String Game, an Austronesian Custom

January 18, 2019 DAIGU SIGUA

String Game

an Austronesian Custom

String game, or called string figure, is an easy to play game and also a quite ancient art, belonging to all races of people. Using only a loop of string, this game can produce almost unlimited number of figures. Normally it is played with a single person using all fingers to weave the string loop to form different figures. Sometimes with the assistance of teeth and feet to form more complex patterns. String games can be played also by multiple people together.

As to the origin of the string games, that is a question with no answer, although many anthropologists and ethnologists are trying to figure it out. The distribution of string games can be found almost throughout the entire globe. People from Alaska to Patagonia, from Europe to Siberia, from Hawaii to New Zealand, from Madagascar to Rapanui, from Asia to Americas, all have their own string games, as recorded by various anthropologists.

People participate in string games not only for enjoying their patterns, they also use it for storytelling. The patterns change as the episodes develop with the story.

Among Māori, each iwi developed their own repertoire of patterns, illustrating traditional narratives such as the ascent of Tāwhaki and Karihi to the heavens, and Māui catching his great fish Te Ika a Māui (the North Island). Practitioners would sometimes go through a whole story cycle, changing the patterns to illustrate different parts of the story.

Quoted from: Story: Traditional Māori games – ngā tākaro / Whai – string games

String figures was also used in fortune-telling, such as to predict the sex of an unborn child. Recently there have been mathematical interest in connection to string figures, with intentions of describing the changing patterns of string figures with mathematical methods.

The main interests of string games to the anthropologists is focused on their cultural relationships. People of each ethnological group have their own string games. How their distribution took place has become a fascinating topic for anthropologists.

For the Austronesian people, the string game become a unique culture on each of the island they inhabited. Even in New Zealand each iwi has their own string games, different from each other. By observing the following table:

String game in Austronesian Languages:

Hawaiian
Maori
Northern Gilberts
Southern Gilberts
Mangaian
Tongan
Rapanui

Hei
Whai, he
Wau
Tai
Ai
Fai
Kai-kai

Hei: Hawaiian String Figures
Traditional Māori games – ngā tākaro
String-figures from the Gilbert Island
String-figures from the Gilbert Island

String-figures from the Gilbert Island

String-figures from the Gilbert Island
String Figure Bibliography

We can find the similarity of the naming of string games in some Polynesian languages. Obviously the changing of the terms also follow the routes of migration of their ancestors.

Even a cursory acquaintanceship with the Gilbertese must reveal the exceptional extent to which they are addicted to the making of cats-cradles. Like their other games, string-figures will suddenly, and for no ascertainable reason, become the fashion on an island, and young and old may be seen sitting in the communal meeting-house or in their homes weaving intricate designs with a speed and dexterity which shows their long familiarity with the art.

Quoted from: String-figures from the Gilbert Islands / Introduction

Why are so many anthropologists interested in the subject of string figure? We can see from the great works by Dr. Tom Storer, “String Figure Bibliography”, which has listed 1800 articles (324 in abridged edition), concerning this subject and categorizing it into 9 geographical regions. For your convenience, we list some main languages of that bibliography on the terms used for string figures.