.

Third, there are moves in Jayne which are difficult to notate directly using the calculus. If I've found a simpler and equivalent way to notate the figure, then I give that description of it. An amusing instance of this kind of alteration is Two Elks (§3.12). Jayne comments: “The Fifth and Sixth movements of this figure exhibit what appear to be artificial methods, and yet it is difficult to see how the same results could be produced in any quicker or more simple procedure.” (p. 79) After some experimentation, I found that these moves were equivalent to a double-navaho move $\ell 1 \infty \to u1\infty \ \textrm{(over)} : N1$ and so I've written this simpler manipulation. To the best of my ability, I've noted where these completely fabricated moves occur.

Given these differences, this paper represents my own personal interpretation of Jayne's String Figures. It has no anthropological value per se and should not be used directly as a basis for comparison of string figure corpora. However, it can be used as a guide to various moves occurring in the literature and possible ways to notate them using Storer's string figure calculus.